Victoria Avenue

Niagara-on-the-Lake is laid out like a village on paper, with a regular grid of streets that reflects its origin as the first capital of Upper Canada. John Graves Simcoe, the lieutenant governor, chose the site in the 1790s, and his surveyors planned the streets around the mouth of the Niagara River, naming many of them for the royal family and for British figures. The town was burned by American forces in December 1813, during the War of 1812, and nearly every house was lost, so most of the old buildings that stand today date from the decades after the fire. Victoria Avenue belongs to that rebuilt town and is part of the quiet streets of the historic district.

Compared with Queen Street, the busy main street with its shops and the Clock Tower, the residential streets nearby feel calm. They are lined with mature trees and 19th-century houses of brick, clapboard and stone, many of them in Georgian, Regency and Victorian styles, with white-painted verandas, tall chimneys and well-kept gardens. A stroll along these streets is one of the pleasures of the town, and visitors can often see bed-and-breakfast inns, guest houses and small museums mixed with private homes. Many buildings carry plaques that give the date and builder, and the whole district has the character of a carefully preserved village.

For anyone on foot, walking is the way to see it. The old town is compact, and the streets are flat and easy, so a loop from Queen Street through the quieter lanes takes less than an hour at a leisurely pace. The Niagara District Court House of 1847, the Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum, St. Mark's Church and Queen's Royal Park on the river are all within easy reach, and the Shaw Festival Theatre and its sister stages, which perform plays through spring, summer and autumn, are a short stroll away. Fort George National Historic Site, rebuilt after the war, stands just outside the town.

The main visitor information centre is in the lower level of the historic Court House at 51 Queens Parade, where staff provide free maps, brochures and advice on dining, shopping and events, and a second information point is near the Fort George bus lot. The surrounding region is known for its vineyards and wineries, and many travellers combine a walk through town with a tasting tour.

Parking in the old town is limited in summer, and the best plan is to park once and walk. Visitors who like history, gardens and quiet streets enjoy it most.