Everything about Toronto: beautiful places, people, food, nature

Toronto is an incredible city with many markets, delicious food, beautiful museums, trendy bars and cafes, many things worth seeing. Toronto is the most multicultural city in the world, offering a lot of different impressions.

Climate

Toronto's climate is determined by its location on the shores of Lake Ontario: the water in the lake ensures that it is warm in Toronto in winter and cool in summer. The location near the Great Lakes makes summers here wet and winters one of the warmest in Canada, though still harsh, with snow from mid-December to mid-March. The best time to visit is summer and autumn, when there are beautiful deciduous fall. And spring in Toronto, as in Russia, pleases with warmth only at the end of April-May.

Toronto Landmarks

• CN Tower is the famous 550-meter tower, an integral part of the horizon. Climb to the top to enjoy panoramic city views, shopping and dinner at the 360-degree restaurant. If the weather is favorable, walks along the outer edge of the tower are available.
• The Art Gallery of Ontario,founded in 1900, holds nearly 100,000 items in its permanent collection. It is one of the largest museums in Canada with a constantly updated calendar of temporary exhibitions. On Wednesdays from 18 to 21 pm admission is free.
• Royal Ontario Museum stores more than 6 million exhibits: 40 different galleries present exhibitions of dinosaurs, expositions dedicated to Ancient China, indigenous Canadians, medieval Europe, Ancient Egypt, textiles. This museum will appeal to both adults and children.
• The beaches of Lake Ontario are a relaxing way to spend a summer day. Stroll along the promenade, eat in one of the many restaurants, rent a boat, go to the lake. Best beaches: Woodbine, Hanlance Point, Cherry Beach, Sunnyside.
• Toronto Island Park:Enjoy the beach, play volleyball, have a picnic and admire the view of the city. There is a small amusement park called Center Island,which is great for children. Ferry tickets cost 8.19 $CAD.
• Harbourfront Center,located on the Queens Waterfront. Free festivals and concerts are often held here, a couple of free art galleries with rotating exhibits(Artport and The Power Plant)are open, and an outdoor skating rink is open in winter.
• Cycle through the Don Valley – these trails are ideal for outdoor enthusiasts. They extend to the northern outskirts of Toronto, range from simple to very complex, there are also walking and jogging paths.
• There are several axe throwing spots in the city, such as BATL,where you can book a time slot and then compete with your friends in an axe throwing competition.

• Take a stroll through Kensington Market. This bohemian center offers an eclectic mix of alternative restaurants and shops. Free concerts are held in summer.
• The Hockey Hall of Fame is a museum opened in 1943 dedicated to the history of the sport beloved by Canadians: it is full of memorabilia, artifacts, interactive games. For example, you can check the shot against the virtual goalkeeper" Entrance ticket – 20 $CAD.
• St. Lawrence Market and Gallery:Endless rows of local treats to try. The exhibition will tell about the evolution of the city from historical documents, films, photographs, artifacts. Admission is free.
• Ontario Science Center – An interactive museum ideal for those traveling with children. There is an indoor rainforest, a tornado machine, a soundproof tunnel, balance checking machines, an IMAX dome where educational films are shown. Entrance ticket – 22 $CAD for adults, 16 $CAD – for children.
• Casa Loma is the former estate of Sir Henry Mill Pellatt, an entrepreneur and soldier, built between 1911 and 1914. Make a trip so the "medieval" castle, explore the indoor winter garden with its own fountain, the Oak Room, the richly decorated living room with wooden panels. Every Halloween there is a "haunted party". Entrance ticket is 25 $CAD.
• "Wonderland of Canada" is a summer park filled with attractions, roller coasters, food, games, shops, theaters, a water park, live performances. Price – 49,99CAD$/day. It is located 25 km from the city.

Tip: Get a City Pass for $94 – it includes entrance to cn Tower, the Royal Ontario Museum, the Toronto Zoo and more. You will save a lot if you plan to visit the main attractions of Toronto.

What to eat in Toronto?

Toronto offers many international restaurants because 50% of the city's population is foreigners. There is lively Chinatown, Little Italy, Little Tokyo, Little Portugal and much more.

• Rainbow macaroons of pastel colors is waiting behind the glass counters of the Confectionery Nadège (several establishments): it is much more difficult to limit yourself to one than it seems. Tastes change, there are new unique offers - cotton candy, rose, green tea matcha + raspberry, among the more traditional - chocolate, vanilla, salted caramel.
• The city is the center of vegan and vegetarian dishes, most of the veg cafes are concentrated in Vegandale (a section of Queen Street with many specialized establishments).
• If you're looking for cheap, hearty, junk food in town, check out Gandhi Roti's roti in Parkdale, a tiny restaurant serving hearty roti with a wide variety of fillings. The most popular is paneer roti:stuffed to the brim with peas, paneer cheese cubes; small jacket, spinach roti, potatoes.
• Visit Panchos Bakery and try fresh churros – sticks of fried dough covered with cinnamon, sugar, filled with various fillings, from chocolate to caramel and jam.
• Steamwhistle Brewery, located near Roger Center, CN Tower, offers tours for 20 CAD$, including a production overview and beer to try.

• A pea and bacon sandwich from CarouselBakery, which has been in the same location at St. Lawrence Market for more than 30 years. This simple sandwich — a stack of fried bacon with peas on a soft bun — gathers a queue at the counter every weekend, which sometimes takes more than 2600 sandwiches a day to satisfy its appetites.
• Fat Pasha Cauliflower is a local specialty: fried whole until perfect, covered with creamy tahini, Middle Eastern hot sauce with pine nuts, spicy pomegranate grains and salted halloumi.
• Orderbaglesin Saint-Urbain. Boiled and baked in a hot wood-burning oven, the bagels are thick enough to withstand a thick layer of cream cheese, but soft enough inside to create the perfect taste, especially when they're toasted.
• Toronto's Chinatown is huge, retaining an authenticity that many other Chinatowns around the world lack. After the original Chinatown was demolished in the 1950s to make way for government buildings, the Chinese population moved to the intersection of Spadina Street and Dundas Street West. Be sure to look here and eat a few dishes - do not miss "Mother's dumplings", "Sheep", "Red Room".
• Pizza "Margarita" is prepared using local ingredients: you get a crispy (never raw!) crust with the right amount of filling and sauce, which provides a balance of its sourness creamy mozzarella.
• Creamy, flavorful and fun, the khao soi from Pai Northern Kitchen is often described as the best thing people remember about Thailand. Fresh egg noodles are melted in a golden curry covered with coriander, green onions, stewed beef, shrimp, chicken breast or shins.

Transportation in Toronto

Public transport in Toronto is one of the most convenient and economical ways to get around the city.

Buses run frequently, equipped with entrances for wheelchairs, stops are located on both sides of the road. The destination and route number of the bus are displayed front and rear. The fare is paid at the machine next to the bus operator as soon as you enter.

Take four subway lines near Toronto:

1. Yonge University: A U-shaped route going south from North Yonge Street to Union Station and then back north to Highway 7, Jane Street.
2. Bloor Danforth: This line usually runs east-west along Bloor, Danforth streets, connecting to lines 1 and 3.
3. Scarborough runs from downtown Toronto to downtown Scarborough.
4. Sheppard: An east-west line along Sheppard Avenue east to Don Mills Road connecting to Line 1 at Sheppard Yong Station.

Metrolinx continues to expand existing lines and create new lines as the city grows. Screens on each subway platform indicate available trains, service announcements, information about emergency situations.

In Toronto, trams are powered by overhead cables, equipped with ramps, seats.

The GO train runs to Lakeshore West, Lakeshore East, Niagara, Milton, Kitchener, Barry, Richmond Hill and Stouffville via Toronto's integrated transit system. The cost of the trip is calculated using the PRESTO card (6 CAD$). If you use PRESTO for two hours, there is no additional charge for switching to another mode of transport (for example, getting off the TTC metro and boarding the bus).

For more remote locations such as the Toronto Islands or Hamilton, take advantage of several alternative forms of public transport, such as the Toronto Island Ferry.

Communication in Toronto

There are only three major players in the market in Canada: Rogers, Telus, Bell. These companies are known as the "Big Three" of Canadian telecommunications services. Most of the other mobile operators – Fido, Virgin, Koodo, Public Mobile – belong to the "big three". These are what are called "flanker brands," which are usually created to attract younger audiences.

The three Canadian telecommunications giants use the widest networks the country can offer, nearly identical services at identical prices.

The cheapest options for prepaid tariff plans: Public, Lucky, Chatr.