The 626-feet tower in the shape of a sceptre has a great view of the city, the surrounding plains and the majestic Rocky Mountains, rising 80 km away towards east. At special events a flame will burn on the top of Calgary Tower, which also includes a rotating restaurant, where you can have dinner while enjoying the view.
Calgary's flagship among its museums and exhibitions is one of the best of its kind in Canada. Besides several travel and expedition exhibitions, the Glenbow Museum includes comprehensive exhibitions about the first settlers in Alberta, the European early settlers and later times' pioneers. The mineralogy section and the collection of arms and armours are excellent.
More than 100 authentic buildings have been collected from all over western Canada and erected in the Heritage Park. The "neighbourhoods", which are "inhabited" by the staff, dressed in old costumes, has everything from an 1850 fur trader to a village outpost from 1910. Steam engines, horse drawn buses and steamships provide the transport around the park.
See why painters and photographers swarm to Peggy's Cove in Halifax, New Brunswick. This small fishing village is one of the most idyllic villages imaginable, with small wooden houses and a lighthouse, where you can find a post office, all constituting a lovely picture at the opening of St. Margaret's Bay, where the waves of the Atlantic meet the rocky coast.
This park is one of the greatest attractions in Canada. The tracks in the park, on the north coast of Prince Edward Island, lead through forest areas with rivers, lakes, and lots of wildlife to where the sea meets the red sandstone rocks, dunes and beaches, inviting you to go for a swim or observe the 200 different species of birds.
In Campobello Islands in Fundy Bay is the holiday residence of this old, American president, Roosevelt. The large 34-room cabin and the nature reserve in which it is situated attract many tourists to Fundy Bay, where the high tide has formed strange rock formations and caves.
Watching these giants of the ocean playing around in the sea is an unforgettable sight, which you can experience along the coasts of the Maritime Provinces and Newfoundland. When and where depend on the season and geography, but it is almost guaranteed to see some of the many whale species passing the coast in New Brunswick, if you're there between July and September. Seeing a 30 metres long blue whale passing by isn't an unusual sight.
Notre-Dame Basilica is called the blue church, and is one of the most beautiful churches in North America. The interior decorations remind a little of the famous basilicas of Florence, and the pine and walnut carvings, the glass mosaics and the blue arches create a dream-like atmosphere for the more than 4000 people who can be inside this enormous church. The organ consists of more than 7000 pipes, making it the largest organ on the continent.
Old Montréal is a great place for a pleasant walk, with is hundred-year-old houses, where you can get an impression of the history of Montreal and get some variation from the normal street life.
The futuristic stadium, which was finished in 1976, is an immense experience. The stadium itself, "Big O", shaped as a giant mollusc, and the 49 degrees leaning tower, supporting the roof, dominate the silhouette of the building in the eastern part of Montreal. There's more to the area though, as it is the home of the Montreal Botanical Garden, which has the world's largest, and finest, museum dedicated to insects.
As a tourist, one shouldn't miss the Underground City, which comprises 30 kilometres of walkways, leading to about 1700 stores, 40 banks, bars, gyms, 200 restaurants, 30 cinemas and theatres, 10 metro stations, a university, 7 hotels, a concert hall and about 1600 residences. It sounds incredible, but it's true, and an absolute must to see.
In the Yukon territories, in the northwestern part of Canada, is the Kluane National Park, with a rich wildlife, hundred kilometres long glaciers and Canada's highest mountain, Mt. Logan, all a great experience for anybody who like to see some rough but beautiful nature. Go on a helicopter ride over the icy realm of Kluane, the home of numerous black bears and grizzly bears.
West of the Yellowknife area is the Nahanni National Park, where you can see the mighty Virginia Fall, whipping the water into foam around a central rock. Another sensational sight in this park is The Cirque of Unclimables, which is an amazing cathedral-like formation of cliffs that only a few of the world's most experienced mountaineers have climbed.
The sight of the sky illuminated by northern lights (Aurora Borealis) is unequalled on this planet, and some even believe that the waves of green, red and lavender light have a healing effect. A thought which isn't so extreme if you go out on the frozen Great Slave Lake in Yellow Knife, Yukon, on a clear September or March night.
Most people know the name of one of nature's wonders, Niagara Falls, in the province of Ontario. The falls, hurling the masses of water towards the bottom with humbling primeval power in a deafening roar, are best experienced from the Canadian side of the border. The greatest experience is from a helicopter, where you'll be able to observe this wonder from all angles and sides. The Falls are situated about 130 km west of Toronto.
The museum's beautifully curved lines make it the most spectacular and special piece of architecture in Ottawa. The exhibitions trace the history of Canada from the pre-historic ages up until today. Canadian western longhouses, high totem poles and life-like reconstructions of an archaeological excavation can be found in the large hall.
The exhibitions, which are housed in a palace-like building, show the evolution of Earth, as well as that of Canada and its bird life, wildlife and plant life. The museum contains a unique exhibition on dinosaurs and The Viola MacMillan Mineral Gallery exhibits a first-class mineral collection.
These three Gothic buildings with verdigris cobber roofs, housing the Canadian parliament and senate, are the architectonic jewels of Ottawa. Wonderfully detailed stone frescos are found in the foyer, telling the history of Canada, as well as are the superbly carved stone columns and provincial crests in coloured glass, created by the national artist Eleanor Milne.
The famous battle of 1759, which took place on these beautiful plains, determined the destiny of New France, as this was where the British army, led by General James Wolfe, defeated the French armed forces and started a new era, under the rule of the British, in the history of Quebec. If you're interested in the history of Quebec, the Abraham Plains are a good place to start.
The view of the St Lawrence River and the Old Town is great from the highest point in Cape Diamant, where the 150-year-old citadel La Citadel is located. The citadel is the largest fortified base still used in North America. The building was begun by the French in1832 and finished by the English in 1850. Traditional canon salutes are heard from within the citadel, which also contains a museum in an ancient powder storeroom.
Begin your walk on Place d'Armes, a large square, surrounded by the government buildings of the French regime, which used to be the rallying point for political speeches and parades. South of it you'll find the extravagant but beautiful hotel, Chateau Frontenac, which has been the landmark of Quebec City, since it was finished in 1925.
Quartier Petit Champlain is the name of the oldest part of Quebec City, beautifully located on the banks of St Lawrence, below the high cliffs and the rest of the city. In these beautiful and well-preserved old houses, you'll find lots of charming cafes, restaurants, art shops and workshops, appearing one by one during a stroll around the narrow, cobblestone streets.
One idyllic fishing village appears after another, when you take the tour along the coast of the beautiful Gaspé peninsula. Quebec's highest mountain, Mount Jacques Cartier, rising 1286 metres above the dense forests and the other mountains, is situated in the centre of the peninsula. Jardin Métis, in the southern part of the peninsula, is the home of exotic plants and flowers.
Quebec's old district, on the Atlantic coast, is a breath of centuries worth of history for anybody walking through the cobblestone streets with the many French restaurants, art shops and workshops. See the old port, founded in the 17th century, and walk along the promenade with the many merchant ships and cruisers anchored up there.
The original Fort Walsh in southern Saskatchewan was built in 1875 by the inhabitants of the mountains to create peace between the whiskey-sellers and the Indians. Fort Walsh remained the local centre of trade until 1883, when it was abandoned. Get a taste of the age of the settlers in the beautiful surroundings of Fort Walsh National Historic Park, and experience the restored and exciting fort itself.
Every year numerous Canadian and foreign tourists swarm to Churchill, Manitoba, because this is where you can see the ice bears waiting to begin their hunting of seals, as soon as Hudson Bay freezes up. There's a train, specially designed with balconies with a view, dining cars and sleeping cars, which is always to be found where the view of the great ice-bears is the best.
Hectare after hectare of wilderness and waterways, divided into three kinds of landscape: Open grasslands, forested parklands and dense, northern woods with many lakes, all constituting important parts of Prince Albert National Park's invaluable natural richness. Experience the magnificent nature from a canoe.
The CN Tower, 533 metres tall, is the world's highest detached building, and is recommendable to visit for everybody who isn't afraid of heights. During the minute that it takes for the elevator to ascend, one gets the impression of sitting in an airplane, while taking off, but once you have reached the top, the view over the millions of skyscrapers is magnificent.
This gigantic stadium is the home grounds of the baseball team, Toronto Blue Jays. When it was finished, in 1989, it was one the world's most modern stadiums, with an immense sliding cover, 10,000 mobile seats and room for 67,000 spectators, as well as the world's largest TV screen. There are tours every hour from 9 to 16.
Toronto's harbour is visited by 3 million visitors each year, who want to experience the cultural life and the shopping malls in between the successful mixture of restored storehouses and modern architecture. This is where the inhabitants of the city go strolling in the summer, when there's also a large outdoor market.
Vancouver was founded in 1867, after "Gassy" Jack Deighton had persuaded (and cheated) some local carpenters into building him a saloon for a barrel of whiskey. Later on, the old district of Gastown, where one can experience the old buildings from the time of the gold rush, was named after him. Vancouver also has North America's third-largest Chinatown.
Stanley Park, a cape northwest of the city centre, shouldn't be overlooked. The giant park was originally used for military purposes in the middle of the 19th century, but has now become the city oasis, with a great view, beaches, a coastline, gardens, sports facilities, swimming pools, animals etc.
Vancouver Aquarium, in Stanley Park, is the world's first aquarium of its kind. You can see dolphins, beluga whales and killer whales in spectacular shows, and you can also watch seals, sea otters, tropical fish, sharks, reptiles and turtles in the indoor and outdoor aquariums.
Banff National Park, surrounding the city of Banff, is Canada's first national park and definitely one of the most beautiful. After having taken in the magnificent view at Sulphur Mountains, you can take a refreshing bath in the Upper Hot Springs, surrounded by the view of the high mountains and the rich wildlife.
Yoho National Park in British Colombia contains some of the most unique scenery in all of the Canadian part of the Rockies. The many peaks rise thousands of metres above the tall waterfalls of Yoho Valley and the melt water of the glaciers in "Emerald Lake".