A Little Canadian Town Right Outside Niagara Falls Is A Less Crowded Gem With Award-Winning Wineries

Surrounded by rolling wine country, characteristically Canadian swathes of pristine nature, and the nearby tourism Goliath of Niagara Falls, the charming town of Niagara-on-the-Lake is perfectly positioned for travelers seeking a laidback trip to the falls. Not everything here revolves around the vast cascades to its south. You can take a scenic bicycle ride through verdant vineyards, admire quiet Victorian-style avenues, and savor an award-winning tasting in the sumptuous wineries of Ontario's Niagara Peninsula.

Conveniently situated alongside one of the most popular tourist sites in North America, accessing Niagara-on-the-Lake is easy. Driving from the exceptionally well-connected Toronto Pearson International Airport, you'll reach the town in an hour and a half. From upstate New York's Buffalo Niagara International Airport, it's less than an hour's hop across the border. It takes less than half an hour to take the scenic road from the falls to the town, making it an easy add on to a tour of the most beautiful overlooked small towns in New York, which surround Niagara Falls.

The regal Victorian townhouses that line the town's breezy avenues come alive from the spring through to the early fall, when their flower beds blossom and the trees hang heavy with light leaves of green. These are also the best seasons for a wine-oriented visit to Niagara-on-the-Lake, with long days and mild climates ideal for a leisurely tour of the vineyards. Though the winter dusts the town in frost and strips the trees, there are also tons of great things to do on a winter vacation to Niagara Falls.

Dating back to the advent of Canadian winemaking, the Niagara Peninsula's neat rows of vines are heavily laden with bunches of grapes through to the annual fall harvest. Its fertile soils and fluctuating climate work together with its strategic solar exposure and microclimate moderation from the great lakes to create ideal viticultural conditions.

Within minutes of the town's bounds visitors can be sipping on glasses of world-class, award-winning wines at one of the 25 wineries around Niagara-on-the-Lake. Rent a bicycle and cruise between the scenic fields or join a tasting tour that handles your transportation so that nobody need stay sober for the drive home. If you're winery-hopping without a guide, you should know that you can often get the tasting for free if you buy a bottle in the shop in Canadian wineries.

Ranging from elegant estates to small family-run operations, Niagara-on-the-Lakes wineries each offer a distinct experience. Sample the big and well-established local brands by transporting to the Tuscan hills in Colaneri's Romanesque piazza, experiencing a regional delicacy, ice wine, at Inniskillen, or booking a bespoke tasting at Two Sisters. Explore Canada's largest underground sparkling cellar at Truis Wineries, perusing the bottles you can pair with a meal at their Michelin-recommended on-site restaurant, or take a tasting at the cute, local-family-run Caroline Cellars. If you haven't had your fill on wine alone, there are also some excellent beer-inspired activities you can experience when visiting nearby Niagara Falls.

It goes without saying that a trip to the Niagara Peninsula will involve a stop at the famous falls, but the region isn't a one-stop-shop. Orient yourself along the historic streets of Niagara-on-the-Lake. Evident in the rust red bricks, flower-wrapped white balustrades of the hanging balconies, and vintage exterior stuccos of the oldest Victorian terraces in town, the scenic streets have bustled for more than a century. Preceding Toronto as the capital of Upper Canada, a former British enclave, the influence of the empire is obvious in the architecture. Lean into the experience and take English-style high tea in the white wainscoted drawing room of the Vintage Hotel or browse for ornate knickknacks in the Heritage Districts' antique stores.

Once you've had your fill of the charming urban center, you can escape back into the Canadian wilds by driving 20 minutes to Niagara Glen Nature Centre. The park's Great Gorge hiking trails meander above the Niagara River, guiding travelers along clearly marked trails cutting through wild Carolinian forest. The best route is a short but challenging 1.5-mile loop passing scenic lookouts over the aqua-hued waterway. Spring and summertime travelers should also dedicate a Saturday to breathing in the fresh fields of lavender on flowering farms just outside of town. Head to the NEOB Lavender Farm to roam the purple fields and browse the store for aromatic souvenirs to add a layer of luxury to your post-vacation recovery. Take a ten-minute detour on the trip back to town and stop at Walker's Country Market, to fill a punnet with orchard-fresh seasonal fruit to snack on.