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Let’s start with this. The province of Quebec produces over 80 percent of the world supply of maple syrup. You’re welcome. Which means we know our stuff; we know precisely how to use it, with what ingredients and in what quantities (that is, with everything and as much as possible). The Maple Delights shop is definitely for tourists to spend money, but that doesn’t mean that money won’t be well invested. Visitors can either opt for an on-the-spot treat, like ice cream, macarons (yes, you read that correctly), and even maple beignets, a traditional Québécois dish. Others can load up on take-away products like maple butter, all kinds of spreads, teas, and of course syrup. All of these can be gifts for your loved ones back home, or gifts for yourself—for absolutely no reason other than you being fabulous and in Montreal.

The Carré Saint-Louis (also known as St. Louis Square) is one of Montréal’s most important literary streetscapes. Famed Québecois poets Émile Nelligan and Gaston Miron called this home. Brightly painted Victorian/Second Empire graystone rowhouses line the square—one of the best leafy spaces in the city. (It’s been called “the closest thing to a European neighborhood square you’ll find this side of the Atlantic” by the Project for Public Spaces.) A few blocks away is the fabled Schwartz’s Deli. Grab a “smoked meat” to go, then come here to chow down by the fountain, surrounded by trees and 19th-century façades. (The nearest subway is Sherbrooke station on the Orange Line.)

“What wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness?” So said local philosopher and writer Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a statue of whom oversees his namesake island, a wee, romantic spot in the middle of the Rhone where it empties into Lake Geneva. The island-park may be served by two bridges, but it feels like a universe of its own and is a favorite of many visitors and locals in Geneva. The tranquil tree-lined island was once a 16th-century fortification that protected the city, then the site of a bustling shipyard before finally being transformed to a peaceful sanctuary in 1832, when the Pont des Bergues bridge was constructed. (The Pont des Bergues ends across from the 1834 Hotel des Bergues, which was the first meeting place of the United Nations and is now a Four Seasons Hotel.)

Housed in a 1907 Renaissance Revival structure that was previously a Masonic temple, the NMWA is the world’s leading museum dedicated to recognizing women’s achievements in the visual, performing, and literary arts. The collection houses more than 4,700 paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts by nearly 1,000 women spanning the 16th century to the present. Explore all four floors and view works from the likes of Mary Cassatt, Frida Kahlo, Lee Krasner, Louise Bourgeois, and Elisabeth Louise Vigée-Le Brun.

Salar de Uyuni, located in the Daniel Campos province of Bolivia, looks like it belongs on another planet. Stretching for more than 4,050 square miles—a little smaller than the state of Connecticut—it is the world’s largest salt flat, formed when several prehistoric lakes dried up 25,000 to 10,000 years ago, leaving behind hexagonal patterns of salt on the otherwise featureless surface. When nearby lakes overflow, or the area gets rain, a thin layer of water covers the expanse, transforming it into a massive reflective mirror that makes for jaw-dropping, dreamlike photos.


The natural wonder has served as a valuable source of salt and lithium for Bolivia, and it has long been a hot spot for tourism in South America. There’s even a hotel built out of salt bricks: the Palacio de Sal. If you’re planning a trip to witness the surreal beauty of the Salar de Uyuni salt flat, here’s what you need to know.



To see Salar de Uyuni’s breathtaking mirror effort, visit during wet season, from December to April—but be aware that when it gets too rainy, it can be hard to get around and you might not be able to access certain areas. May to November is the dry season, which means temperatures are colder, but the ground is harder and you can drive across the land more easily.



The ideal month to visit is May, when the seasons transition from wet to dry and you’ll have a good chance of seeing the salt flats both dusty and reflective.



Salar de Uyuni sits near the point where Bolivia, Argentina, and Chile meet, so tourists tend to come from three different starting places.



The town of Uyuni in Bolivia is the most popular place to embark on tours of the salt flats. The small town is so close to the flats, you can easily take day trips. If you’re traveling from La Paz to Uyuni, you can take a one-hour flight or an eight-hour overnight bus.



San Pedro de Atacama in Chile is another well-known starting point for tours of the salt flats, but because it’s about 200 miles away, most tours are three days long.



If you’re coming from Argentina, look into multi-day tours operating out of Tupiza, Bolivia, a good base less than 60 miles over the Argentinian border.



Tour operators in the region offer shared or private tours. Shared tours are more affordable, but they don’t offer much flexibility when it comes to your schedule. Also, most shared tours are led by Spanish-speaking guides, while private tours can offer English-speaking ones.



Many tours of the salt flats also go to other attractions in the area, such as the Polques hot springs, the Atacama Desert, and high-altitude lakes like Laguna Colorada. Look into tours originating in San Pedro de Atacama and Tupiza for itineraries that include these destinations.



Salar de Uyuni is located nearly 12,000 feet above sea level, so you might experience altitude sickness symptoms such as nausea and headaches and should plan accordingly.



To enter Bolivia, travelers must have a tourist visa, which costs $160 for U.S. citizens, and a yellow fever vaccination certificate if they are traveling from a country with risk of yellow fever.

Bar Raval looks ordinary from the outside, but inside, the sinuous lines of the floor-to-ceiling mahogany woodwork—bar, walls, window frames—instantly bring Gaudí to mind. Created to mimic the spirit of Barcelona’s pintxos bars (in addition to the Catalonian influence of the decor, platters of food are laid out on the bar, as is the Basque pintxos tradition), the space is often packed. In the mornings, patrons sip lattes and enjoy doughnuts finished with a lick of chocolate and spiced hazelnut.

Suddenly, grub that is both Chinese and Jamaican is a thing. Chef Craig Wong, third generation Chinese-Jamaican himself, has taken over a Dundas West space and done quite the number on the local dining scene, turning out a cuisine of his own that manages to encapsulate all that is Toronto. Pick from eats like the Jamaican patty double down — chef’s take on the famed KFC number — and the dirty fried rice with red sausage and peas. For a small group, go with the so-called Whole Shebang and test out Wong’s take on jerk chicken. Dinner can be reserved, but if you’s aiming for brunch, be there when the place opens and tuck into the Hong Kong-style waffles and the luscious maple butter French toast.

Almost unchanged since 1912, the Théâtre Corona (Corona Theatre) in Little Burgundy was built to host showings of silent films accompanied by live music and comedy shows by local troupes. You can still find an orchestra pit and the original dressing rooms under the stage, but since the late 1990s—after coming close to demolition—it has served mainly to host live music, by acts like Buck65, La Roux, and Arcade Fire. The heritage décor, with painted ceiling, gilded columns and heavy jacquard brocade curtains, and the relatively small capacity for 700 spectators, make this a singularly intimate place to see a show. The best sightlines are from the balcony, but there’s nothing like the feel of a smooth wooden dance floor beneath your soles.

Montreal’s very own Prince of Darkness is best known for his mastery of soft, buttery black leather and his play with textures and details such as zippers and horse hair, but he’s expanded his recent collections into a less gothic and more widely accessible styles that have even branched out into color ¬– albeit dark browns and blues. The women’s wear designer has created collections for off-the-rack store Bedo, but to get a real sense of his unique vision and approach to form, best head down to his sleek boutique on chic Rue Saint-Paul in Old Montreal. Here you’ll find statement pieces to be worn to your next gala as well as rugged wear you can integrate into your everyday.

A two minute walk from the bustle of downtown Calgary, Prince’s Island Park—which is surrounded by the Bow River—is home to festivals all summer long. The Calgary Folk Music Festival and 52,000 of its closest friends rock and/or folk out on the park the last weekend of July.

Wilensky’s is sort of an institution in the Mile End. Family-owned since its opening in 1932, the place is famous for its extremely cheap snacks, no-nonsense approach, and retro decor. Pressed tin ceiling, Kik Cola clock, ring-up cash register, old-fashioned soda fountain—this place sometimes feels like a time warp or, at the very least, a museum. Perhaps what makes Wilensky’s so special is, incidentally, the Special ($3.90): “All-beef salami with all-beef baloney grilled to mouth-watering perfection on a tasty roll with a hint of mustard.” But don’t try to change anything in it—the owner, Ruth, will not have it. The Special is what it is, and no amount of money will make Ruth change it. Hell, she even wrote a poem about it: When ordering a Special, you should know a thing or two. It is always served with mustard; it is never cut in two. Don’t ask us why; just understand that this is nothing new. This is the way that it’s been done since 1932. Amen to that.

L’Express, on rue St-Denis in the Plateau Mont-Royal neighborhood, opened in 1980 and has about it the air of a beloved institution. Indeed, with its timeless style, it feels even older than it is. This popular spot serves classic renditions of bistro fare—steak tartare, bone marrow, onion soup—into the early morning hours (2 a.m. except for Sundays, when it closes at 1 a.m.). When the kitchen ventures into new territory, the results are impressive. The spaghetti with mushrooms is unconventional in its presentation (topped with a healthy serving of arugula)—one of those dishes you try on the road and then want to re-create at home. Reservations recommended.

Rustic elegance is the order of the day at La Champagnerie, a champagne-only bar in Old Montreal. Between the delicious cocktails, heaven-sent food, and exposed brick walls of this historic building, the drinking experience will be memorable. The menu features over 50 different brands of bubbly (including real champagne, cava, and prosecco) and a very entertaining sabering act, as well as brie poutine and oysters. Contrary to popular belief, la Champagnerie isn’t that expensive. Yes, there is the odd $500+ bottle, but visitors can easily enjoy a meal and a cocktail or two without needing to remortgage their house. A very nice way to spend an evening, if you ask me—champagne, Old Montreal, and good music. Santé!

Ask any Montrealer the question “Which is the fanciest restaurant in town?” and chances are Toqué! will be a frequent answer. Indeed, quite fancy. But also quite expensive. Luckily, chef Charles-Antoine Crête, once mentored by Toqué’s Normand Laprise, decided that a more accessible and younger version of the famous restaurant would fit perfectly well with the new Place des Festivals—in style, location, and ambience. And he wasn’t wrong. I always go for the beef tartare, and not once have I been disappointed. The menu changes according to the season, but there is a constancy in quality, regardless of the time of the year. This is definitely the best way to get a taste of Montreal‘s finest, sans the waiting list and the steep check.

Café Du Monde is always open; it’s the clientele that changes—from visiting families and local pensioners early in the morning, to couples in the evening, to Bourbon Street refugees looking for coffee and ballast in the night’s thinnest hours. This huge coffee stop is a rarity—a tourist trap that locals actually love (although they will rarely wait when lines are long). It’s been around for more than a century, and basically serves two items: beignets and café au lait. The beignets are similar to Spanish buñuelos, fried fritters of dough, and are one of those French traditions that’s survived here more durably than in France. While probably not on anyone’s diet list—they come piled with powdered sugar—they’re surprisingly light, and an order (which equals three beignets) disappears with unusual haste.