Toronto Hotels

While Toronto may not have the cultural diversity and charm of Montreal, or the hip swagger of Vancouver, the city draws more than 14 million visitors a year. No matter how you slice it, Toronto's shift in the past century from provincial backwater to global capital is remarkable. The urban swath Toronto cuts today, with countless suburbs and diabolical traffic, totals over 7,000 square km. Nonetheless, the city core is awash with magnetic tourist allure.

Attractions

The Royal Ontario Museum, a cityscape icon in Toronto, is one of the best museums in Canada, with exhibits that emphasize natural history and world cultures.

The Hockey Hall of Fame is the best place to witness the Great White North's obsession with hockey. The interactive, memorabilia-rich museum has exhibits on all the legends of the game, from Maurice Richard, Bobby Orr to Wayne Gretzky.

The Ontario Science Centre is one of the pioneer science museums in the world, with tactile educational exhibits for the entire family.

The Toronto Zoo is one of the foremost zoological parks in the world, famous for conservation efforts and exotic animal births.

Despite a reputation as a cold hub of steel and concrete, Toronto provides city residents with a surfeit of green space. The shiny new waterfront area, on the shores of Lake Ontario, is a wonderful respite from the downtown core.

The Toronto Islands are a small network of islands in the Great Lake that provide first class recreation and beautiful cottage homes.

The Beaches, another popular escape, is a city play area that hosts festivals and concerts throughout the summer

High Park, off fashionable Bloor Street West, is one of the best public parks in the city, with lush gardens and popular sites in close proximity.

The Eaton Centre in downtown Toronto is the principal mall in the city, with luxury shops and mainstream retail outlets.

Events

A big sports market, the Toronto Maple Leafs of the NHL is the most popular team in the city, by a mile. The most difficult ticket to procure, a game at the Air Canada Centre is worth the expense and effort.

The Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball play at the Rogers Centre, formerly SkyDome, while the Toronto Raptors provide the city with a competitive NBA franchise.

The Toronto International Film Festival is in the estimation of many, on par with Cannes in terms of importance and influence.

The Caribana festival in July is the most popular celebration of Caribbean culture outside of Trinidad, with over 1 million people in attendance.

The Entertainment District of downtown Toronto is nightlife central, with scores of clubs and bars.

The Theatre District, or north Broadway for many, features plays and musicals that rival New York City and London. Major concert halls include Roy Thomson Hall, Princess of Wales Theatre, Massey Hall and Royal Alexandria Theatre.

Home to the National Ballet of Canada, Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Canadian Opera Company, the city has a fair share of options in store for classical buffs.

Climate

Though Toronto has four distinct seasons, swings in temperature and snow and rainfall are not quite as dramatic as in Montreal or Quebec City. Still, you will need to bundle up in winter.

• Winter (November to March) -7-7°C

• Spring (April to May) 4-19°C

• Summer (June to August) 15-26°C

• Fall (September to October) 7-21°C