Escape to Victoria for a Step Back in Time

Shaena Engle

Visiting Victoria, the superior of British Columbia and Vancouver Island’s biggest city, is similar taking a measurement backmost successful time. Named for England’s reigning queen, this charming metropolis boasts mild weather, gorgeous views of the Pacific seashore and harbor, historical buildings and stunning gardens.

You tin question to Victoria via level (they person a beauteous tiny airport), ferry from Vancouver and different cities, oregon instrumentality the speedy casual Harbour Air tiny program for large views and a abbreviated 45 infinitesimal formation from the docks adjacent the Fairmont Waterfront edifice successful Vancouver.

Shaena Engle

STAY

Fairmont Empress
https://www.fairmont.com/empress

 A cleanable spot to statesman a enactment is astatine the regal elegant Fairmont Empress.

The Edwardian-style edifice islocated crossed from Victoria’s interior harbor and is adjacent to the Royal BC Museum, parliament buildings, and the normal center, and is location to satellite celebrated day tea. Opened successful 1908, the spot has been restored to its archetypal grandeur.

Guests tin instrumentality successful the royal ambiance by stepping into the regal lobby and viewing the ample crystal chandelier made from much than 250,000 crystals. A smaller replica tin beryllium recovered halfway up the lobby stairs.

Guestrooms were designed by Hirsch Bedner to grant the hotel’s practice and infuse a modern design. The edifice houses 431 rooms and suites, older rooms location smaller bathrooms but connection stunning harbor views.

The Lobby Lounge offers the Empress’ signature day beverage arsenic good arsenic a champagne barroom successful the evening with unrecorded music.  The 88-seat Q astatine the Empress edifice has a modern plan with tons of earthy airy highlighting the cherry wood ceilings and elaborate molding. The paper focuses connected section seasonal ingredients and utilizes the resort’s ain rootlike and herb garden. 

The resort’s Willow Stream Spa offers a wide assortment of treatments and houses 1 of the biggest indoor pools successful Canada. Reservations astatine https://www.fairmont.com/empress-victoria/.

Shaena Engle

DINE

Red Fish Blue Fish
1006 Wharf Street, connected the pier
https://www.redfish-bluefish.com/

Enjoy beauteous views of the Victoria marina and interior harbor portion enjoying food and chips, seafood chowder, grilled and tempura food sandwiches and tacos. There’s besides delicious jerk food poutine and heavy fried pickles with large tartar srira and spot prawn mayo sauces. For warmer days, take to beryllium astatine 1 of the covered benches successful the backmost area.

The Courtney Room
619 Courtney Street
www.thecourtneyroom.com

This modern eating abstraction is large for dinner, meal oregon brunch. If you take to commencement your time here, you tin bask crab and cheddar omelettes, herb and truffle frittatas, shakshuka oregon smoked salmon benedict. There’s besides a large TCR Caesar meal cocktail arsenic good arsenic smoothies. Guests tin beryllium astatine cozy booths, tables, oregon on the barroom area.

The Tapa Bar Restaurant
620 Trounce Alley
www.tapabar.ca

Tucked successful the quaint Trounce Alley, this intimate edifice serves a assortment of vegetarian, pork, seafood, chickenhearted and steak tapas arsenic good arsenic pasta and salads. Choose the Tapa platter for 2 with a enactment of wings, vegetables, grilled meats and mussels.

Finn’s Harbour Front Restaurant
1208 Wharf Street
https://www.finnsvictoria.com.

Enjoy stunning views of the interior harbor and Parliament Buildings connected Finn’s beauteous patio, oregon opt to dine wrong if it’s windy successful a array oregon booth amidst a fireplace and reddish ceramic interior. The practice gathering lodging Finn’s was built successful 1882. Standout paper items see location smoked rockfish croquettes, mussels, oysters, seafood chowder, Ahi tuna, rockfish, immense lobster, crab, food and chips, New York steak, a assortment of burgers and pizzas.

Shaena Engle

EXPLORE

Parliament Buildings
501 Belleville Street
https://www.leg.bc.ca

Book a radical circuit oregon self-guided circuit to larn each astir British Columbia’s past and spot the Legislative Chamber with it’s beauteous painted domed ceiling, locomotion the Hall of Honour, and respect the beauteous classical renaissance plan lodging stained solid windows, elaborate millwork and gorgeous interior design.

Butchart Gardens
800 Benvenuto Avenue
https://www.butchartgardens.com.

In summation to the Empress, Victoria is known for beauteous gardens with the astir celebrated being the Butchart Gardens which is simply a abbreviated fractional hr thrust from the Empress.

Created successful 1904 successful Brentwood Bay, Butchart Gardents houses implicit 55 acres of majestic gardens. During the summer, guests tin bask concerts, fireworks, and a nighttime illumination show into the evening arsenic visiting hours are extended until 10 p.m.

In summation to thousands of varieties of plants and flowers, the gardens besides person respective eating options connected the property. In 1947, the Benvenuto Garden Teahouse opened, serving outpouring and summertime afternoon tea and autumn and wintertime precocious tea. Today, enforcement chef Travis Hansen utilizes section ingredients to make a seasonally inspired beverage paper including a berry trifle; house-made sausage roll; roasted bulb and asparagus quiche; sandwiches that see ovum salad, smoked salmon, maple glazed ham, chickenhearted curry, and English cucumber and pick cheese; and desserts similar a cocoa brandy napoleon, an orangish poppy effect loaf, French meringue, and a cocoa truffle. Candied ginger scones with strawberry jam and Devon-style whipping pick are besides served.

Ghostly Walking Tour812 Wharf Streethttps://discoverthepast.com.

Visitors funny successful Victoria’s darker broadside tin indulge successful a Ghostly Walking Tour combining Victoria’s ghosts and the stories down them with walks done alleyways and hidden streets. Most walks commencement astatine 7:30, past astir 90 minutes and outgo a specified $21.

Beacon Hill Park
parks@victoria.ca

A abbreviated locomotion from the Fairmont Empress is the stunning Beacon Hill Park with implicit 740,000 metres of parkland. Stroll done the lush grounds to presumption peacocks, cervid and different animals arsenic good arsenic blossoming flowers and fauna. Footpaths connection agelong stroll options amidst manicured areas. There is besides a putting green, playgournds, tennis and pickleball couts, tract bowling and a roseate garden.

Summer is the cleanable clip to sojourn Victoria and indulge successful seafood, spectacular views and miles of gardens. Head to https://www.tourismvictoria.com for much information.