The grandest avenue in Melbourne, Collins Street is renown for prestigious boutiques and designer stores, theatres, high-end hotels and restaurants.

The east end, or “Paris end,” has lavish Victorian-era buildings erected when Melbourne grew during the Victorian gold rush. Global bank headquarters are housed in gothic buildings nicknamed “Cathedrals of Commerce,” like the 19th century Old Stock Exchange and the ANZ Gothic Bank — gold leaf ceilings and grand ceilings. On Collins Street you’ll also find flagship stores for Prada, Armani, Tiffany & Co, and Longchamp and shopping malls including Collins Place, the Block Arcade, and Georges on Collins.

Collins Street is home to the Athenaeum and Regent theatres, which put on international productions throughout the year, and it’s also known for its impressive 19th century churches: Collins Street Baptist Church, St Michael's Uniting Church, and Scot's Presbyterian Church.