Niagara-On-The-Lake

Niagara-On-The-Lake offers a variety of ways to shape a trip: the history of the War of 1812, theatre in three distinctive venues, wine country and paths along the water all offer different vacation experiences. When choosing your vacation rental, you can consider whether you want culture, winery excursions or active explorations to shape your days.

Experience History and Theatre

During the War of 1812, Fort George was a military base that defended Upper Canada against attacks from the United States. At Fort George National Historic Site, experiences include musket demonstrations, themed talks and performances by a fife and drum corps. History is brought to life here not only through the site itself, but also through demonstrations and explanations. Those particularly interested in the events of 1812 can also choose tours of the Queenston Heights battlefield: costumed guides interpret the battle of October 1812 and the War of 1812.

The Shaw Festival offers another side of the region’s culture. Plays are performed in three distinctive venues: the Festival Theatre, the Court House Theatre and the Jackie Maxwell Studio Theatre. When planning your trip, you can choose between historical discoveries and a theatre visit as the main focus. If you’re travelling with others, you can take their interests into account without planning every day in the same way.

Trails, Waterfront and Views

The trails also offer different ways to experience history and scenery. A waterfront trail runs along Lake Ontario from the Fort George battlefield memorial to Fort Mississauga. There, it connects with a footpath to Front Street in Niagara-on-the-Lake. You can use this route to plan an outing that takes in Fort George, the waterfront and Fort Mississauga.

At Fort Mississauga National Historic Site, the interpretive panels and star-shaped earthworks are accessible by footpaths. The fort’s tower remains closed year-round. For those who would rather cover a longer distance, a 56-kilometre trail runs parallel to the Niagara River. It is part of the Trans Canada Trail Link, starting at Fort George in Niagara-on-the-Lake and ending at Anger Street in Fort Erie. These details can help you combine a visit with either a short exploration or a considerably longer walk, without treating the two as the same thing.

Queenston Heights adds a striking viewpoint to the historical attractions: visitors can climb the 235 steps to the top of Brock’s Monument and look out over the battlefields. Queenston Heights Park is also the southern terminus of the Bruce Trail. If you’d like to combine culture and activity, you can choose between a guided history experience, the climb to the monument and exploring the long-distance trail.

Wine Country and Seasonal Events

Niagara-on-the-Lake wine country is home to 40 independent wineries. Explore it on wine tours, with cellar experiences, food pairings or a tasting on a vineyard terrace. Guided wine tours bring local stories together with curated visits to renowned wineries, insights into local cellars and food pairings. When choosing your travel dates and accommodation, you can consider whether you want to focus on wine and food or combine a variety of themes.

The seasonal events calendar includes Niagara-on-the-Lake In Bloom, Artistry by the Lake and the annual Icewine Festival. There is also dancing and music in the vineyards, as well as block parties on the historic streets. These events offer different reasons to visit; the Icewine Festival is specifically an annual event.

More destinations: Fort Erie, Wainfleet, Welland, Port Colborne, Lincoln, Thorold, Grimsby and St Anns.

For the regional travel overview: Niagara Regional Municipality.