Churchill sits on the western shore of Hudson Bay in northern Manitoba, accessible only by train, plane, or — in winter — ice road. With a population of barely a thousand, it is one of the most remote towns in Canada, but it draws visitors from around the world for three extraordinary wildlife experiences.
In October and November, polar bears gather along the coast waiting for the bay to freeze, earning Churchill the title "Polar Bear Capital of the World." Tundra buggies take visitors out among the bears at remarkably close range. In summer, thousands of beluga whales congregate at the mouth of the Churchill River — you can watch them from shore or kayak among them. And from January through March, the northern lights put on some of their best displays anywhere on the planet, visible from right outside your door.
The town itself is small and functional. The Itsanitaq Museum houses one of the finest collections of Inuit art and artefacts in the world. Across the river, the ruins of Prince of Wales Fort, a massive 18th-century stone fortress built by the Hudson's Bay Company, can be reached by boat tour in summer. Cape Merry at the tip of the peninsula makes a good walk, and two wreck landmarks — the Miss Piggy plane crash and the MV Ithaka shipwreck — add quirky texture to the town's short list of sights.