Hosier Lane

You can’t visit Melbourne and not widen your eyes over the urban street art. Gigantic faces, psychedelic scenes and rebellious murals brighten up the dingiest of alleyways. There are nearly a dozen good places to see but the best place to start is Hosier Lane, the birthplace of Melbourne street art, and world famous on Instagram. There’s a mind-boggling array of colours, characters and styles created by local and international artists on every surface down the famous bluestone laneway. Using everything from stencils and paste-ups to murals and installations, this mash-up of different styles and ideas somehow all work together. Take your time, often it’s the smaller, overlooked pieces like a painted fire hydrant, that can really grab you. Then take a detour round into Rutledge Lane and explore the work lining the walls, windows and wheelie bins of this sister street gallery.