Guelph is a university city with a strong arts scene and some of the best-preserved limestone architecture in Ontario. Settled in the 1820s, the downtown still has a handsome Victorian core built in the local grey stone, centred on the Basilica of Our Lady Immaculate — an imposing neo-Gothic cathedral visible from most of the city. The University of Guelph gives the place energy and keeps the music and gallery scene lively for a city of its size.
The Guelph Farmers' Market has operated since the city's founding in 1827, one of the oldest continuous markets in Ontario. McCrae House, birthplace of the poet who wrote "In Flanders Fields," is a small but affecting museum near the Speed River. The Old City Hall, a National Historic Site, anchors the limestone streetscape around the river. The River Run Centre hosts the Guelph Jazz Festival in October — one of the better music events in the region.
The Hillside Festival, held at Guelph Lake in late July, is a long-running folk and roots music weekend with a loyal following across Ontario. The surrounding area has some good day-trip options. Elora, 25 km to the northwest, has a dramatic limestone gorge and an attractive 19th-century village. The covered bridge at West Montrose — built in 1881 and still used by Mennonite horse-and-buggy traffic — is one of the last of its kind in Ontario. St. Jacobs, in the heart of Mennonite country near Waterloo, is worth a morning at the farmers' market.