There are many landmarks in Victoria
British Columbia you won't want to miss.
Some of the more popular Victoria landmarks
include; The Inner-Harbour, The Empress
Hotel, British Columbia's Legislative
Parliament Buildings, Chinatown, Market
Square and much more.
|
| |
| Fort Street, between Blanshard and Cook
streets, is home to the largest selection
of one of a kind antique collectibles,
china, silverware, furniture, custom jewellery
and great gift stores. |
| |
Bastion
Square |
| Along Wharf Street between Yates &
Fort Streets, overlooking the harbour,
James Douglas established Fort Victoria
on this site in 1843. Restored and preserved
buildings from the 19th century surround
a courtyard plaza, galleries and sidewalk
restaurants. |
| |
Beacon
Hill Park & Petting Zoo |
Located just five minutes from downtown
Victoria, nature-seekers will enjoy
the magnificent 74-hectare (183-acre)
park, featuring attractive flowerbeds,
small lakes, playing and sport fields,
cricket pitch, lawn bowling greens,
wading pool, petting zoo and lawns that
slope to the sea.
Visitors enjoy spectacular views of
the Olympic Mountains. Located on the
boarder of the park is "Mile Zero",
starting point of the Trans-Canada Highway!
Beacon Hill Park was the site of a village
that had been inhabited for thousands
of years prior to the arrival of the
colonial settlers in the 1840s.
Free outdoor concerts and events are
presented at Beacon Hill Park from May
to September, phone: 1-(250) 361-0361
|
| |
Chinatown |
| Designated as Canada’s first national
historic district and Canada’s third
largest Chinatown, Victoria’s Chinatown
is steeped in history. Once a ghetto for
newcomers, picturesque Chinatown is now
a heritage area and robust commercial
community, an intriguing part of Victoria's
past and present. Visit the tiny shops
and studios on Fan Tan Alley. |
| |
Craigflower
Manor & Schoolhouse |
| This was one of Vancouver Island's first
farming communities, established in 1853
along Victoria's Gorge Waterway to meet
the Hudson's Bay Company's obligations
to Britain to support colonization. On
lands purchased from chiefs of the indigenous
aboriginal people, Kenneth McKenzie oversaw
construction of a self-sufficient settlement.
The Kosapsom people still harvest shellfish,
salmon and herring from the tidal waters
that separate the Manor from the Schoolhouse.
Phone: 1-(250) 479-8053 |
| |
Emily
Carr House |
| With an architecture described as both
"San Francisco Victorian" and
"English Gingerbread," all agree
that Emily Carr House is on the must-see
list of Victoria's attractions. Centrally
located only four blocks from the Inner
Harbour and the Provincial Legislature,
the house offers its visitors a chance
to gain an insight into Canada's first
-- and best known -- independent artist
and writer. Phone: 1-(250) 383-5843 |
| |
Empress
Hotel |
| Rising regally on the banks of Victoria's
Inner Harbor and representing the center
of British Columbia's Capital City, The
Fairmont Empress has been completely restored
to her turn-of-the-century beauty. The
Fairmont Empress displays the grandeur
of a bygone era, her facilities and services
meet the needs of today's traveler. Phone:
1-(250) 384-8111 |
| |
Fisgard
Lighthouse |
| Canada's oldest West Coast lighthouse,
built in 1860. Step inside a working lighthouse
where you'll find colourful artefacts
and display panels about shipwrecks and
the lives that were saved. Phone: |
| |
Government
Street |
| Running past the Legistlature and in
front of the Empress Hotel, Govenment
Street is in the Heart of Downtown. Many
shops and restaurants can be found on
it. |
| |
Helmcken
House |
| Now the oldest house in British Columbia
on its original site, and surrounded by
all the attractions and activity around
Victoria's Inner Harbour, Helmcken House
offers you a fascinating glimpse into
the way life was lived over a hundred
years ago. One of the most intriguing
collections you'll be able to examine
at Helmcken is the good doctor's original
19th century medical kit. Phone: 1-(250)
361-0021 |
| |
Inner-Harbour |
| Located in the hear of Victoria, the
first stop for most visitors to Victoria
is the world famous Inner Harbour. Walk
the causeway and enjoy the talented street
performers and artists – from jugglers
to mimers, sketch artists to landscape
masterpieces. Music is in the air –
from folk to classical, eclectic to jazz,
the sounds of the street performers add
a carnival atmosphere to this magical
part of the city. |
| |
Market
Square |
Market Square features a three-level
complex on nine adjoining heritage buildings,
many of them former hotels built in the
1880’s is now home to over 40 different
shops and restaurants surrounding an inner
courtyard.
Phone: 1-(250) 386-2441 |
| |
Point
Ellice House |
| Gold Rush Magistrate and Commissioner
Peter O'Reilly acquired Point Ellice House
in 1867, and many among Victoria's social
elite gathered there. The flowers in the
luxuriant heritage gardens surrounding
this rambling Italianate home accurately
reflect the family's own notes about their
Victorian favourites. The property is
like a verdant jewel amid the industries
and businesses along the Victoria waterfront.
Phone: 1-(250) 380-6506 |
| |
Ross
Bay Cemetery |
| Ross Bay Cemetery (RBC) is not the oldest
or the largest cemetery in the province
of British Columbia, but it is perhaps
the best example of a Victorian-era romantic
cemetery. Lots of well-known people are
buried here. RBC also has many well-preserved
gravestones that show the monument styles
of the late nineteenth and the twentieth
centuries. From RBC’s opening in
1873 until now, almost 28,000 people have
been buried in its 35,000 plots. Phone:
1-(250) 598-8870 |
| |
Thunderbird
Park |
| Located adjacent to the Royal BC Museum
displays an impressive collection of totem
poles of the First Nations of coastal
British Columbia. |
| |
Trounce
Alley |
| A neat little alley between Government
and Broad street home to shops and a Tapas
bar. |
| |
Victoria
Legislative Parliament Buildings |
Overlooking the Inner Harbour is
the seat of British Columbia’s
Legislative buildings. This increasable
building is the quintessential image
of Victoria etched in the memory of
all who visit the city.
At night, 3,333 light bulbs adorn the
building. Take a free tour of the Legislative
Buildings and learn about provincial
history and government.
Surrounded by 5 hectares (12 acres)
of lawns, gardens, fountains and statues
of dignitaries. The rooms have mosaic
tile floors, stained-glass windows,
woodcarvings and murals.
Phone: 1-(250) 387-3046
|
| |
Wharf
Street |
| Running along the water front and past
historic sites such as Bastion Square
and Chinatown, Wharf Street is home to
many restaurants, bars and shops. |
| |
|
