Canada: Celebrating the best of city living

---

If there’s a country that can effortlessly combine cutting-edge city living with the glorious expanses of the great outdoors, it has to be Canada. And seeing as the North American nation is gearing up to celebrate its 150th birthday, it seems that 2017 could be a great year to visit this beautiful country.

As the majority of Canada is sparsely populated and pretty cold, it makes sense to start your Canadian adventure in one of the three major cities. Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto all lie close to the US border, and they all offer a distinct take on Canadian living.

Toronto is Canada’s biggest city and its iconic CN Tower provides heart-stopping views of the metropolis if you’re brave enough to make the 553.5 metre ascent to the viewing platform at the top.

Other attractions in the city include the architectural wonders of modernist museums like the Royal Ontario Museum and the Art Gallery of Ontario, and the boutiques of trendy Yorkville should help you part with your holiday money.

On the west coast, Vancouver has been enjoying record-breaking tourism numbers thanks to its breathtaking scenery. With the sprawling ocean view and the wonderful Stanley Park, it’s clear that Vancouver is a nature-lover’s kind of city.

But that’s not to say that Vancouver is short of big city fun. This is because the beautiful city has got a fantastic art, theatre and live music scene, and its Hard Rock Casino even made the shortlist at Lucky Nugget Casino, but if you want to play now, then there are plenty of online alternatives too.

Special mention must also be made to Montreal. You’ll definitely notice how many people still speak French in this city that makes no attempt to hide its old-world heritage. And by walking through the chic streets of Old Montreal, you’ll quickly realise how the city blends quaint historical sites with a cutting-edge food and fashion scene.

Whether it’s marvelling at the Notre Dame Basilica, or exploring the shopping opportunities on St Catherine Street, it’s instantly understandable why Montreal has become such a big hit on the global tourism scene.

And with plenty of incredible natural phenomena such as the Saint Lawrence River and the Rocky Mountains to explore, it’s clear that Canada offers a lifetime’s worth of wonder for the global traveller.

---