Toronto's Casa Loma is the only real full-size castle in a North American city

Toronto, Ontario - No other North American city has a real full-size castle. When Casa Loma was constructed it was North America's largest private residence. The 98-room, medieval-style Casa Loma, complete with turrets, secret passages, and award-winning gardens, was built by Sir Henry Mill Pellatt between 1911 and 1915. It took 300 men and about $3,500,000 to complete. Tragically, Pellatt was only able to enjoy it for 10 years before losing it because of financial misfortune. Our favorite facts: it had so many telephones (59) that the castle’s switchboard operator handled more calls than the operator for the entire City of Toronto; and, along with horses stalls in the stables made of mahogany, when Sir Henry’s favorite horse lost his teeth, he was fitted with a false set. The Kiwanis Club, a charitable organization, has operated it since 1937. It's open to the public. Photo courtesy of Casa Loma

Where:Casa Loma is located at One Austin Terrace near the corner of Davenport Rd. and Spadina Ave. By TTC, go to Dupont Station and walk two blocks north on Spadina, then up the hill on the west side of the Castle, or climb the Baldwin steps. Alternatively, go to St. Clair west subway station and walk east to Spadina (5 min), then south to the castle (10 min). Quick Tip: If you don't like a steep uphill walk, go for the St. Clair option.

Canada’s Coolest:

Welcome to a new feature on Canada Cool. I'll be presenting different 'Coolest' lists with my favorites and I encourage you to nominate suggestions from your own experiences. You can Twitter @CanadaCool or email Lucy@CanadaCool.com. Let me know what makes your suggestion exceptionally cool. Remember, by contributing your comments you are giving Canada Cool permission to quote you. Only a selection of submissions will be included, but all comments and submissions are greatly appreciated!

The first feature is: Canada's Coolest Single Day Scenic Drives

Here are some of my favorites...

The Icefields Parkway, Jasper National Park, Alberta - This 229 km (142 mi) Rocky Mountain route from Banff/Lake Louise to Jasper passes 100 frozen rivers and nudges the base of the Athabasca Glacier - the most accessible glacier in the world. You can stop and explore it. It spills down from the Columbia Icefield, an area of ice so massive that you could fit the entire population of North America on it with each person getting at least a square metre of space.

The Corridor, Algonquin Park, Ontario – this 56-km stretch of Hwy 60 cuts through the southwest section of Algonquin Park. Less than three hours north of Toronto the park is a nature-lover's paradise with 7,725 km of lakes, rivers, forest, trails, camping, comfortable lodges and 2000 km of canoe routes. Offers hiking trails to stop and enjoy, but what makes it really cool is that it’s one of the best places in North America to spot moose (especially in May and June). And, on Thursday nights in August up to 600 cars will gather to listen to wolves howl.

The Cabot Trail, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia – Driving this 303 km (187 mile) route is like riding a roller-coaster: the road snakes around hairpin turns, rises to heights over 365 metres (1200 ft), weaves around headlands revealing spectacular coastal scenery, and plunges down to sea level taking you into the heart of small fishing communities. The most dramatic scenery is between the Cape Breton Highlands National Park entrance near Cheticamp and Pleasant Bay, so go slow. And, plan some flexibility into your schedule, so you can drive it on a clear day.

And here are some of your nominations for 'Canada's Coolest Single Day Scenic Drives'...

More from Canada’s Coolest

'Canada's Coolest' topics we'll be publishing in the future:

• Golf Course Features
• Haunted Hotels
• Hotel Special Services

Send your suggestions to lucy@CanadaCool.com

Recent 'Canada's Coolest' topics: