Stratford is most well-known for hosting the annual Stratford Festival, Justin Bieber was also born in Stratford. It’s on the Avon River so it’s obvious to visitors from the old country that the combination was named after Stratford-upon-Avon in England.

I’m not much of a nut for music, but I do like history and railways. Stratford used to have a huge railway repair facility that employed almost half the city. Its iconic renaissance revival town hall and town square is a National Historic Site of Canada. Other beautiful buildings include the public library and the Perth Country Courthouse.

Downtown streets are vibrant with plenty of street-level shops and restaurants to explore. Parking, while plentiful, does require advance planning. Parking meters on the street only accept coins, so you’ll have a bit of a walk from the municipal parking lot if you don’t have spare change.