Canada is a relatively young country. There are no medieval castles here, but many houses and towns preserve the memory of the times of the formation of this country. Still, the most important attractions in Canada are the natural wonders known for their unspoilt nature and pristine cleanliness. The country’s national parks have long gained fame around the world. Therefore, tourists from all over the world are eager to admire the untouched nature of Canada and touch the history of the country’s formation.
Notre Dame Cathedral of Montreal
Built in 1888 by a Protestant architect, the Cathedral of Our Lady of Montreal is famous for its twin towers, each of which has its own name. One tower is called Restraint, and the other is called Perseverance. In addition, the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Montreal has one of the largest bells, weighing up to 12 tons. In the cathedral during the service, you can hear the sounds of the famous Cassavant organ, consisting of 7 thousand pipes.
The blue altar of this Catholic church impresses the imagination of those present with its unusual beauty. It is noteworthy that upon completion of the construction of the cathedral, its creator, architect James O’Donnell, was amazed by the results of his work and shortly before his own death converted to Catholicism.
St. Joseph’s Oratory
Among the iconic buildings of Montreal, the Oratory of Saint Joseph Mont-Royal is famous for the third largest dome in the world. The initiator of the construction of the church was Brother Andre Bessette, who served here and won the favor of the parishioners, healing their ailments. Brother Andre dedicated the miracles of healing to Saint Joseph.
Visitors to the basilica can see thousands of crutches left behind by cripples who were miraculously put on their feet by Brother Andre. The church museum houses the heart of Brother Andre, so more than 2 million pilgrims annually seek to find healing in the temple today. For this purpose, true pilgrims climb the 99 steps of the church exclusively on their knees.
Upper Canada-Vllidge
Upper Canada Village near Ottawa provides an opportunity for tourists to travel back to the 1860s and get acquainted with the lifestyle and way of life of the inhabitants of these places of those distant times. Houses, shops, mills, a blacksmith shop, a bakery, a furniture shop-everything corresponds to the spirit of America of the XIX century. Even the villagers are dressed in the fashion of that era.
In addition to the usual excursions, tourists can take part in the life of the village: take a ride in a horse-drawn carriage, enjoy a photo studio, enjoy rustic treats in an old hotel or buy cheddar cheese made at a local cheese factory and handicrafts made by village craftsmen at a local store.
Capilano Suspension Bridge
Another attraction in Canada is the Capilano Suspension Bridge, built in 1889 from cedar planks and hemp rope. In 1956, the bridge had to be completely rebuilt, as for a long time it became completely unusable.
It is worth noting that local residents do not use the bridge. But every year 800 thousand tourists who want to tickle their nerves, every time they go to overcome 137 meters of the path along the bridge located at an altitude of 70 meters above the Capilano River.
On Vancouver Island, the Capilano Bridge is not the only attraction. On the west coast of the island grows Sitka spruce, famous for its 95-meter height and the title of the tallest tree in Canada. The Pacific coast of the island attracts many surfers who are trying to curb the local high strong waves. From the windows of local hotels, you can watch killer whales and huge whales frolic in the ocean waters.
Bay of Fundy
You can also admire the whales by visiting the Bay of Fundy, known to every schoolchild as the bay where the highest tidal waves occur. Therefore, every year kayakers and canoe lovers gather here not only in Canada, but also from other countries of the world.
Wood Buffalo National Park
Since Canada is famous for its careful attitude to the environment, it would be unfair not to say anything about the country’s numerous national parks. One of the largest in the world and the largest in Canada is Wood Buffalo National Park, a United Nations World Heritage Site.
The name of the park was not chosen by chance. In 1922, it was created precisely for the sake of preserving these powerful animals. Today, the park has the largest herd of wild bison, numbering more than 2.5 thousand individuals.
Here, on an area of 44 thousand kilometers among coniferous and mixed forests, shrubs and grasses, there are excellent conditions for 47 species of mammals, including Canadian caribou and muskrats, American black bear and wolves, beavers and muskrats. The park is home to 227 species of birds, including the American crane, bearded owl and polar owl. The National Park welcomes visitors at any time of the year, and each season is a unique and amazing spectacle of the celebration of the unspoilt nature of Wood Buffalo.
Notre-Dame-des-Neges Cemetery
On one of the slopes of Mont Royal is the largest necropolis in North America, the size of which is very impressive: the length of the paths is 58 km, and the area is almost 1.5 square kilometers. The cemetery is as popular and important as Pere Lachaise in Paris and Novodevichy in Moscow: it is buried the most famous personalities of Canada — great artists, politicians, athletes. Cavalli-the author of the national anthem of Canada, Georges Cartier-the founder of the confederation, E. Nelligan-the Canadian poet of French origin and other celebrities found eternal rest here.
The cemetery initially served as a burial place only for Catholics, but now it is allowed to bury representatives of other religions. Notre-Dame-des-Neges is listed as a National Monument of Canada and is protected by the state. Here is the ashes of the famous hockey player Maurice Richard (“Rocket”), who became a national hero of Canada for outstanding achievements in sports and for his participation in the liberation movement in Quebec. The territory of the cemetery is very picturesque, well-groomed and immaculately clean. Lush crowns of trees respectfully overshadow strict monuments, devoid of excessive pretentiousness and pomposity.
Montreal Botanic Garden
This wonderful “island” of magnificent diversity of wildlife was born in 1931 as a symbol of the Great Depression that gripped America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. For the ownership of a truly beautiful mini-reserve of plants and animals, Montreal is indebted to then-Mayor Camillain Udo and a group of enthusiastic botanists, designers and architects who developed and implemented a bold project a project for those times.
Now the botanical garden, updated and improved every year, is one of the best among its fellows in terms of the number and variety of rare trees, shrubs and other vegetation. On 75 hectares there are themed zones-gardens representing the flora of Japan, China, and the Alps. Specific-style plots are designed: English garden, aquatic plants, medicinal plants, poisonous plants, azaleas, rhododendrons and others-a total of 30 themed gardens and 10 greenhouses-exhibitions. As a tribute to the Aboriginal settlements of Canada, the First Nations Garden is set up, where trees typical of the north grow; plants that fed and treated the indigenous population.
The beauty and rich variety of everything that is here amaze and delight, discover a lot of new things from the world of flora and fauna. Tens of thousands of roses, orchids, and rhododendrons were planted (99% of all plants in half of Canada are represented). Squirrels, ducks, herons, and turtles abound. On the basis of the Garden there are Research Institutes of botany, an observatory, a pet zoo for children, and an insectarium.
Yoho National Park
Anyone who visits Yoho for the first time and learns the original names from the Indian, fully agrees with him, because there is nothing else to say about these amazing places than “Wow!”. The surrounding landscapes amaze the imagination of seasoned travelers with their original identity and majestic beauty. Here, at every turn, you can exclaim with delight: “Wow!”, when you see a sparkling glacier or a rapidly flying waterfall, an emerald-colored lake or mighty Canadian pines.
Here, many names are associated with the indigenous population: it was the Indians who dubbed the treacherous mountain river with a dangerous current “Kicking Horse”, and the seasonal waterfall, famous for its height (381 m), formed from the melting of mountain ice, “That’s great!” is no less wittily nicknamed another, 30 –meter waterfall — “Laughing”. the sound of water, like devilish laughter.
The world of fauna here is extremely rich: deer, elk, bears, badgers, roe deer are found in large numbers. A huge number of different birds (180 species) arrange bird markets on the banks of reservoirs. For tourists, there are wide autobahns, hotels are built and modern infrastructure has been created that allows you to have a wonderful time among the pristine nature.
Thousand Islands National Park
The one-of-a-kind 1000 Islands National Park is located in an unusual location: in the middle of the St. Lawrence River, starting from Lake Ontario and covering 80 km of the riverbed. Otherwise, as a miracle of nature, these extraordinary places can not be called. If you look at the reserve from above, it seems that someone’s powerful hand took and scattered the picturesque islands, islets and islets among the river surface. Actually, the visionary Indians put together just such a legend, observing the natural phenomenon from the surrounding mountains: God, angry with sinful people, decided to take the Earth from them, but as he picked it up, he dropped it, breaking it into pieces and pieces.
There is a completely scientific explanation for the origin of the “1000 islands”. According to geologists, the river, becoming more powerful and full-flowing, flooded the ancient rocky formations, leaving only their peaks on the surface, which became islands. Their sizes range from 100 square kilometers to 100 square meters. m. The unique archipelago is considered by right an invaluable natural gift, declared a National Park in 1914. Soon after, the islands began to be sold, and many of them were built houses,” boiling ” life. Vacationers who were eager to enjoy the peace and tranquility that reigned here fell in love with coming here.
The largest and most habitable is Wolf Island, where there is a well-developed infrastructure, quite a lot of people live constantly. Just as remarkable is the slightly smaller Hut Island, with a unique architectural landmark – the Bolt Castle. According to a romantic legend, a certain J. R. R. Tolkien Bolt had built it for his beloved wife, who had died suddenly. Shocked by her death, he abandoned the construction site and left here forever. Not so long ago, the current owner (who bought the island for $ 1) completed the castle and opened an interesting museum in it, which is often visited by tourists. Visiting an extremely beautiful and unique biosphere reserve brings a lot of positive emotions and unforgettable impressions.
Peyto Lake-water turquoise among the rocks
Another natural phenomenon of Canada – high mountain Lake Peyto, named after its discoverer, is located in a rocky gorge at an altitude of 1,860 m above sea level in Banff National Park. The stunning beauty of the reservoir of bright turquoise color stretches in length for 1 km 800 m, and in width-for 800 m and is a fascinating sight. Tens of thousands of tourists are eager to admire the unique lake to see firsthand the colorful masterpiece of nature.
The steep banks are overgrown with dense coniferous forest, creating a beautiful setting for a unique lake. In winter, it is surrounded by a silvery necklace of pines and firs covered with snow; in the rest of the year, it is surrounded by dark green velvet needles. The unusual color of the lake is explained by the presence of special minerals that flow together with the glacial water from the surrounding rocks and paint the reservoir in a beautiful turquoise color.
Amateur photographers have a lot to do here, shooting fascinating landscapes from different angles. Avid anglers will not be bored either: despite the icy water, there are a lot of fish in the lake, which is allowed to catch only with a fishing rod a strictly normalized number of times. (Canadians value ecological balance.) Now, in the midst of this divine primevalness, comfortable camp sites have appeared, from where mountain climbs are organized for viewing from the peaks of the delightful panorama of Lake Peito.
Cité de Havre Park in Montreal
There is a man-made peninsula in Montreal, created at the end of the 19th century to protect the city from the turbulent, eroding current of the St. Lawrence River, which threatens floods. It was called the security cape or Makei Pier, where a cozy park was laid out in the 20th century on the occasion of the industrial exhibition “Expo-67”. The promontory was expanded with bulk rubble, extracted in large quantities during the construction of the metro, and connected by a major Concord bridge to St. Helena.
Now the Cité de Havre Park is a quiet green recreation area for Monreal residents, where there is no annoying city noise, there are shady alleys for walking, beautiful bike paths. The real attraction of the cape is an architectural residential complex, built as an innovative solution on the theme “Habitat-67”. His project was designed by a little-known Canadian designer of that time, Safdie, and was designed to show modern urban trends in the construction of suburban housing in unity with nature.
The massive structure consists of 354 block modules forming 146 apartments with different sizes and layouts. Each of them is equipped with an individual terrace designed for green spaces. The unusual building became the sensation of the exhibition and the beginning of a brilliant career for Safdie. And the Cité de Havre Park is becoming increasingly popular with vacationers.
Marie-Reine du Mont Cathedral
This majestic church is a junior brother, a smaller copy of the famous Roman Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. St. Peter’s Cathedral, built in Montreal on the initiative of Bishop Ignace Bourget. The bishop was so impressed by the Italian Cathedral that he ordered to replace the burnt-out Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. James build an exact replica of Peter’s Church. The architect who was assigned the project went to Rome, and after examining the original, did not take on the construction. But still, the cathedral was built and consecrated in 1894, receiving the name Marie-Rhine-du-Mont ” (Virgin, Lady of Peace).
Today, the replica of the Cathedral of Rome is the third largest church in the province of Quebec, declared a National historic Site of Canada in 2000. The church conducts all religious rites, including baptisms performed in a unique marble font with a sculptural Crucifix, considered the standard of church sculpture in Quebec. The magnificent cathedral building is crowned with 13 statues of the patron saints of Montreal, and the initiator of the construction, Bishop Bourget, is immortalized in bronze on a high pedestal nearby.
The interior of the church is beautiful, decorated with 9 paintings with stories about the history of Montreal, depicting national heroes and the stages of the formation of faith. A wonderfully executed statue of the Virgin (sculptor Sylvia Doust) is installed in the chapel of the church. The altar is equipped with a canopy – an exact copy of the Italian one, created as a work of art, made of gold and copper sheets, decorated with statues of angels and papal paraphernalia.
Banff National Park
The very first and largest in terms of area of all subsequent national parks in Canada was organized in 1885 in the province of Alberta, the capital of which is the famous host of the Winter Olympics in Calgary. Banff territory – Rocky mountains covered with forests; snow-capped peaks, sparkling glaciers; wonderful mountain lakes with crystal water; picturesque waterfalls, alpine meadows. Banff – dozens of kilometers of ski slopes, beautiful roads, hundreds of cool hotels and campsites, a rich world of fauna.
Travelers from all over the world come here to see the unearthly beauty of northern nature; to breathe, or rather, to enjoy the clean air with the aromas of pine needles; to go canoeing, gondolas,and skiing. The most beautiful lakes: Peyto, Moraine, Lake Louise, Crescent Lake, fed by glaciers, attract to themselves with their cosmic primevalness and watercolor-cold beauty. The surrounding scenery is breathtaking and heart-stopping: is such beauty really possible on Earth?! The same beauty surrounds the Icefield Parkway, which links Banff with Jasper Park. It was laid in the 70s of the last century among the most picturesque places.
The park is known for its hot sulfur springs, which have healing properties. On their basis, there is a Canadian bathhouse, where many tourists strive to get. A trip to Banff Park is a wonderful holiday and close communication with wildlife against the backdrop of magical paintings. Read more about Banff Park in our article.
Old Montreal
The very eloquent name speaks of that part of the city. which has been preserved since its foundation, when Montreal was still called Ville Marie (1642-1643). The future city began with a fort built under the leadership of Frenchman Paul de Chaumedy, intended for the conversion of the indigenous population of Canada to the Christian faith by French settlers. Gradually, the fort turned into a city with all its attributes: houses, temples, and a prison. Surviving numerous fires, the city survived; wooden houses were replaced with stone ones, streets and sidewalks were equipped.
The old medieval street lining and architectural landmarks of the 17th and 18th centuries, which are carefully protected by society and the state, are still preserved here.: old hospital Hotel-Dieu-de-Montréal, seminary of Saint-Sulpice. The main architectural monument of Old Montreal – the Church of Notre-Dame, built in 1829, when Montreal was owned by the British, which is reflected in the style of construction. The cathedral, made not in the strictly Catholic spirit, but in the Gothic one, rises up with its towers. The whole building seems light and airy, elegant and colorful, thanks to high stained-glass windows, sculptural decorations of the facade, arched arches.
Impressive and magnificent building of the Town Hall – a beautiful architectural structure of the British era. Noteworthy is one of the oldest monuments of Old Montreal – Nelson’s Column, installed in 1804 on the New Market Square. There is a Champ de Mars in the old town, which stretches from the Town Hall to the route Ville-Marie, where the stonework of the fort is preserved. Visit Old Montreal – a journey into the historical past of Canada.
Canadian Cordilleras
This mountainous region is an invaluable treasure trove of wildlife, a repository of fantastic beauty, a rich variety of landscapes. It is here that the famous Banff, Jasper, Wood Buffalo and Waterton Lakes National Parks are located, a picturesque part of the Rocky Mountains with the highest peak – Mount Robson. In the Canadian Cordillera there is the richest storehouse of natural resources – the Whistler area; the huge Columbia Glacier (325 square meters. km of ice fields – natural skating rinks for sports); deep canyons of Fraser, Johnston.
Here you can see the most beautiful lake in North America-Lake Louise, the mighty Athabasca Falls, Lower and others. Scientists have discovered multiple dinosaur remains, which played a significant role in the interpretation of the theory of terrestrial evolution. In the ecologically clean waters of the Cordillera, by all accounts, the best fishing. The Canadian Cordillera is an unsurpassed beauty and rich diversity of nature.