Sights Archives ⋆ Page 3 of 140 ⋆ The Passenger

July 20, 2024July 24, 2024

Einhornhöhle

Are you in the mood to search for unicorns? Then the Einhornhöhle near Scharzfeld might be the perfect destination for you. Researchers have come here for a very long time as the 700 meters long cave is filled to large extent with sediment that contains the bones of extinct animals like mammoths, cave bears and cave lions. In 1672 the physicist Otto von Guericke reported that he had found a unicorn there which motivated the famous mathematician Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz to get there and to construct a unicorn from bones. It were in facht mammoth bones, but his reconstruction is now the logo of the cave and the name ‘unicorn cave‘ attracts a lot of visitors.

July 12, 2024July 31, 2024

Peyto Lake

Turquoise ice-cold water forming a lake between forests and mountains of the Banff National Park, that’s Peyto Lake – maybe the most beautiful lake I’ve ever seen. It is fed by the glaciers surrounding it and its color is special because of fine rock particles (‘glacial flour’) that are carried into the lake. It is named after trapper Bill Peyto who was active in this region in the 19th century.

July 12, 2024July 31, 2024

Athabasca glacier

The Icefields Parkway leading through the Canadian Rocky Mountains fulfills everything that the name promises. Between high mountains you can find six main glaciers like the Athabasca glacier all belonging to the Columbia Icefield. And while we had a heatwave with 41 degrees Celsius the temperature there dropped to 16 degrees. Due to global warming it has retracted continuously and lost about half of its mass. Along the way to the glacier tongue you can see how far it reached until which year.

July 5, 2024August 7, 2024

Malahat Skywalk

On the grounds of the Malahat First Nation near Victoria on Vancouver Island you can discover a large wooden tower, the Malahat Skywalk. It gives you great views on the Saanich Inlet, the surrounding forests and you can even look over into the United States of America – the border is very close and you can’t overlook Mount Baker in the state of Washington. To get on top of the tower you can follow a very long ramp that is winding up inside. If you’re brave you can get down very fast by using a slide.

July 3, 2024August 4, 2024

Inner harbour

The main attractions of Victoria on Vancouver Island are all grouped around the inner harbour of the city. Once you’ve found your way you can observe aeroplanes and get on water taxis exploring the bay of the capital city of the province British Columbia. Next to the harbor you can find some pretty impressive buildings like the ancient house of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia or the Hotel Empress. Close-by you can also discover the Royal BC Museum with its historic collection.

July 3, 2024August 3, 2024

Capilano

I’m just a tiny little bit afraid of heights, but the Capilano suspension bridge is a place to challenge me. It is located in North Vancouver and spans the Capilano river at a height of 70 meters while being 136 meters long. Dependent on who is joining you on the bridge, this can be fun or nightmare. What you might not suspect is that this bridge has a history and was first built in 1888 to access a hut on the other side.

July 2, 2024August 3, 2024

Stanley Park

North of Downtown Vancouver you’ll find Stanley Park which is a recreational zone on a half-peninsula named after conservative politician Frederick Arthur Stanley who was Governor General of Canada when it opened as a park in 1888. Stanley Park today has a large forest, contains the Vancouver Aquarium and offers long bicycle routes along the shore (‘seawall‘) giving you great views on the city center and the aeroboat harbor.

July 2, 2024August 3, 2024

Coral paradise

Vancouver is a city at the Pacific Ocean and for sure you would want to know a bit about sea life. For that reason there’s the amazing Vancouver Aquarium located within Stanley Park. The Vanaqua is the largest marine science center at Canada and was opened in 1956. Today there are 300 species of fish that you can admire, but to me the real stars are the local corals on display that have been beautifully set in scene.

July 1, 2024August 3, 2024

Granville Island

Underneath the Granville Bridge you’ll find Granville Island, a half-peninsula within the False Creek. It is an artificial island created to host industry and it was converted in the 1970s and attracts many visitors these days. Highlight is the Granville Island Public Market that sells gourmet food which gives you the chance to try a lot of different local produce. It is surrounded by bars and restaurants and you can conveniently sit at the shore of the False Creek and enjoy views on the sea arm.

July 1, 2024August 3, 2024

Aquabus

Public transport at Vancouver relies on the fantastic automated SkyTrain flying through the city as well as busses. But the most lovely means of transport is for sure the Aquabus: little boats operated by just one person each touring clockwise on the False Creek. Just jump on board, tell the operator how far you want to go and buy a ticket from them via credit card directly while floating on the water. Perfect for a round course with beautiful views or to access some nice places across the city.