St. Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne

Sitting just across from the hustle of Flinders Street Station, Saint Paul’s Cathedral is a calm reminder to everyone that Melbourne’s skyline had a spiritual side long before espresso bars and laneway murals took over. This spot is more meaningful than it looks: it was here that the very first Christian service in the fledgling settlement was held in 1835, after which the site briefly served as a corn market. Indeed, only in Melbourne could a place go from a prayer to a produce before becoming a cathedral...

The building itself is the work of English architect William Butterfield, who designed it in the Gothic Revival style—characterized by soaring arches with a slightly rebellious streak. The foundation stone went in during 1880, the cathedral was consecrated in 1891, and the spires joined the complex in the 1920s, giving Saint Paul’s the silhouette that now anchors the Central Business District.

Inside, the soundscape is just as impressive. The T.C. Lewis organ, shipped from England, remains one of the finest surviving creations of the celebrated 19th-century organ maker. And if you happen to be nearby on a Wednesday or Friday evening—or on a Sunday morning—you’ll hear the bells, too. Cast in 1889 at London’s Whitechapel Bell Foundry, they offer something rare: true 13-bell change ringing, a tradition that usually stays on English soil.

Saint Paul’s keeps its doors open most of the week, so step inside whenever the mood strikes. Whether you’re drawn by the architecture, the music, or simply the peaceful break from the city’s pace, the cathedral delivers a moment of calm in the middle of Melbourne’s constant motion...