Festival Country Attractions
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This region of Ontario includes Hamilton and Niagara and stretches around lake Ontario is known as Festival Country. This region is sometimes also known as the Golden Horseshoe.
Festival, Stratford, Canada
Just 60 km / 39 mi north-east of London, Stratford (pop. 25,000) is internationally famous for its Festival. Named after the Bard's birthplace by 19th C immigrants from Stratford, England, it sprang to fame in 1950 when a local newspaper editor organized the first festival. The 2250-seater Festival Theatre has been staging plays between May and October since 1953, with pride of place going to Shakespeare, but also, by public demand, putting on Molière, Brecht, and the like, not to mention the occasional Mozart opera.
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Elora Gorge Conservation Area, Canada
The Elora Gorge Conservation Area has a wealth of outdoor activities to offer, including canoeing, kayaking, hiking and tubing down the river. The Elora falls tumble through the town and powered the historic Elora Mill. Many early buildings, an extensive crafts shopping area plus an annual festival have made the town a regular tourist stop.
Guelph, Canada
The city ofGuelph was founded in the 1870s by Scottish novelist Jon Galt, who named it in honor of the British royal family. Guelph has some unique architecture, where century old limestone buildings add to the distinct character. Music festivals and theatrical performances are offered regularly. The University of Guelph is known for its involvement in agriculture and veterinary medicine.
Guelph Civic Museum
Guelph Civic Museum is housed in a three-story Georgian style limestone building that was built in the mid 19th C and has been used by turn, as a hotel, doctor's office, boarding house and headquarters for the Royal Canadian Legion and then the Knights of Columbus. The Museum has a collection of over 30,000 artifacts including 4,000 photographs.
McCrae House
John McCrae House is the birth place of the author of the famed poem, In Flanders Field, written during the First World War. Born in 1872, in Guelph, John McCrae went on to a career in medicine and the military. Two room settings depict the daily life of a young middle-class Guelph family of the 1870s.
Arboretum
Located on the campus of the University of Guelph, the Arboretum features 165ha / 408ac of marked trails, thematic gardens and labeled trees and shrubs. The plants are generally part of educational and research projects.
Langdon Hall Country House Hotel and Spa, Cambridge, Canada
Langdon Hall Country House Hotel and Spa is nestled in 200 acres of land covered with gardens and forest. The spa itself offers a variety of treatments and services. This mansion is a 1902 Federal Revival style building that was built by Eugene Langdon Wilks and his wife Pauline.
Elora, Canada
The village of Elora located along the Grand River has a long history and was built by Scottish stonemasons. Outdoor enthusiasts can bike, hike, swim or "tube" down the Grand River. The village is well known for the Elora Gorge with scenic overlooks and views of the waters below.
