Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The best way to get to know Victoria is on foot. All of the downtown attractions are
within a short walk of one another, and the more remote sights are easily reached by road
or public transit. In summer, various tours are offered, giving you the choice of seeing
Victoria by horse-drawn carriage, bus, boat, bicycle, limo—you name it. But if you still
feeltheneedtohaveacarreadilyavailable,you'llbepleasedtoknowthatparkingisplen-
tiful just a few blocks from the Inner Harbour.
TheepicenterofdowntownVictoriaistheforeshoreoftheInnerHarbour,whichisflanked
by the parliament buildings, the city's main museum, and the landmark Fairmont Em-
pressHotel.GovernmentStreetleadsuphillfromthewaterfrontthroughaconcentrationof
touristy shops and restaurants while, parallel to the west, Douglas Street is the core street
of a smallish central business district.
Initially, the harbor extended farther inland; before the construction of the massive stone
causeway that now forms the marina, the area on which the impressive Empress now
stands was a deep, oozing mudflat. Walk along the lower level and then up the steps in
the middle to come face-to-face with an unamused Captain James Cook; the bronze statue
commemorates the first recorded British landing in 1778 on the territory that would later
become British Columbia. Above the northeast corner of the harbor is the
Victoria Vis-
itor Centre
(812 Wharf St., 250/953-2033,
www.tourismvictoria.com
)
, the perfect place
to start your city exploration. Be sure to return to the Inner Harbour after dark, when the
parliament buildings are outlined in lights and the Empress Hotel is floodlit.
MM
Fairmont Empress
Overlooking the Inner Harbour, the pompous, ivy-covered 1908
Fairmont Empress
(721
Government St., 250/384-8111 or 800/257-7544,
www.fairmont.com
) is Victoria's most
recognizable landmark. Its architect was the well-known Francis Rattenbury, who also de-
signed the parliament buildings, the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) steamship termin-
al (now housing the wax museum), and Crystal Garden. It's worthwhile walking through
the hotel lobby to gaze—head back, mouth agape—at the interior razzle-dazzle, and to
watch people partake in traditional afternoon tea. Browse through the conservatory and
