A Tour of Toronto Architecture

by
toronto architecture tour royal fairmont 2
The staircase at the Royal Fairmont Hotel. They wouldn't reveal whether or not their frequent guest, Queen Elizabeth II, had ever slid down the banister.

As part of a conference we attended in Toronto in Spring 2013, our gracious Canadian hosts offered us several organized tours of their lovely city. I luckily chanced into the “Toronto Today and Yesterday” Toronto architecture tour led by the very knowledgeable architecture and city history expert, Bruce Bell. We indeed got to see the best of modern and classical building in a diverse and well-planned city. Thanks Bruce, and thanks Toronto for a great time and tour. A great mixture of classic and modern Toronto architecture. And, any city that has a big building by Santiago Calatrava is ok in my book.

You can see more work by Calatrava in this post: Valencia City of Arts and Sciences.

toronto architecture tour cn tower 2
The CN Tower is tallest building in the western hemisphere. Sort of plain, though.
toronto architecture tour calatrava 2
Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, perhaps most famous for the City of Arts and Sciences in his native Valencia, did this gallery of the Brookstone Tower, which he says was inspired by the rain forest canopy.
toronto architecture tour old new 2
Looking up gives a great sense of the mixture of the old and new in this beautiful city.
toronto architecture tour flatiron 2
Every city worth its architectural salt has Flatiron Building.
toronto architecture tour old dominion vault 2
The vault at the old Dominion Bank was more of a publicity stunt than an actual strong point. The vault was never used for money; only for safety deposit boxes.
toronto architecture tour fountain 2
Berczy Park: a bit of green in a sea of modern architecture.
toronto architecture tour commerce bank 2
Commerce Bank of Toronto: this is what money looks like.
toronto architecture tour steeple 2
The steeple of St. James Cathedral makes itself visible above the neighborhood. The churches of Toronto are particularly difficult to shoot. They all seem to be surrounded by the cables used for public transport. Makes a photographer choose his angle carefully.
toronto architecture tour elevator 2
The Gladstone Hotel, in the funky district of town, has the best elevator in Toronto.
Finally, a shot of the Toronto skyline at dusk, from a boat out in the lake.

When you’re thinking of traveling, your first stop should be our Travel Resources page, where we list all the essentials you need to make your travels easier, cheaper, safer, and more fun.

You can also help yourself get ready for your travels by reading our Get Started Planning Your Trip Now page.

We love traveling–with the right gear. We've gathered a lot of the stuff we use to make travel more pleasant and efficient all on one page. Shop our Travel Past 50 Amazon page to find our favorite gear. If you purchase something from the store, Travel Past 50, as an Amazon affiliate, may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you. Thanks.

We never leave home without our travel insurance. Nor should you. Search for the travel insurance from Allianz that best meets your needs, whether it be an annual plan or a single trip.

You can see (and buy prints) of most of our travel photos in one place on this page.

Note: This post and other posts on TravelPast50.com may contain paid or affiliate advertising links. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Up Your Travel Skills

Looking to book your next trip? Use these resources that are tried and tested by us.

First, to get our best travel tips, sign up for our email newsletter.

Then, be sure to start your reading with our Resources Page where we highlight all the great travel companies and products that we trust.

Travel Accessories: Check out our list of all the accessories we carry to make getting there and being there a lot easier.

Credit Cards: See our detailed post on how to choose the right travel rewards credit card for you.

Flights: Start finding the very best flight deals by subscribing to Thrifty Traveler.

Book your Hotel: Find the best prices on hotels with Booking.com.

Travel insurance: We recommend the annual plan with Allianz Travel Insurance.

See all of the gear and books we like in one place on our Amazon shop.

Got a comment on this post? Join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, or Threads and share your thoughts!

Comments are closed.

Get our travel tips!
Subscribe to our email list and join the thousands of other travel enthusiasts getting our best advice right in their inbox. And get our 50 best travel tips sent to you right away!

If you liked this post, please share it.

Thanks.