Victoria

Areas of Interest

Photo Credit: Tourism Vancouver Island

Victoria lets you step back in time to a picturesque city of cobblestone streets and stately architecture. Poised oceanside in Canada's mildest climate, Victoria is a mixture of influences, from its 19th-century London charm to modern arts and culture.

Located at the southern tip of Vancouver Island on the west coast of Canada, and easily accessible from Vancouver, Victoria offers a taste of "how life used to be." A strong British influence has remained since the construction of Fort Victoria in 1843 by the Hudson's Bay Company, a dominant fur-trading company at the time, and Victoria remains friendly and clean, with restored historic buildings and miles of green lawns and parks.

Visitors relax in true British style with afternoon tea, offered in dozens of tearooms throughout the city. One of the best known locations is the Tea Lobby in The Fairmont Empress Hotel. Built in 1908 on Victoria's Inner Harbour, The Fairmont Empress has been restored to her original majesty and is one of western Canada's most popular landmarks.

[Photo]Comfortable walking shoes are a "must" in Victoria. Whether you want to shop or sightsee, a stroll around Victoria is the way to go. When the weather is nice, as it invariably is in Victoria, residents and visitors alike amble through gardens and parks and along the waterfront.

The Maritime Museum, originally the Provincial Court House, is a highlight of Bastion Square and depicts the story of BC's maritime history from early explorers to the present.
The Royal British Columbia Museum chronicles the province's social and natural history. In Thunderbird Park, beside the museum, ancient Native totem poles stand tall. You can also watch traditional poles being carved in the carving house. The grounds around the museum are planted with vegetation native to all regions of BC.

[Photo]As in any major city, Victoria offers fine shopping and dining adventures. Market Square, two blocks north of Bastion Square, offers interesting places to shop, browse and eat. Fan Tan Alley, the narrowest street in North America, leads into Canada's oldest Chinatown, established in 1858 when Chinese immigrants were used for railroad labour. Here you'll discover exotic merchandise and restaurants. Victoria's British influence is noticeable in the shops along Government Street, the first few blocks of the downtown shopping area. Here shoppers browse among linens, bone china, crystal, woolens, confections and imported teas and coffees.

  • For more information on Victoria, and directions on how to get there, visit the Tourism Victoria website.

Did you know…?

Imagine - A rose with your name on it.

Enter a draw to name a rose by registering and paying for the Rose Convention and booking your accommodation at the Westin Bayshore Hotel by October 15, 2008. The "Name a Rose" contest is sponsored by breeder Brad Jalbert of Select Roses.


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Last updated: July 30, 2008

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