Toronto is often mistakenly called the capital of Canada, like Sydney in Australia or Istanbul in Turkey. Indeed, it is difficult to imagine that the capital of a modern developed state is quiet and cozy Ottawa, and not the dynamic cultural and economic center of Canada, which, without exaggeration, is Toronto.
This is the largest city in Canada, in addition, it is a real business capital of the North American state. Numerous cultural events are held here, including festivals, concerts and sports games. It houses countless different museums and art galleries. It’s safe to say that Toronto is the heart of all of Canada.
CN Tower
The most important landmark of Toronto is the CN Tower, the tower’s name stands for Canada’s National Tower. From 1975 to 2007, this 553-meter structure was the tallest structure in the world, twice the height of the famous Parisian Eiffel Tower and thirteen meters – the Ostankino TV Tower in Moscow. The television tower offers several entertainment options for visitors:
- Main observation deck with glass floor;
- The highest observation deck on the spire;
- Walk along the open cornice of the observation deck;
- Revolving restaurant.
At a height of 447 meters, there is a unique observation deck with a glass floor, which is capable of withstanding a load of up to 109 tons per square centimeter, but such an amazing design find is not to every tourist’s liking. A revolving restaurant is located at a height of 351 meters, which owes its name “360 °”. An additional observation deck, Sky Pod, is located on the spire of the tower at the highest point accessible to visitors. And for the most extreme tourists, there is an additional attraction – the open Edge Walk along the cornice of the observation deck.
Yonge Street
The longest street in the world and the most important in Toronto is one of the main points of tourist sightseeing in the city. Its length is about eighteen kilometers from south to north. Like two other streets, King Street and Bloor Street, Young Street stretches along the lakeshore, and the alleys and small streets that cross these three main streets perpendicularly form a rectangular urban planning system that will help any tourist to determine the area and not get lost.
According to history, Young Street was nothing more than an Indian trail, and at the end of the eighteenth century, the street was named after George Young and became the carriageway of the city. Today, a subway line runs under it, and thousands of residents and visitors of Toronto move along the pedestrian part every day, visiting numerous shops, restaurants and entertainment venues.
Hockey Hall of Fame
It’s no secret that the main sports hobby of all Canadians is hockey. Canada truly ranks as one of the world leaders in this winter sport. Famous hockey players are known all over the world, and not only representatives of these countries, but the whole world watched the epoch-making competitions between the two titanic teams of the national teams of Canada and the USSR, and later Russia. Naturally, such popularity could not but contribute to the emergence of its own thematic museum, which has absorbed the entire history of the hockey glory of the North American state. The museum has incorporated hockey artifacts from all over the world:
- Stanley Cup;
- Memorabilia;
- Unique photographs;
- Ammunition of famous players.
The museum displays the famous equipment of Terry Sochak, the stick played by Max Bentley and the famous skates of Newcy Lalond. In addition, the museum’s exposition is not limited to mere contemplation of hockey artifacts, because every visitor can become a part of an amazing project, during which a museum guest can become a striker or goalkeeper of an interactive match. Such an experience will not leave indifferent any boy.
Parliament of Ontario
Toronto is the capital of the Canadian province of Ontario, which means it must have its own administrative and legislative institutions. Like the capital of Canada, Ottawa, Toronto’s parliament building is of unprecedented beauty and grandeur. The unique pink stone from which the structure is constructed gives it a delicate pinkish tint. This architectural feature has led to the emergence of the popular name of this building “Pink Palace”.
At the end of the nineteenth century, among the English and Canadian intelligentsia, it was believed that the parliament should have a strict Gothic style of architecture, similar to the famous British Parliament. However, the American architect was able to defend his project in the style of the Romanesque Renaissance that was unusual for those years. The opulent interior and chic exterior make the Ontario Parliament Building and its surrounding Queens Park a real pride for the province’s people and a gem in Toronto’s landmarks.
A peculiar defect in the finishing materials used in the restoration of the building after a fire can be considered a unique feature of the modern look of the building. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the palace survived a fire and destruction of one of its parts, expensive marble was used for restoration, however, to reduce the cost of reconstruction, so-called defective marble with imprints of ancient animals and plants was used. Today, this “marriage” is an additional attraction of the most beautiful Parliament in Toronto.
Casa Loma
The mysterious and mysterious Casa Loma castle in the neo-Gothic style attracts lovers of medieval English architecture with its ancient beauty. Despite its ancient appearance, the castle was built at the beginning of the twentieth century. This structure was the largest single owner’s home in Canada. However, in the 1920s, business of the owner of the house did not go so well, and the castle became first a hotel, and soon the property of the city as a tourist pearl of Toronto.