While Canada is often celebrated for its rugged nature, the country is home to hundreds of equally appealing towns and cities. Canadians pride themselves on creating great-looking cities that are comfortable and engaging to live in. Here are just some of the country’s most beautiful...
The capital of British Columbia sits pretty on the tip of Vancouver Island, just off Canada's west coast, making for some extraordinary views as well as some of the mildest weather in the country. The jewel of Victoria is its gorgeous Inner Harbour, ringed by BC’s parliament buildings, the historic ivy-covered Empress Hotel and monuments to local Indigenous communities. The city is also known for its lush gardens, with colourful beds and planters down almost every street.
Boasting a blend of historic buildings, like those at the Halifax Citadel that date back to 1749, and natural coastal beauty, Halifax is a monument to the friendly East Coast spirit. The downtown waterfront features 2.5 miles (4km) of wooden boardwalk, offering views of passing boats and plenty of restaurants serving sumptuous local seafood. Get on the water and paddle out into the harbour to get the best view of the city’s sparkling skyline.
The gateway to the Rocky Mountains, Calgary sits snugly between some of the world's most gorgeous peaks to the east, and vast fields of golden wheat and canola fields to the west. The city itself is full of fantastic architecture, with striking modern buildings like the new Central Library, the National Music Centre, the Bow office tower and the pedestrian Peace Bridge. The city is also rich with green space and lays claim to the most extensive urban pathway and bikeway system in North America.
As Canada’s capital, Ottawa is home to the nation's Parliament Buildings, instantly recognisable for their impressive Gothic-Revival façades. Parliament Hill is far from the only beautiful place in Ottawa, though, and the city is full of national museums, university and college campuses and other cool-looking official buildings. Munch on maple-leaf-shaped cookies at the city's famous ByWard Market or wander the Rideau Canal, which freezes over in the winter and serves as an enormous skating rink.
Nicknamed 'the Paris of the prairies', Saskatoon is a medium-sized city divided in two by the pretty South Saskatchewan River. Take a ride on the Prairie Lily riverboat for a pristine view of downtown, including the standout of the skyline, the Bessborough Hotel. Saskatoon’s prairie-farmland positioning gives it a chic, farm-to-table vibe, reflected in the city’s rustic restaurants and vibrant arts scene.
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No city in Canada is more postcard-worthy than Québec – particularly its Old Town, which could pass as a fairy-tale European village. The only surviving fortified city in Canada and the United States, there's a beautiful church, monument or crumbling section of wall around every corner. This history, plus bucket-list sites like the Plains of Abraham and the Chateau Frontenac hotel, form a big part of Québec’s appeal, along with its prime position on the mighty St Lawrence River.
Manitoba's capital and largest city showcases a particular kind of rugged, gritty beauty. Winnipeg’s downtown is full of stone heritage buildings, many of which now house shops and restaurants run by young entrepreneurs. The area around the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers – known as the Forks – is the key neighbourhood to visit, with landmarks like the Esplanade Riel Bridge and the Canadian Museum For Human Rights nearby.
Found on the far eastern edge of the continent, St John’s is one of Canada’s most historic and celebrated communities. As the oldest incorporated city in the country, this provincial capital is over 500 years old and has all the quirks and charisma you might expect from such longevity. The city's candy-coloured houses and cheerful downtown streets are a delight, as are the dramatic views of the Atlantic from the rocky heights of Signal Hill.
Prince Edward Island is widely considered one of Canada’s most charming and attractive provinces, and that sentiment extends to its capital city. Charlottetown is relatively small (as befits Canada's tiniest province), but that’s part of its appeal. From the waterfront views and cute shops at Peake’s Wharf to the storybook maritime architecture of places like Beaconsfield House and the Brighton Beach Range Lighthouse, Charlottetown is easy on the eyes and the soul.
Big cities aren’t always exactly 'beautiful', but Canada’s largest metropolis has loads of visual appeal. The classic Victorian homes in the inner city make Toronto a calming place to wander around, and many visitors happily get lost on streets lined with dreamy brick houses and old growth trees. Torontonians aren’t all fans of the more modern developments on the waterfront, but, along with the famous CN Tower, the buildings on the shore do create a spectacular skyline.
Regina doesn’t get as much fanfare as its neighbour Saskatoon, but it's a lovely city in its own right. The provincial capital’s Wascana Centre is a tranquil city park with a 120-acre lake and miles of paved and natural trails, as well as a habitat conservation area housing 276 species of bird and 36 species of mammal. For some urban flair, Regina’s Warehouse District positions itself as the 'soul of the city', with shops, restaurants and other businesses bringing new life to handsome old-brick warehouses.
This coastal metropolis is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful cities in the world, combining rugged west coast nature with glassy modern buildings. The heart of Vancouver is Stanley Park, a 400-hectare patch of West Coast rainforest complete with bike paths, viewpoints and the Vancouver Aquarium. The rest of the city is crisscrossed with waterways that reflect off the windows of all those glass towers, as well as intriguing neighbourhoods lined with trees, cool shops and restaurants.
Yellowknife isn’t a large city, but its location in Canada’s vast northern reaches grants it a good deal of natural appeal. It sits on the shores of Great Slave Lake, home to the city’s famous houseboats and their stunning views out over the water, which freezes to an icy sheen during winter. The Yellowknife Old Town is eclectic and welcoming, with rustic wooden buildings, jackpine shacks, kayak rental shops, Indigenous influences and lake access.
Awash with classic brick architecture, this riverside city is bursting with maritime charm. Fredericton’s location and small size make it a favourite for nature lovers since it’s so easy to get out on the city’s many trails or, if you fancy exploring by kayak, the river. With impressive bridges, tall church spires and an urban lighthouse overlooking the St John River, Fredericton is a joy just to walk through.
Much like its British namesake, Stratford, Ontario is located on the Avon River and is famous for its Shakespeare-heavy theatre festival, for which the city provides a perfectly idyllic setting. In addition to its theatres, Stratford is chock full of grand Baroque-style buildings, including the Stratford Public Library and historic Stratford City Hall. The city also houses the well-tended Shakespearean Gardens, which were first conceived to only contain plants mentioned in Shakespeare's plays.
Montreal is among the most arts-minded cities in North America, reflected in its quirky mix of historic and modern architecture, laid-back parks and public art. Situated mostly on an island in the St Lawrence River, there's water all around the city and mountains looming beyond it – a bucolic backdrop for one of Canada's larger urban centres. Its buildings are also gorgeous; highlights include the Second Empire-style City Hall, Gothic-Revival Notre-Dame Basilica and the modern 1970s look of the Olympic Stadium.
Much further north than most of Canada’s bigger cities, Edmonton has an energetic arts community and its own distinctive vibe. The vast swathes of urban parkland in the North Saskatchewan River Valley gives the city a fresh and dynamic feel, as does the big sunny Alberta sky. While there are plenty of interesting buildings to look at (the ultra-modern Art Gallery of Alberta is a must-see), keep your eyes peeled for wildlife – it’s not unheard of to see moose strolling within the city limits.
Whitehorse is the largest city in northern Canada, but at its heart it’s the same quirky little prospecting town it always was. The city’s Main Street is covered with inspiring public art pieces and the buildings are fronted with colourful wooden façades. Naturally, the rugged wilderness that encircles the city is also a huge draw, with the Yukon River running through town and majestic mountains looming on every side.
This small city in southern Alberta sits on the edge of the province’s Badlands region, resulting in some wild, otherworldly topography. The city’s most striking structure is the Lethbridge Viaduct, also known as the High Level Bridge, a massive railway trestle that brings trains into town. Lethbridge’s downtown district is also pleasant and pretty, with its brick buildings and large public park.
You’ll find Cambridge at the confluence of the Grand and Speed rivers in southern Ontario, not far from the city of Waterloo. Even though it’s an industrialised city, Cambridge is delightfully quaint, with its waterways and collection of heritage buildings. The Galt area is particularly pleasant, with European-style architecture and a pedestrian bridge. It often serves as a backdrop for TV and films, including The Handmaid’s Tale (don’t let the subject matter detract from the city's beauty!)
The unofficial headquarters for Okanagan wine country, the city of Kelowna is prized for its lakeside recreational areas and vast splay of working vineyards. Drive up to the phenomenal vantage point at Mission Hill Family Estate Winery for spectacular views of the city and Lake Okanagan. While the wineries are renowned for their beauty, it’s also worth exploring Kelowna’s cute downtown, with a range of restaurants and shops just steps from the waterfront.
Set on the Saguenay River, about 120 miles (200km) north of Québec City, the city of Saguenay is the entry point to the Saguenay Fjord National Park and is surrounded by scenery, with views out over water and the distant mountains beyond. There’s lots of fun within city limits too, with eye-catching buildings like the whimsical Ha! Ha! Pyramid, an art piece created to commemorate the 1996 Saguenay flood.
Positioned on the west coast of Newfoundland, Corner Brook is the most northern city in Atlantic Canada, and its remote location is a big part of its aesthetic appeal. The city sits on the tip of the Bay of Islands inlet, with mountains, pine forests and several large lakes dividing it from the island's inland. In the winter months, Corner Brook looks particularly magnificent under a blanket of snow, and the Marble Mountain Ski Resort operates just four miles (7km) outside the city.
It goes without saying that Niagara Falls – the falls themselves, that is – are among the world’s most beautiful natural phenomena, but the city of the same name is also wonderful in its own way. As a tourism hub it is a bit kitschy, but the neon lights and tourist traps mostly make it fun and unique. Wander the perfectly-manicured botanical gardens, enjoy panoramic vistas from the top of the Skylon Tower or just stand beside the falls and bask in the never-ending roar of the water.
Nicknamed 'The Harbour City', Nanaimo on Vancouver Island is most celebrated for giving the world the delicious Nanaimo bar dessert, but that’s far from the only thing it has to offer. As with all of Vancouver Island, visitors to the city enjoy awe-inspiring Pacific Coast views, while the waterfront features a walkway lined with shops and restaurants. There are also plenty of whale watching opportunities just off shore.
Not to be confused with St John’s, Newfoundland, Saint John, New Brunswick is an enchanting little city that sits right on the Bay of Fundy. This Canadian Eden is resplendent with gardens and outdoor spaces, as well as attractive old brick buildings like the popular City Market, which was built in the 1870s. Watch out for the Reversing Falls Rapids, a natural phenomenon that sees the river briefly flow backwards at high tide, caused by the meeting of the Saint John River with the unique tidal conditions in the Bay of Fundy.
Another prize of the prairies, Brandon is a small-ish city on the banks of the Assiniboine River in the southwest corner of Manitoba. The city has a small town farm feel – even though it houses several colleges – and visitors can enjoy an array of cute brick buildings, some still sporting old advertising murals from days long gone by, alongside contemporary street murals. The Brandon Riverbank Discovery Centre is a large central park, full of riverside walking trails and wildlife.
This southern Ontario city obviously carries some British influence – not only is it named for the UK capital, it also sits on the (Canadian) Thames River. London is home to the University of Western Ontario, one of Canada’s most prestigious schools. It’s also rife with classic architecture, like the magnificent French Gothic-Revival St Peter’s Cathedral Basilica and the Covent Garden Market, another homage to London, UK. There are also lovely places to walk, like the extensive pathways along the Thames.
Sitting in a particularly picturesque part of southern Québec, Sherbrooke’s spot at the confluence of the Sainte-Francois and Magog rivers has yielded a fetching little city surrounded by water and serene places to hike. The city’s downtown has plenty of potential days out like the historic Granada Theatre and the Sherbrooke Museum of Fine Arts. Bois-Beckett Forest is also a must-see, especially if you’d like to see a real Canadian maple tree.
Nicknamed the 'Queen City', this jewel of British Columbia’s Kootenay region attracts an artistic, nature-loving crowd. The city is rich with heritage buildings – over 350 in total – and also has an operational streetcar. As stunning as the downtown area is, nature is king here, with the Selkirk Mountains in the background and beyond the clean waters of Kootenay Lake. The city is a magical place for creative people who want to leave the stress of big city living behind.