It's Winter! Go to Canada!

Canada’s typical landscapes are the Rocky Mountains with its deep blue lakes and snow capped peaks.

Canada offers rainforests and deserts, enormous fjords, and vineyards.

Canada is deserved of its reputation for magnificent scenery, cleanliness, plentiful wildlife, peace, diversity and vast spaces.

As you may already know, Canada is the second largest country after Russia and it has a population of only 31 million inhabitants who live along the southern border.

Canada has 10 provinces and three territories in the north.

You mustn’t think that Canada has to offer only the great outdoors, because Canada has cosmopolitan cities that are clean and safe.

Canada is in fact thought to be one of the world’s most livable countries. The truth is that if you want to go rafting, you can do this in Canada. But in the same time, if you want to see live theater performances, you will also find them there. Canada is a country that tries not to disappoint anyone. Be it the great landscapes or the great cities, you will always find something interesting to do and to see in Canada.

But let’s take a look at the things you can visit while you are in Canada.

Although it may be difficult to see all the wonderful Canadian cities in one day, I will try to give you some clues of the most important and worth visiting ones.

Vancouver
This city was voted the “Best City in the Americas” for 2004, 2005, and 2006 by a traveling magazine. The vote was based on the categories of ambience, friendliness, culture and sites, restaurants, and shopping.

Vancouver is a dynamic, multicultural city which is set in a spectacular natural environment.

Whenever you choose to visit Vancouver, you will always find both indoor and outdoor activities that will surely please each member of your group or family.

In Vancouver you will find majestic cities, sparkling ocean, and rainforests during the entire year.

Canadian people are known for their friendly nature, which is why if you visit this city, it will feel like home.

Toronto
Toronto is the largest city and commercial hub whereas Ottawa is the capital of Canada. The two official languages of bi-lingual Canada are English and French.

Toronto is a creative city where you will feel a liberating experience from end to end.

It is a friendly urban playground that welcomes everybody.

If you choose to visit Toronto, you will experience a word of arts, culture, nightlife, in a word, a lot of possibilities.

There are over 30 events every year in Toronto, but here are the most spectacular ones.

First, since it is during this season, you can choose to see Toronto’s Cavalcade of Lights, an event that takes place from the 24th of November till the 31st of December.

During this event, you will see spectacular fireworks, sparkling lighting displays and a holiday tour of Toronto’s picturesque neighborhoods.

Another thing you can do in Toronto this winter is to go at the Winter City festival, which includes in fact three festivals, which are Wild on Winter, Warm up Series, and Winterlicious.

The first one offers outdoor entertainment during each festival weekend, while the other two are based on indoor activities, such as backstage tours and culinary demonstrations.

Montreal
Montreal is the second largest city from Canada and the largest one from the province of Quebec.

Formerly the largest city in Canada, it is now known as one of the largest French-speaking cities in the world along with Paris and Kinshasa.

If you chose to visit Montreal, you must definitely go to the Place des Arts. A cultural heart of classical art and the venue for many summer festivals, the Place des Arts is a complex of different concert and theatre halls surrounding a large open-spaced square in the downtown. The Place des Arts harbors the headquarters of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra (OSM: Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal), which performs in its halls regularly. The OSM is one of the world's foremost orchestras, most remembered for the quality of its performance of the repertoire of Maurice Ravel under conductor Charles Dutoit.

The plaza on Place des Arts is the home of the most important events during several musical festivals, including the Montreal International Jazz Festival and Montreal Francofolies, a festival of French-speaking song artists. During the seven-to-ten days that last each of the two festivals, shows are held in a wide variety of venues, from relatively small clubs to the large halls of Place des Arts. Some of the outdoor shows are held on cordoned-off streets while others are on terraced parks. The most popular festival, in terms of attendance, is the Just For Laughs Festival. A comedy festival held in both languages, it features comedians, humorists, and stand-ups from all over the world. The Montreal Fireworks Festival also attracts a lot of attention. On the evenings of competition, tens of thousands of people watch the fireworks for free on their roofs or from locations nearby the competition. Other festivals in Montreal include Pop Montreal, The Fringe festival and Nujaz. Annual family-oriented events promoting health and cycling are also organized in the streets of Montreal. Parades are also popular in downtown Montreal.

Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls is far more than a natural phenomenon. A world-class destination with something for everyone, the city offers thriving night life, one-of-a-kind sightseeing, and adventure for all ages. The Niagara Falls honeymoon and family activities like the Maid of the Mist tour and Marineland are long-time traditions, while new Niagara attractions abound.

The Niagara Falls tourist sector is centered around the waterfalls and follows them from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. As much of the land adjoined to the river is parkland under the watch of the Niagara Parks Commission many attractions based on the local natural environment have been created. To prolong visitor stays the city of Niagara Falls has a number of additional attractions in close proximity but not related to the natural features, including casinos and entertainment complexes. The Niagara Peninsula is also a significant wine-growing area, with winery tours and festivals becoming a significant area of growth in the local economy. The Canadian side of Niagara Falls has more attractions.

But enough with the cities. The truth is that if you ever get to Canada, you must visit the Rocky Mountains.

The Rocky Mountains, often called the Rockies, are a broad mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than 4,800 kilometers (3,000 miles) from northernmost British Columbia, in Canada, to New Mexico, in the United States. The range's highest peak is Colorado's Mount Elbert at 14,440 feet (4,401 meters) above sea level. Though part of North America's Pacific Cordillera, the Rockies are not to be confused with the Pacific Coast Ranges which are located immediately adjacent to the Pacific coast.

The Eastern edge of the Rockies rises impressively above the Interior Plains of central North America, including the Front Range which runs from northern New Mexico to northern Colorado, the Wind River Range and Big Horn Mountains of Wyoming, the Crazy Mountains and the Rocky Mountain Front of Montana, and the Clark Range of Alberta, along with a series of ranges in Canada called the Continental Ranges. Mount Robson in British Columbia, at 3,954 meters (12,972 feet) is the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies.

The western edge of the Rockies, such as the Wasatch Range near Salt Lake City, Utah divides the Great Basin from other mountains further to the west. The Rockies do not extend into the Yukon or Alaska, or into central British Columbia. The Rocky Mountain System within the United States is a United States physiographic region.

Canada is an affordable vacation choice. Historically the Cdn$ is worth less than the US$, thus prices in Canada generally seem reasonable to travelers. The 2005 Mercer Worldwide Cost of Living Survey ranked Canadian cities among the most affordable. Toronto, even as the most expensive Canadian city, sits at number 82 out of the 100 most expensive cities, and Ottawa stands out as the most affordable city in North America.

Diverse cultures, climates and landscape make Canada a destination to suit any interest.

Canada is a country of immigrants and has a policy of encouraging diversity. Thus, urban hubs feature a range of ethnic neighborhoods, restaurants, and shops.

In addition to rich and varied urban centers, Canada’s natural environment is one of the most beautiful in the world. From pristine coastlines to rugged mountains and sparkling lakes, Canada’s geography inspires awe coast to coast.