Bendigo's gold rush legacy is the main draw, and the Central Deborah Gold Mine delivers it as dramatically as anywhere in regional Australia — a real working mine where you descend 60 metres underground into tunnels lit as they once were, by lamplight. Above ground, the Bendigo Art Gallery punches well above its regional weight, hosting major touring exhibitions that draw visitors from Melbourne and beyond.
The Golden Dragon Museum tells the overlooked story of the Chinese miners who arrived in their thousands during the gold rush and shaped Bendigo's character permanently. It houses Sun Loong, one of the world's longest imperial dragons, used in the city's famous Easter Festival parade each year.
Walking the Victorian streetscape is its own reward. Pall Mall and View Street are lined with elaborate bluestone and sandstone buildings that reflect just how much gold money flowed through this town. The Shamrock Hotel on the corner of Pall Mall is one of the grandest Victorian-era pub buildings in the country.