Urban pleasures are waiting to be experienced year round in Ontario's safe city centres. The best of the cosmopolitan experience awaits you in Toronto, while Ottawa and Niagara Falls also offer bustling city centres. Ottawa, Canada's capital, is a cosmopolitan centre with a difference. Besides its impressive architecture and Old World charm, Ottawa is also a lively city packed with culture, entertainment, dining and shopping. Galleries, theatres and museums showcase contemporary masterpieces while presenting the nation's colourful past and offering a glimpse of the future.

Besides the impressive natural wonder of the Falls, Niagara Falls is also an exciting urban centre with a variety of attractions. Remarkable outlet shopping offers you the best in bargain hunting, or try your luck at the huge casino, with over 2,700 slot machines and more than 135 gaming tables. Regional cuisine and award-winning Niagara wines can also be enjoyed, as can scenic helicopter rides, a boat ride that takes you up close to the Falls, or a visit to a magnificent falls-view spa.

Outdoor Experiences
Discover the countless outdoor activities to enjoy in Ontario in every season. Summer means exploring a myriad of lakes and rivers that are perfect for swimming, sailing, canoeing, kayaking, whitewater rafting, boating, fishing and other water sports. Bask in the sun on Georgian Bay's Wasaga Beach, the largest freshwater beach in the world (14 kilometres long), or experience the beaches of Southern Ontario, which extend 800 kilometres and include the shores of Lake Ontario, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, Lake Simcoe and Lake St. Clair. Ontario is a canoe and kayak paradise: explore its 400,000 lakes and rivers with Paddling Ontario, an association of experienced outfitters and guides. For land lovers, over 650 public and semi-private golf courses can be enjoyed throughout Ontario, while hiking, horseback riding and mountain biking are also spectacular.

In winter, a perfect blanket of snow covers most parts of Ontario, and wonderful opportunities exist for snowmobiling, snowshoeing and dogsledding. The world's longest skating rink, the Rideau Canal (7.8 kilometres long) in Ottawa, is a favourite destination for outdoor enthusiasts. The longest integrated snowmobile network in the world is also in Ontario.

Fall and spring also offer outstanding outdoor experiences. Ride an ATV (all-terrain vehicle) along the many trails of rural and Northern Ontario, or hike the Bruce Trail along the UNESCO-recognized Niagara Escarpment. Engage in bird or butterfly watching, as Ontario is world renowned for its fall and spring bird and butterfly migrations. Point Pelee National Park, the southernmost point of Canada, is one of the finest locations for bird and butterfly watching, and during migration season a wide variety of species can be observed.

Discover the Arts in the Wild alliance, an organization that offers the opportunity to combine the outdoors with the arts. Hike or paddle into the wilderness and capture the magic of the landscape on canvas or film, sketch or sculpt wildlife in their natural habitats or learn the art of basketry or drum making. Diverse getaway packages are offered at northern lodges, art academies, parks, galleries, cultural sites and lakeside resorts across Ontario. This four-season outdoor experience lets you take a little of the beauty that is Ontario home with you.

Touring Experiences
Ontario is an ideal four-season touring destination: drive through the splendid fall colours, tour wineries, find antique treasures in scores of small towns, or delight in winter festivals throughout Ontario. Experience the spring blossoms in charming villages, or spend the lazy, hazy days of summer cruising through Ontario's 400,000 lakes and rivers. Some of the touring experiences awaiting you include:

Theatre Getaways
Come and discover theatre in Ontario's charming towns, like Stratford, where beautiful gardens and Victorian charm create theatre experiences that appeal to all the senses. The world-renowned Stratford Festival, featuring plays by William Shakespeare, is a must for every theatre enthusiast. Or visit Niagara-on-the-Lake for the Shaw Festival, the only festival in the world devoted to plays by George Bernard Shaw and his contemporaries. Enjoy theatre festivals throughout Ontario as spring and summer bring the best of the dramatic arts to the province. Many of the smaller towns in Ontario offer outstanding theatre in charming venues. Take a theatre tour and discover some real enchantments.

Fine Wine Destinations
Visit the Niagara region-a jewel in the heart of Ontario, where delicious wine and beautiful surroundings await you. Or come to the Pelee and Lake Erie areas, wine-growing regions of high calibre. Some of the finest wines in the world come from Ontario, and after visiting a winery and indulging your senses you will be delighted. Sample Icewine, a world-renowned Ontario export, and tour through a vineyard and experience the wine region at its best.

Adventure on the Rails
Take a train ride through lush forests, towering trestle bridges and scenic northern lakes to the spectacular Agawa Canyon aboard the Algoma Central Railway. Magnificent in summer and splendid in the fall with the changing of the leaves, the train excursion is beautiful in the winter wonderland as well. To experience the wilderness by rail, journey aboard the Timber Train into the beautiful boreal forest, or hop aboard the Polar Bear Express and travel to the rim of the Arctic.

Fall Time Is Tour Time
Ontario is renowned for its splendid autumn season, with warm days and cool nights producing magnificent fall colours. When the leaves have changed colour and the province is a mosaic of red, yellow and orange, the ideal time has arrived for touring Ontario's highways and byways, farmyards and vineyards. Ontario's provincial parks and national parks are perfect for experiencing fall's splendour. Algonquin or Killarney Provincial Parks and the National Parks of the St. Lawrence are some favourites for fall colour viewing. The Kingston and Ottawa areas are also renowned for their magnificent fall colours. Many fall fairs and festivals celebrating the best of the harvest season can also be experienced all over Ontario. A myriad of lakes and rivers, rolling hills and forests await you; winding roads make Ontario a lovely location for a tour of fall colours.

First Nations Heritage
The legacy of Ontario's First Nations peoples is a fascinating topic to explore. Tour throughout the province to experience first-hand the wonders of their culture. Visit the ancient rock drawings at Petroglyphs Provincial Park, participate in a healing circle and emerge with a new outlook on life, or witness a pow-wow and be amazed at the dancing, drumming and music. Taste bannock, a traditional bread, or spend the night in a longhouse or a teepee, First Nations lodging since ancient times. Learn about and experience the First Nations way of life by becoming immersed in the culture: Manitoulin Island's Great Spirit Circle Trail, the Anishinabe Experience, Kawartha Lakes Spirit Walk and Turtle Island are just some of the First Nations tours waiting to be discovered in Ontario. Or visit Ste.-Marie-Among-the-Hurons, a missionary post that was also the first European settlement of Ontario, which has been recreated to reflect its 1639 appearance.