Victoria Articles

Victoria, often called the City of Gardens, is lush and green even in the heart of winter and begins bursting with colour while the rest of Canada is still buried under snow. Blessed with the mildest climate in Canada, Victorians enjoy boasting about their floral fortune starting with an annual flower count in February. The city is home to many exceptional private and public gardens, which range in character from manicured formal gardens to naturalized gardens full of native plants to lavish horticultural explosions. The Gardens of Victoria website is a great resource for info on many of the gardens in Victoria.

Whether steeped in the tradition of English high tea, or shrouded in the mystery and exoticism of the societies that first produced it, the culture of tea is flourishing in Victoria. We've searched high and low for the best places to have tea in the city.

To sample some of Victoria's truly English flavour, attend high tea where you can nibble on small sandwiches or scones with heavy cream and preserves while sipping tea from fine china. Choose from one of the city's many options offering traditional tea in a variety of price ranges and levels of formality. Or if you would rather steep your own, the city has some excellent specialty stores where you can choose from an astounding variety of teas that range from traditional to exotic in character. For the budding connoisseur, you can join a workshop and tasting to delve deeper into the culture, history and flavour of tea.

Victoria is full of magical photo opportunities that will bring back memories for years to come. Whether you're into landscapes, urban shots, architecture or wildlife images, there's something for everyone. As a city surrounded by ocean and mountains and filled with beautiful gardens and historic buildings, there are plenty of stunning backdrops to fill your frames. So get out there, get creative and don't forget to say cheese!

There's plenty to do in Victoria to keep the whole family entertained. The hardest part is deciding what to do. Here are our suggestions for the best indoor and outdoor activities in Victoria that are guaranteed to keep the troops happy and amused.

Lager, pale ale, hefeweizen, chocolate porter or oatmeal stout? What'll it be?

Born of Victoria's British roots, supported by the dedicated crafts people running its breweries and brewpubs, and thanks to Vancouver Island's dedicated beer drinkers, Victoria has developed a vibrant and innovative beer culture. Small craft breweries and award winning brewpubs have flourished for years. Visit one of the breweries for a tour and sampling of their wares, or go to one of Victoria's brewpubs to sip a pint freshly brewed onsite and treat yourself to some great food as well. If you really want to immerse yourself in beer, come in September for the Great Canadian Beer Festival where you can sample products from over 45 international craft breweries.