Halifax is the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and the oldest British settlement in Canada. One of the most impressive ways to explore Canada is to travel by train. The journey across the second largest country in the world begins at the train station close to Halifax Harbor and travels from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast, covering thousands of miles. The trains of today's Via Rail are both comfortable and nostalgic, and their elevated panoramic windows provide an excellent view of Canada's remarkable scenery.
Québec was founded in 1608 by famous explorer Samuel De Champlain, but the city's most well known and prominent landmark is the 19th-century Chateau Frontenac Hotel. The traditional stopover hotel of the Canadian Pacific Railway, it offers first class service plus a lavish and historical ambience.
Québec's historic buildings, various gates, city walls and old houses that date back to the 18th and 19th centuries are still in remarkably good condition. Up until the late 18th century, the city was a French possession, but following several decades of hostilities, the British finally conquered the city.
In Montréal, the architecture of bygone times blends in with the modern skyscrapers of today. Around 3 million people live in Canada's second largest city, the biggest French-speaking metropolis outside France. The La Ville Souterraine, an underground city, is an amazing world of shops and extends for almost 30 kilometers with a large network of tunnels, magnificent shopping arcades, hotel and cinema complexes and 2,000 retail stores.
The next stop on this journey across Canada is Toronto, one of the fastest growing cities in North America. A prominent landmark is the fabulous CN Tower, the highest freestanding tower in the world. Nearby is another spectacular building, the Skydome, a huge multi-purpose arena that can seat 70,000 spectators and is home to the city's baseball team, the Toronto Blue Jays.