Toronto is Canada’s largest city and is located on the beautiful shores of Lake Ontario. The city is made up of six mini internal cities called metropolitan areas. Old Toronto is by the Lake of Ontario and is the heart of the urban and vintage areas of Toronto. It also houses the city airport.

To the West is ‘Etobicoke’ a strangely named district filled with industrial factories and middleclass suburban homes. The Kingsway area has always been known for its affluence. North East of Etobicoke is North York, home to Canada’s first national urban park and the Performing Arts centre.

South of North York in the centre of the Toronto you have York and East York. York is formally a separate city and quite culturally diverse. In East York you’ll find museums and places of interest to learn about Canadian history given it used to be Canada’s only borough. In East Toronto the suburb of Scarborough is a wildlife paradise – one of the greenest and cleanest parts of the city.

Toronto has many public parks including Grange Park, where you can enjoy a dip in the wading pool or during the winter have a skate around a natural ice rink.  Enjoy the landscaped gardens of Little Norway Park, situated near the harbor front, and the pieces of art on display here. The name of Little Norway Park commemorates the use of this land in WWII by Norweigan pilots. For kids there is a fun playground or a chance to play baseball or soccer on the pitches.  Travel by ferry to reach The Toronto Islands where is park space a plenty.

Toronto is home to some of the best museums and galleries in the world.  Visit the Royal Ontario Museum, famous for its collection impressive collection of natural history and culture of the world.  The Gardiner Museum is Canada’s only museum dedicated to ceramic art.  It contains over 2,900 ceramic pieces from Italy, England, Japan, China and America.  Classes are available if you have a go at making your own ceramic masterpiece!

For sports fans there is the Hockey Hall of Fame, where you can see the records for the National Hockey League and memorabilia for past players and games.  With 15 different areas showing exhibitions you can also see the equipment worn by players along with trophies that were won and also the Stanley Cup in the Great Hall.

Situated close to the museums and galleries is 7 West Café where you can enjoy breakfast, lunch or dinner, open 24 hours a day to cater for your every need where it’s a slice of cheesecake or a tasty plate of pasta. The Hazelton Hotel offers 5 star luxury in the Yorkville area of Toronto, famous for its shopping and fashion.

Work out at the 24 hour fitness suite with your own personal trainer or relax with a massage in the peaceful surrounds of the Hazelton Spa. Alternatively, the Bond Place Hotel is centrally located and is the ideal place to stay to see the great sites of Toronto.  In the hotel’s restaurant, the Pomanar, indulge in some delicious Mediterranean food cooked by the chefs on the open fire grill.

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License: Creative Commons

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License: Creative Commons

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License: Creative Commons

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Kari is a travel writer for Summercalling.com. Kari lives south of Toronto in Phoenix Arizona USA.