Niagara Falls Ontario

One wonder after another

While gazing on Niagara Falls for the first time, Irish satirist Oscar Wilde is reputed to have said it would be more impressive if it ran backwards. Millions of other visitors each year tend to disagree - and we do too.

Beautiful Fusion of Man-Made and Natural Attractions

The giant cataract is at its most impressive when taken in as part of a voyage on the Maid of the Mist, the intrepid little boat that chugs right up onto the basin of the waterfall, where tons of cascading H2O are almost at your fingertips. To see this natural spectacle from another thrilling perspective, take advantage of a helicopter tour along the Niagara Gorge, which includes a hover over the swirling waters at the top of the falls.

Located between two of the Great Lakes - Ontario and Erie - the Niagara Region is blessed with fertile chalky soil, which supports more than 40 varieties of grapes that are pressed into world-class wines at more than 50 wineries. Each September, locals and visitors alike celebrate their good fortune by taking part in the Niagara Grape and Wine Festival. If you visit in January, the Icewine Festival is a great way to sample nectar from grapes picked after the season's first ice storm.

A mere 90 minutes from Toronto, the Niagara Region is festooned with flowering parks and gardens. Picturesque towns dot the landscape between quaint villages that carry on in a fashion reminiscent of an earlier, simpler time. Picnics are a preferred bill of fare from early spring until the first fall frost.

The City of Niagara Falls offers dozens of family-oriented attractions, such as amusement parks, the Skylon Tower, Nighttime Fear Factory, Fallsview Water Park, Marineland and, believe it or not, a Ripley's Museum.

A scenic drive along the Niagara Parkway, with leisurely stops at small, independent wineries and roadside restaurants serving delicious meals, will bring you to Niagara-on-the-Lake - a shopper's paradise with block after block of charming boutiques, heritage sites and picturesque galleries. One of the highlights of a visit to this historic town is the chance to take in a performance at the world-renowned Shaw Festival, which features plays by George Bernard Shaw and his contemporaries.

Niagara Travels

Golfing, cycling, jet boating or just watching the lake freighters clear the Welland Canal - no matter how active or passive your sense of adventure might be, you're sure to find an outlet in the Niagara area:

• Grand Niagara Resort where you can play on not one but two great courses designed by Rees Jones and Greg Norman.
• Niagara Cycling offers something for everyone, whether you're looking for a relaxing ride along the scenic Welland Canal Trail or a vigorous excursion through one of many off-road routes.
• Fishing Niagara Charters offers spring, summer and fall bass fishing as well as fall, winter and spring trout fishing.
• Jet Boating takes you through the spectacular stonewalled canyons of the Niagara Gorge and brings you the thrill of racing down the Devil's Hole Rapids.
• Great Wolf Lodge provides year-round fun with its Bear Track Landing, featuring a 103,000 square foot indoor waterpark with 13 waterslides, four pools and a four-story treehouse waterfort.

 Come back, Mr. Wilde. You certainly won't be bored this time around!