Toronto: Top 10

(continuer en français) – Last updated: February 18, 2023

Canada’s largest city actually has few major tourist sites, so it is possible to visit them all over a long weekend. If the weather were to disrupt this project, there are also good museums and an underground city with long galleries to avoid being exposed to the outside elements.

01. CN Tower

By day or by night, it is the star of Toronto’s skyline. When it was built in 1975, the CN Tower broke the height record with 553 metres, 1814 pieds, since then it has been surpassed elsewhere in the world. Around 350 metres, 1148 pieds, high there are an observation platform, a restaurant and a ring where you can walk in the open air with a safety harness.

02. Harbourfront

Since the middle of the last century, the city has been trying to reclaim the lakefront to convert the former industrial zone into a recreational area. Today, it is almost the only place to walk in downtown Toronto. During the summer many activities take place there and until late at night it is possible to spend a good time away from traffic.

03. Nathan Phillips Square

There is always something going on in this large square in the city centre. In winter the skating rink attracts despite the cold, in summer if there is no show or festival, people come to take pictures of themselves in front of the giant letters forming the name of the city. The Town Hall dates back to 1965 but retains its futuristic look, which has been used as a backdrop for several films.

04. Fort York

In Fort York, we immerse ourselves in the history of Toronto, which developed from this military post established in 1793 by the English. During the summer months, the fort is revived with the arrival of a contingent of uniformed students, they perform parades and military exercises, recreating the barracks life of the former days. It is an oasis of greenery in the middle of the high buildings that surround it.

05. Casa Loma

This European castle pastiche dates from 1911-1914, it was built for a wealthy businessman. At the centre of Toronto’s social life, its interior illustrates the opulence of the wealthy class’s lifestyle. Then the wind turned, business declined and the owner had to leave his castle before he was seized by the city. Since then it has become a tourist attraction.

06. Distillery District

The distillery was in operation from 1837 to 1923, in the centre of a diversified industrial complex. After having served as a film studio, the large buildings were converted at the beginning of the century into shops, art galleries and restaurants. The cobbled streets form a separate neighborhood near the city center. In December, a Christmas market set up its wooden huts there.

07. Kensington Market

Inhabited by successive waves of poor immigrants, the neighbourhood has inherited its heterogeneous and cosmopolitan look with a hippie note that is still very much in evidence. With its growing popularity, coffee shops tend to replace second-hand or junk shops and thrift shops. On sunny days, high visitor numbers can become invasive.

08. Eaton Centre

It is the largest shopping complex in the downtown area, built in 1977 around a multi-storey glass gallery, ideal to escape the extremes of the weather, combining walking and shopping. The centre replaces the Eaton department stores, which anticipated the downturns of the retail stores and converted to commercial and office real estate.

09. Allen Lambert Galleria

As you step into the gallery, you are drawn to the high, transparent vault. The glass roof is supported by a series of elegant arches rising over nine floors. The classic facade of the former Bank of Commerce has been preserved and integrated into the gallery leading to the Hockey Hall of Fame. Exhibitions are often presented there.

10. Toronto Island

A short ferry crossing leads to a series of islands in Toronto’s harbour. Some parts are inhabited but most of them are occupied by attractions for visitors, there are even several beaches. At the end of the day, the view of the downtown towers reflected in the lake is particularly attractive to photographers.

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