[A Travel Snapshot] Canada's Autumn: Fall Foliage and Wine Trails

It is peak fall foliage season. Canada is a country synonymous with maple leaves. Uniquely, a maple leaf is emblazoned on its flag. Red maple leaves also appear on the signs of hamburger restaurants and gas stations.

Eastern and western Canada have different cultures. In eastern cities such as Montreal and Quebec City, people greet each other in the morning with "Bonjour." Vancouver, a major western city, is in the province of British Columbia (BC), where the influence of British traditions can be felt. The "Maple Leaf flag," adopted in 1965, represents Canada's neutrality and unity.

Autumn foliage and fallen leaves at Lorensyang. (C) Seo Youngjin

An 800-kilometer route along the Laurentian Mountains in the east is known as the "Maple Road." Vast forests of maple trees stretch as far as the eye can see, and the scent of the towering trees is intense. Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City are among the cities along the Maple Road.

Mont-Tremblant, near Montreal, is one of Canada's best-known maple foliage destinations. Around Mont-Tremblant, about 400 lakes are scattered like fallen leaves along the Diable River. The dream of walking among the lakes framed by fall colors, kayaking and cycling becomes a reality.

From the summit of Mont-Tremblant, the foliage around Place Saint-Bernard and the village below is a riot of colors. The first snow falls here around mid-November. The Laurentian Plateau is also a major source of maple syrup, a Canadian specialty.

The cities along the Maple Road are awash in autumn colors. In Montreal, the "home of jazz," saxophone melodies drift through cafes on autumn nights. The Parliament Buildings on a hill overlooking the Ottawa River are dressed in yellow. In Quebec City, the setting for the TV drama Guardian: The Lonely and Great God, a walk along the city walls and through Petit-Champlain, with its 17th-century atmosphere, is especially charming.

Okanagan Lake in the interior of BC is famous for its wine trail. Most of the wines served in downtown Vancouver restaurants bear labels from this region. It rivals the Niagara wine region in the east.

The wine trail stretches along more than 100 kilometers of lakeshore. More than 100 wineries are clustered around Kelowna, a lakeside city. Winery tours, with tastings among the vineyards, take place under warm sunshine.

Wine trips are enjoyable not only for the taste but also for the chance to visit wineries, each with its own character. Standouts include a winery designed by Seattle architect Tom Kundig in the shape of a monastery and another modeled on an Egyptian pyramid. There is also a winery featuring red shoes as an art object, as well as one where visitors can dine among lakeside vineyards at sunset.

Last summer, smoke from major wildfires in Canada swept across vineyards in the northern part of Okanagan Lake. The region faced the challenge of reduced harvests but successfully held its wine festival in October. An ice wine festival is also held in winter.

Few countries seem to offer both captivating fall foliage and wine trails. Autumn in Canada is even more distinctive because the atmosphere, culture and even language differ between east and west. Whichever destination you choose, the journey is rich and vividly colored.

Okanagan Lake and vineyards. © Seo Youngjin

Autumn foliage in Mont-Tremblant. Photo by Seo Youngjin

Seo Youngjin, travel columnist

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