As winter bids farewell to Canada’s largest metropolis, residents are already marking their calendars for the famous events taking place in the coming months: Canadian Music Week in May, Toronto Pride, the Jazz Festival and the Luminato Arts Festival in June, the Caribbean Carnival in August, the world-famous Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in September, which attracts stars and directors from all over the world, and Nuit Blanche in October.
You can do the same by planning a trip to the city that stands out for its cultural attractions, its liveliness, its neighbourhoods and its multi-ethnic restaurants – some of which have Michelin stars. Another reason Toronto stands out in the country is baseball, mainly because of the Toronto Blue Jays, the Major League Baseball (MLB) team that has its home base at the Rogers Centre.
From the CN Tower to the Distillery District
Toronto’s landmark is the CN Tower at 553 metres, which was the tallest building in the world until the Burj Khalifa opened in 2007 in Dubai, where else? There are 116 floors and three observation levels with views that reach as far as Niagara Falls on a clear day. The main deck is at 346 metres, while from the glass-walled SkyPod at 447 metres you can even feel the tower swaying in the wind. The real adventure, however, is called EdgeWalk: without holding hands, with only a safety belt, daredevils take the world’s tallest circular walk—the first of its kind in North America.
The tower is located in the city’s downtown core, the main commercial and business district with its skyscrapers and the much-talked-about PATH that weaves beneath. It is one of the largest underground shopping complexes in the world, stretching for about 30 kilometers, connecting many parts of the city. The system is designed for pedestrians, providing easy access to various facilities without anyone having to use the surface streets, especially in the winter when the cold is not joking. It has more than 1,200 stores, restaurants, banks and more and is very busy.
Also downtown is Ripley’s Aquarium, Canada’s largest aquarium with more than 16,000 aquatic animals in combined 13 million gallons of water. There are touch tanks, a glass tunnel with a moving walkway, and educational diving demonstrations and jazz concerts. Toronto’s Old Town, with its historic architecture and distillery district, is ideal for walking and is located east of Union Station. Browse the 100 or so food stalls at the iconic St Lawrence Market, which dates back to the mid-19th century. As well as being a tourist attraction, it is a local favorite, and the second floor of the South Market houses a museum with temporary exhibitions.
The former Gooderham and Worts whisky distillery has become the centerpiece of the bustling Distillery District. It is a restored Victorian industrial complex of 30 red brick buildings with cobblestone walkways. The starting point for its creation was the windmill built there in 1832 by two millers who came from England with the aim of creating an industrial empire in the then British-controlled city of York, which would soon be renamed Toronto. After 158 years of operation, the last drop of alcohol was produced at the distillery in 1990 and the facilities were renovated in 2001. Today, more than 40 shops of all kinds, cafes and restaurants operate there.
Another popular area is Kensington. The bohemian district will surprise you with the creativity of its community members who have opened imaginative vintage shops, boutiques and various art spaces. It is worth sitting down for a meal at one of the many quality restaurants in Kensington Market.
From Chinatown to museums
This Chinatown is one of the largest in North America and one of the oldest and most vibrant neighborhoods in the city. Chinese immigrants began arriving in Toronto in the 1880s, looking for work, gradually creating the first Chinatown, centered mainly on the area now known as the “original.” After World War II, the neighborhood expanded thanks to the influx of immigrants from various regions, such as Hong Kong, Taiwan and mainland China – something that contributed to the creation of a rich cultural mosaic. Browse the bustling local markets with all the products you can think of and enjoy generous portions of dumplings, dim sum, noodles and hot pots, as well as Vietnamese pho and banh mi. Several of the restaurants in Chinatown are recommended by travel guides for Toronto. If you want to take an organized tasting tour of both Chinatown and the other food markets, you can contact Culinary Adventure.
Another area to explore is the Annex, popular with University of Toronto students. The most important attraction there is Casa Loma, the city’s only castle built in a Gothic-Renaissance style. Of course, no kings have ever stayed there. It was built between 1911 and 1914 as the private residence of wealthy businessman Henry Pellatt. Due to financial difficulties, he sold it in 1924 and in 1937 it opened to the public as a museum. The building is characterized by turrets, battlements and luxurious interiors that can be visited. It has 98 rooms and is surrounded by beautiful gardens with fountains and paths. A section of the castle features a network of secret tunnels that enhance its mysterious charm.
West of the Annex is Koreatown, which was created in the 1970s, and nearby is Little Italy, centered on College and Dundas West streets. Both neighborhoods have many restaurants. Little Greece is also home to one of the largest Greek communities in North America. There are many taverns there and a large food festival is held in the summer.
Visiting museums
The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) is one of the largest in North America. It opened its doors in 1914 as the Museum of Natural History and Fine Arts and in 1933 it acquired the title of Royal. It is a great attraction, not only for its vast and diverse collections, but also for its architecture. The original wing is characterized by the Beaux-Arts style, while the modern extension made in 2007, known as The Crystal, is dominated by glass and aluminum. The addition of these sections, which resemble protruding crystal fragments, caused quite a lot of discussion, as it was a bold undertaking.
The interior of the ROM is also impressive. The ceiling of the main hall is a dazzling mosaic dome made of more than a million Venetian tiles. The mosaic was commissioned in 1933 and features motifs and symbols that represent the breadth of the museum’s collections – including a Mayan temple, an Egyptian falcon, a Chinese dragon, a bison and more. The ROM has a collection of more than six million objects spanning a variety of disciplines. Such as natural history, world cultures – with works by Canada’s indigenous peoples and collections of art from Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas -, paleontological and geological collections, etc. Highlights include Chinese temple sculptures, the Gallery of Korean Art and the collections of costumes and textiles, which are among the best in the world.
Near the museum and around Bloor Street is Yorkville, one of Toronto’s most elegant neighborhoods, with a number of upscale boutiques, restaurants and hotels. Another option for shopping is the bustling Eaton Mall, and a major city landmark is the 1960s City Hall, boldly designed by Finnish architect Viljo Revell with two curved concrete towers. Among the most original attractions in Toronto is the Bata Shoe Museum (BSM), dedicated to the history, technology and evolution of footwear over a period of 4500 years. The iconic, award-winning building that houses it was designed by architect Raymond Moriyama. The museum’s starting point was the collection of philanthropist and shoe designer Sonja Bata, and the permanent exhibition All About Shoes includes a thousand shoes and related objects, selected from the museum’s 15,000 in total. You’ll see everything from Chinese clogs for bound feet and ancient Egyptian sandals, to glittering platforms with outrageously high heels, as well as shoes with …names worn by famous figures such as Elton John, Indira Gandhi and Pablo Picasso.
In Toronto’s parks and islands
The residents’ favorite green space is High Park. In addition to strolling through the beautiful gardens, they picnic and cycle there, play tennis, swim or go ice skating on Grenadier Lake in the winter. The Nature Centre organizes various nature walks, workshops and talks led by rangers, while outdoor performances of Shakespeare’s plays have become an institution since 1982. Toronto’s waterfront along Lake Ontario is a particularly popular area for locals and tourists, full of parks, cultural venues such as the Harbourfront Centre, and industrial-era buildings scattered along its length. They come here to walk, jog and cycle on the Martin Goodman Trail – so all you have to do is rent a bike and cycle all the way to the interestingly designed arched bridge over Humber Bay to the west.
The Toronto Islands – also called the Island or Toronto Island Park – are located in Lake Ontario, a 13-minute ferry ride from the Jack Layton Terminal in the city centre. They are a group of 15 islands connected by paths and bridges, so you can walk from one end to the other. The largest is Centre, with its Centreville amusement park, while Ward’s is known for its beautiful houses built a century ago. In addition to beaches, restaurants and cafes, there are bicycle, canoe and kayak rental facilities, a marina, a 200-year-old lighthouse, gardens, playgrounds and much more.
A multicultural culinary destination
Toronto is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the world. Its residents come from hundreds of different parts of the world and speak 160 different languages. This is due to a combination of historical, social and economic factors. In the 1970s, Canada officially adopted a multicultural policy, promoting the idea that society benefits from diversity. It even encourages immigrants to maintain their cultural identity while adopting the culture of the country.
This diversity could not but be expressed in the city’s gastronomic scene, which includes at least 30 different types of cuisine. The Michelin Guide has included Sushi Masaki Saito in its two-star guide, with the excellent and “adventurous” Japanese menu of chef Masaki Saito, who uses the treasures of the sea and fish that come directly from Japan. The following have one Michelin star: Restaurant 20 Victoria, Alo, Don Alfonso 1890 on the top floor of the Westin Hotel, Enigma Yorkville, Quetzal, Kappo Sato, with Japanese cuisine and Shoushin, specializing in sushi.
Other recommended restaurants are, among many others,: Bar Isabel in Little Italy, Bar Vendetta with modern Canadian cuisine, Byblos Downtown with Mediterranean, 20 Victoria with farm to table, Alma with Chinese and Italian cuisine, Giulietta, Enoteca Sociale, Conejo Negro, Sunnys Chinese in Kensington Market, Chubby’s Jamaican Kitchen, R&D in the center of Chinatown with fusion cuisine and Ardo.
New arrivals for spring 2025 include The Lost Land, which is already attracting potential Michelin interest. Mexican-born chef Cesar Karanapakorn presents classic French and Italian favorites. Another option is Cassius Cucina Contemporanea, which serves classic Italian dishes with a contemporary twist.
