Victoria is the main city of the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is located almost on the southernmost tip of the island of Vancouver. It is a city of considerable size and stunning beauty. It is called a garden city because of the incredible Batchart gardens that are located here, as well as many other green areas. In addition, it is believed that Victoria lies in the northernmost zone, where the Mediterranean climate is preserved - at 48.5 ° N.

How to get to Victoria

The main way to get to Vancouver Island and Victoria is the ferry of BC Ferries . They also go from Tsavvassen (south of the city of Vancouver, near the Delta) to the Schwartz Bay, about half an hour north of Victoria . Other ferries go to Victoria from Seattle (jet catamarans ), from Port Angeles (Washington), Anak Orts and Sydney through the islands of San Juan (only in the summer season) . Large cruise ships go to Victoria from San Francisco and Seattle . Victoria International Airport is located half an hour from the city and takes almost hourly flights from Vancouver .

A bit of history

The study of the northwest coast began with the visits of Juan Perez in 1774 . and James Cook in 1778 ., but Fort Victoria on the spot The present city was founded only in 1841 . After British Columbia discovered gold in 1858 ., Victoria became a staging post and a base on the way to the Fraser Canyon, and the population of the city literally a few days increased from 300 to 5,000 people . After the gold was finished, the navy base was set up here ; subsequently the city became the largest opium port (until the ban on potassium trade in 1908 .) . The commercial and construction boom ended in the city just before the First World War, leaving Victoria with a lot of wonderful Edwardian buildings .

Entertainment , excursions and sights of Victoria

Victoria is one of the most "British" cities in Canada, which is what is proud of. This is evident in British pubs, British cuisine, the British architecture of some notable city buildings and the British fives-of-the-clocks that are arranged in the British hotel Empress.

The Butchart Gardens in Brentwood Bay is a huge green area in Brentwood Bay, built on the site where once there was a limestone quarry . Here are united several gardens known throughout the country, and deservedly: walking in the garden, you can see rare and simply very beautiful flowering plants, a lot of statues and amazing sculptural and landscape fountains, ponds and flower beds . In summer and on holidays here fireworks are arranged for music, and on the winter evenings the garden is highlighted, and displays are placed here, where 12 days of Christmas holidays are marked . You can get to the gardens by public transport from Victoria or ferry terminal Schwartz Bay or with one of the guided tours .

Inner harbor in summer full of artists, acrobats and musicians . Musicians here you can not stay too long in one place, so the "entertainment program" is constantly changing (although in the case of pipers it may seem that it does not change often enough) . In the summer, a lot of flowering plants are planted in the harbor, and among them it is simply pleasant to observe the way they take off and sit down idroplany . In addition, there is a neobarochnoe parliament building, the construction is amazingly impressive and beautiful . In the evening the building is illuminated by 13 thousand . lights . It can be visited with a free half-hour group excursion, more than interesting: it ends with a climb to the gallery for listeners, where you can see how the parliament really works .

"Miniature World" is on Humboldt Street, behind the hotel "Empress." This is a large exposition of micro-landscapes with cities and other things. Some look rather strange, and some are comical due to the mismatch of scale. Here is the smallest working sawmill in the world at a scale of 1:12.

Chinatown is a quarter on Fisgard Street between Stour Street and Gavencent Street. This part of the street is decorated with Chinese motifs, among them - the Gate of harmonious interest. There are several excellent restaurants of national cuisine, green and fruit shops, shops selling bubble tea, and coffee shops. And besides, here is the narrowest street in Canada.

The Royal Museum of British Columbia is located near the inner harbor, and the main emphasis here is on the period from 1850 to 1920. Here you can see amazingly detailed exhibitions, a detailed study of which can easily take away half a day. Three permanent exhibitions are devoted to the modern history of the European settlement, the first people and natural history - the ocean, large animals and climate. The Museum of British Columbia is one of only two in Canada, awarded the Royal title.

The Historical Museum "Craigdarroch Castle" is located in the Rockland area. The castle was built in 1890 by a wealthy and influential Scottish family, which at that time owned a quarter of the island of Vancouver. The architecture of the castle with columns, turrets, pipes, arches and other things is truly amazing. You can reach it in 25 minutes on foot from the city center or by bus to Fort Street

Emily Carr House is dedicated to one of Canada's greatest and favorite artists. The house museum is within walking distance of Inner Harbor or Beacon Hill Park.

Cute Bikon Hill Park is bounded from the south by Dallas Road and to the west by Douglas Street. The southern part of it goes to the shore, there is a path with a view to the Olympic mountains. In the park there is also the children's farm Bikon Hill

Love works wonders, and another evidence of this are the gardens of Abkhazia on Fairville Road . Prince and Princess Abkhazi together with designer John Wade created a garden overlooking the Olympic mountains, for which it took more than 40 years . The prince and the princess began to equip the garden in 1946 ., the year of their marriage and moving to Victoria, and continued to engage in this whole life . Today one can see centenary rhododendrons in the garden and Japanese maples, carpets of flowers and alpine hills, coniferous trees and oaks among stone terraces; and five-hour tea here is rumored to be even tastier than at Empress (and much cheaper) .

Victoria's Cuisine

Victoria is the second largest city in North America by the number of restaurants per capita . In the tourist area near the water there is a huge number of them, including pubs in the English style . Try the "fishchinchips" or shepherd's pie to feel the taste of good old England in Canada . And be sure to check into the cafe lounge Ocean Island .This is probably the cheapest place in the city where you can eat, and one of the cheapest - to drink it . It is visited by backpackers, local residents, students and bohemian people . Several live nights a week live music . Another favorite spot among the locals is "John's Place" . There are excellent staff here, and for the local eggs of "Benedikt" a dozen different types with Dutch sauce some are ready for everything .

Victoria Neighborhoods

Within the 45-minute drive from Victoria, on the Saanich peninsula, there are five wineries. Here they make wine from their own grapes, imported grapes and fruits. Visitors can visit three wineries with a three-hour tour and, of course, degustations

Five hours drive from Victoria to the west is Tofino, the surfing capital of Canada, famous for its nature and excellent places for surfing and kayaking . With a population of only 1,700 people, this former village of fishermen and woodcutters has become a center for ecotourism and active recreational activities such as whale watching, surfing and camping . Tofino is located in Clayokoot Sound, UNESCO declared Biosphere Reserve . For those to whom short lengths sandy eagles and bears, there are several annual events here . This is a whale festival in March, a summer festival in July, a festival of food and wine in June and a festival of lanterns in the Tofino Botanical Garden at the end August .