EurOntario Tour: Summer Road Trip

If Europe isn't in your budget this year, going on a roadtrip visiting cities with European city names in Ontario with your friends/family/SO's could be a fun experience! This roadtrip could be made into a series of weekend trips, a day trip, or exploring one new city/town! Below you will find my research for the ultimate Europe in Ontario Tour — EurOntario Tour, and a Google Maps guide that has all of the location pins!

For my personal itinerary, check out this post — it recaps the locations we visited and approximate costs.

Destinations:

1. Aberdeen, ON

2. Athens, ON

3. Baden, ON

4. Bath, ON

5. Brighton, ON

6. Brussels, ON

   • There is a Self-Guided Historical Tour of Brussels

7. Cambridge, ON

   • Castle Kilbride National Historic Monument, Wilmot 

   • Visit this 1877 mansion of James Livingston, a flax industrialist, politician and entrepreneur, inside and out. It is named after Livingston’s birthplace in East Kilbride, Scotland, Castle Kilbride and showcases lavish Victorian era décor. 

8. Copenhagen, ON

9. Dresden, ON

10. Dublin, ON

11. Exeter, ON

12. Glammis, ON (Similar to Glamis, Scotland)

13. Glasgow, ON

14. Hanover, ON

15. Keswick, ON

16. Kincardine, ON (Blog post with full details)

    • Kincardine, ON is a charming town and beauch community! If you've ever headed towards the Sunshine Coast, Cottage Country, or Bruce Peninsula, then you've passed it! They're known for incredible sunsets that if you listen closely you might hear the phantom bag pipes 😉

      • Kincardine Lighthouse (44°10'37.5"N 81°38'17.1"W)  – Historic octogonal wooden tower that was built into the banks of the Penetangore River in 1881.

      • Stroll along the boardwalk down to the Queen's Lookout

      • Wander around downtown Kincardine

      • Surfers surfing on Station Beach

      • Watch the sunset

      • Huron-Kinloss Ice Cream Trail

        • Possible pitstop in Kincardine:

          • St. Mary’s,  which sits on the banks of the Thames River and is home to  the St. Marys Quarry, Canada’s largest outdoor swimming pool.

17. Kitchener, ON (Previously known as Berlin, ON)

18. Lisbon, ON

19. Listowel, ON

20. London, ON

    • Covent Garden Market

    • Idlewyld Inn and Spa, London – This premier historic inn has been a local landmark since 1878 and provides travelers the elegance of a bygone era with all the modern amenities. There are 21 uniquely decorated rooms, an on-site spa and restaurant.  

    • The Elm Hurst Inn & Spa a landmark since1872 – Elm Hurst is a boutique hotel that combines historic charm with modern amenities 

21. Luxemburg, ON

22. Mannheim, ON

23. Newcastle, ON

24. New Dundee, ON

25. New Hamburg, ON

26. New Limburg, ON

27. Newmarket, ON

28. Northumberland, ON

29. Norwich, ON

30. Odessa, ON

31. Paris, ON

    • Self- Guided Cobblestone Tour of Paris

    • According to Ontario Travel, Paris is known as a Cobblestone Capital of Canada. These small round stones were pulled out of the nearby Grand River and layered on top of each other with cement.There are 12 homes and 2 cobblestone churches left in Paris. These Paris cobblestone buildings were all built around the mid-1800s.

      • The Norman Hamilton home – “Hamilton Place” – is one of Paris’ finest examples of cobblestone masonry. Constructed by Levi Boughton from New York State, it was completed in 1844. Paul Wickson, a well-known Canadian painter, also resided here and completed many of his paintings in the belvedere.

32. Perth, ON

33. Peterborough, ON

34. Rostock, ON

35. Scotland, ON

36. Seville, ON

37. Southampton, ON

38. Sparta, ON

    • Sparta is home to several artist studios, a traditional tearoom for jam and biscuits, artisan goods, boutique shopping, a lavender farm, a local vineyard and several locations of historical importance.

39. Stratford, ON (Blog post with full details)

40. Sudbury, ON

41. Tottenham, ON

42. Vienna, ON

    • Visit Port Burwell nearby. According to Ontario Travel, Port Burwell is often referred to as the jewel of Lake Erie’s north shore with its Blue Flag certification for water quality and environmental protection.  You’ll also find hiking trails, camping, a cold-war era submarine (more info on the HMCS Ojibwa below), a marine museum and historic lighthouse, two marinas, and a provincial park.

      • HMCS Ojibwa – Cold War Submarine - It quite simply one of the most unique experiential tours around. 297.5 feet long, 5 stories high, elegant, imposing - hiding secrets of the Cold War. Explore the exterior while listening to guides share insights or head inside for an in-depth submariner tour.

43. Warsaw, ON

44. Waterloo, ON

45. Windsor, ON

46. Woodstock, ON

47. Zurich, ON

    • The Hess Clock is one of three “Canadiana Tower Clocks” still operating as it was designed to run.

Map of My Travelling Backpack’s EurOntario Tour Roadtrip! It’s filled with places to visit, eat at, and explore.

Map

I’ve pinned all locations, sightseeing spots, and where to grab a meal or a nice beverage on this map!