As an exciting, metropolitan area of approximately 5,556,000 on the edge of scenic Lake Ontario, the greater Toronto area (the GTA) is one of Canada's major tourist destinations. It attracts 16 million tourists a year from all over the world. There is a spectrum of so much to choose from, including museums, art galleries, professional sporting events, live theatre, night life, various festivals, live music, ballet and dance, opera, symphony, comedy, every kind of dining experience and, of course, shopping! Major attractions of the city and its surrounding regions are the world's tallest building, the CN Tower, as well as the Toronto SkyDome, Niagara Falls, Canada's Hockey Hall of Fame, and the Air Canada Centre - you can read detailed reports about these unique places in our other articles. Now, let's take a closer look at some of Toronto's other interesting and entertaining places to visit.

Our virtual tour begins in the heart of Toronto at two famous landmarks. The first is the historic Old City Hall which is still one of the city's most prominent structures with its tall and majestic clock tower. It was built at the corner of Queen and Bay Streets in 1899 and is an example of the Romanesque Revival style of architecture with numerous carves, arches, and other intricate shapes popular in North American architecture at the end of the 19th century. It still functions as a courthouse. The second landmark is the current Toronto City Hall, an futuristic icon with two curved towers "cupping" a low, saucer-shaped council chamber in their centre. In front, is Nathan Phillips Square, a public space where fountains spray in the summer and skaters glide in the winter. It is often photographed and has attracted the imaginations of filmmakers ever since it was built in 1965. Both the interior and exterior have served as backgrounds for Hollywood blockbusters such as "The Kidnapping of the President," "Star Trek: The Next Generation," "The Sentinel" and "Resident Evil: Apocalypse".

In 1803, a proclamation was issued by Governor Peter Hunter that the land bounded by Front, Jarvis, King and Church streets were to officially be designated the "Market Block." At its hub, the St. Lawrence Market has since been known as a reputable source of delicious, fresh, fruits, vegetables, meats and cheeses. Its streets also brim with creative energy during events such as the very popular, "Buskerfest: The Toronto International Street Performers Festival". There are not one, but three buildings in the complex: South Market contains over 50 specialty food vendors; the second floor of South Market houses the official exhibition centre of the City of Toronto Archives; North Market is popular for its Saturday Farmers' Market; and, St. Lawrence Hall has retail businesses and offices. It is located west of Jarvis Street, between King Street East and the Esplanade.

If you plan to visit during the last two weeks of August, you will arrive just in time for Toronto's biggest annual attraction - the Canadian National Exhibition located on the waterfront of Lake Ontario at Exhibition Place. Dubbed simply, "The EX," by locals, it has a 128 year history and has grown to become the fifth largest annual fair in North America, attracting 1.3 million visitors each year. The EX began from humble beginnings in 1879 when it was called the Toronto Industrial Exhibition. The fledgling farm community of the day felt a need to promote the development of agriculture, manufacturing, industry and commerce, and the arts. Today, within the eight heritage buildings and structures situated on 192 acres of fair grounds, you can explore programs and exhibits, see a variety of entertainment, play on a midway with 50 rides and 80 games and taste foods from all over the world. In 2008, the EX will celebrate its 130th anniversary and has the distinction of being the world's oldest fair.

The Toronto Zoo, comprised of 710 acres (287 hectares) is one of the largest zoos in the world and promises endless fascinations for children and grownups alike. This wildlife experience offers over 5,000 animals which represents 460 species and features them in six "zoogeographic regions": Indo-Malaya, Africa, the Americas, Australasia, Eurasia and the Canadian Domain. You can view them indoors in their pavilions as well as outdoors in naturalized environments. There are over six miles (10 kilometres) of walking trails to explore. You can find the Toronto Zoo in Scarborough's Rouge Valley, the Main Entrance is located on Meadowvale Road, north of Highway 401.

If general science is a more compelling area of interest, the Ontario Science Centre is sure to inspire since its mission is to, "delight, inform and challenge visitors through engaging and thought-provoking experiences in science and technology". There are 600 exhibits, many of them interactive, inside of the centre's 10 halls. The Ontario Science Centre is located at the Don River ravine, about 11 km northeast of the downtown. The museum consisting of three big buildings and connected by means of a series of bridges and escalators, was first open in 1969. Unlike most traditional museums, it advocates a "hands on" approach to exploring science. The exhibits there are not only to "look at", but majority represent unusual live demonstrations or interactive games.

If you are interested in culture, history, dinosaurs, and other aspects of nature and human civilization, a place to visit is the Royal Ontario Museum. Established by the provincial government in 1912, the Museum was operated under the University of Toronto until 1955. Now an independent institution, the Royal Ontario Museum is still closely connected with the University. Originally, it featured five main galleries: in archaeology, geology, mineralogy, palaeontology, and zoology, while currently the museum is substantially enlarged and exhibits one of the most interesting collections in world cultures and natural history. You can visit galleries of the Bronze Age, the Roman World, Ancient Cyprus and Egypt, Chinese Temple Art, Architecture, and Sculpture, Japan, Greece, Islam, as well as purely Canadian exhibits featuring the history and culture of the First Nations and a lot of other fabulous shows, art works, and artefacts.

To complete our list of Toronto’s attractions, we should also mention numerous seasonal festivals that are held in the city on a regular basis. Some of the most famous of them are: Toronto International Film Festival held in September, Toronto Downtown Jazz festival in June, the Northern America's primary writers' event called the International Festival of Authors held in October, and a very popular International Children's Festival of the Arts.

Toronto also has tons of Great Toronto Hotels and other affordable lodging options. Toronto is an awesome, friendly and affordable place to visit for an Holiday or a quick Vacation.