9 inspiring places in trendy Toronto

#1 Walking and beach: Scarborough Bluffs

The Scarborough Bluffs, better known as The Bluffs, are a beautiful stretch of nature with cliffs up to 90 metres high along Lake Ontario in Toronto's Scarborough district. There you'll find no fewer than nine parks, including Bluffers Park with its own beach, Bluffers Beach. A fun, short hike that also takes you to the lake is the Doris McCarthy Trail (Gates Gully) from Ravine Drive, south of Kingston Road towards the water. After a day of exploring The Bluffs, why not extend your trip and take time to relax and unwind. Consider a stay at Inn At The Falls Bracebridge. This beautiful lodging is just a short drive away and offers the perfect setting for a peaceful retreat. The beautiful natural surroundings invite you to relish in the tranquility that Ontario has to offer, creating a complete vacation experience after your adventurous day at The Bluffs.

#2 Outdoor adventure: camping in and near Toronto

How cool is that: an outdoor adventure in the heart of metropolitan Toronto? It's possible at Glen Rouge Campground on Kingston Road. Tucked away in Canada's first city park, this campsite boasts the best spots to pitch your tent or motorhome and light a campfire after a day of sightseeing. Prefer it without the city buzz? A 2.5-hour drive from Toronto is Sandbanks Provincial Park, with dunes, sandy beaches, crystal clear water and five campsites to choose from.

#3 Street art: Pan Am Path

Strolling the streets of Toronto while admiring outdoor art installations and street art. You can do it on the Pan Am Path, an 80-kilometre walking network from Claireville Reservoir in suburban Brampton towards Rouge Park near Lake Ontario. The path, created in 2015 for the Pan Am Games sporting event, is an ode to the city's art, nature and cultural diversity. Explore it on foot or by bike. For example, at the Toronto Bike and Music Festival, a mix of cycling, music and picnics.

#4 Museums: Aga Kahn, AGO and shoes!

Toronto has no less than 29 museums. The snow-white Aga Khan Museum is one of them, an extraordinary building with a collection of Islamic and Iranian art. Accompanying it is a particularly beautiful park with modern landscaping. The Art Gallery of Ontario is also highly recommended, if only for the building by architect Frank Gehry. Shoe-tic? Then the Bata Shoe Museum with 12,000 pairs of shoes of all shapes and sizes is a hit.

#5 Bookworms: Famous last words bar & Monkey's Paw

Book fans get their fill in Toronto at one of Canada's most extraordinary libraries: the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library at the University of Toronto. The interior is impressive, the collection of more than 700,000 books rare and therefore unique. For a café filled with books and cocktails named after literary classics, head to The Famous Last Words Bar in The Junction neighbourhood. Finally, don't miss Monkey's Paw' s quirky book collection plus Biblio-Mat book vending machine from which vintage books roll out for $2.

#6 Unexpected Streets: Percy Street

Toronto has 715 'private streets', meaning they have to be maintained by the residents themselves. Percy Street in the old Toronto section of Corktown is one of them. A narrow, dead-end street with small houses that make you forget you are in Canada's metropolis of millions. So are private streets like Alpha Avenue, Melbourne Place and Wychwood Park, all of which have an idyllic character.

#7 Castle in the city: Casa Loma

Casa L oma is a giant medieval, 98-room castle in the city. Built by 300 people for three years, it was completed in 1914. It is one of the highlights during a Toronto city trip. So not exactly undiscovered, but fun to wander through including an audio guide. The accompanying Liberty Café invites for a coffee or tasty lunch.

#8 Water tip: Toronto Islands

In summer, the mercury can soar in Toronto. These are the months to seek out the waters of Lake Ontario and the Toronto Islands. This is a group of 15 small and car-free islands connected by bridges and hiking trails. Fifteen minutes on the ferry from Jack Layton Ferry Terminal and you can hike, cycle, picnic or kayak. A local landmark is the Gibraltar Point Lighthouse, one of Toronto's oldest buildings best known for ghost stories.

#9 Fun neighbourhoods: Ossington and Distillery District

The historic Distillery District is a well-known neighbourhood in Toronto, perfect for a night out and strolling past cafes, theatres and shops. For a real hipster vibe, head to Ossington, which treats a succession of microbreweries, art galleries, boutiques, coffee shops and the best restaurants. You'll also come across food trucks in many neighbourhoods, and the city parks are favourites for food truck festivals. You can see that at the Toronto Foodtrucks festival, for example.