Located on the southwestern slope of Mount Royal in Montreal, the St. Joseph’s Oratory is Canada’s largest church. It also has one of the largest church domes in the world with a 39 meter diameter. Completed in 1967, the basilica looks much older than it actually is with its Art Read more…
The circuit around Mont Tremblant in the Laurentians is mostly known for cycling in summer. The entire circuit has over 1000 meters in elevation change and features twists with bad camber. However, it’s almost impossible to cycle safely in the winter, so it’s mostly cars between December and April. This Read more…
The Canadian Museum of history is a part of the capital’s group of world-class museums. It’s right on the shore of the Ottawa River in Gatineau, Quebec and the only major national museum in the capital region to be in the French-speaking province. The museum comprises of three parts – Read more…
About 45 minutes away from the centre of Berlin by regional train RE4, Elstal is an unassuming train station in the outskirts of Berlin. It’s East German “charm,” if you can call it that, radiates from a lonely phallic water tower and graffitied facilities. The nearby outlet village is the Read more…
Every winter from about January to March, the world’s largest skating rink opens to the public in Ottawa. Access is free, but parking is scarce. Using public transport is advised as nearby streets have limited parking while downtown parking lots cost more than a rose on Valentine’s Day. It’s usually Read more…
You can’t miss it, there’s a big lighthouse, followed by a big steam engine before you get to the museum building. If you go the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum on the same day, you can use a whole day parking ticket for both Ottawa museums so you don’t have Read more…
The Laurentians are a low range of mountains in southern Quebec that resemble the shape of pre-alpine Bavaria. The lightly powdered peaks and gently curving roads meandering around a hundred lakes remind me of the scenery around Schloß Neuschwanstein – better known as the Disney castle. The long valley below Read more…
The Canadian Air and Space Museum is Canada’s answer to the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center of the American National Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C. Located on the edge of Rockcliffe, an auxiliary airport on the eastern end of Ottawa. The museum is really more air than space. The Read more…
The official residence of the Queen’s representative in Canada, the Governor General, is Rideau Hall in Ottawa. The grounds of the residence are free to visit most days of the year except when special events or state matters prohibit public access. The residence of the Prime Minister is just across Read more…
Chaudière Island and Victoria Island are two of the more well-known islands on the Ottawa River. They are undergoing heavy construction in 2020 so they don’t make the best picnic destinations. Fortunately, locations such as Bate Island, Lemieux Island, and Petrie Island are all great green locations. Located on a Read more…