NO Australian city does winter better than Melbourne. While most of the country hunkers down and waits for summer's return, Melbourne comes alive, making a virtue of chilly days and frosty nights with a feast of food, drink and culture to warm your insides and fire up your mind.

In the cold months, the city beckons with hip boutiques, stylish eateries and blockbuster exhibitions, all neatly positioned on its easily navigable grid of streets and laneways. This is the domain of the interior worlds of eating, drinking, design, culture and, of course, that great leisure activity, shopping.

All the big cultural events happen in the winter months, including the Melbourne Writers Festival and, for the fourth consecutive year, Melbourne Winter Masterpieces brings an important international art exhibition to the city.

News Limited

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Federation Square has become a centre of Melbourne's cultural and social life