Hamilton is a mid-sized city at the western end of Lake Ontario, about an hour from Toronto. It built its identity on steel — Stelco and Dofasco still dominate the eastern waterfront — but has diversified considerably since the industry's decline, with a growing arts scene centred on James Street North, and a revitalized downtown built around the Art Gallery of Hamilton, the Hamilton Farmers' Market, and the cafes of Locke Street.
The Niagara Escarpment runs through the city, creating the dramatic geography that gives Hamilton over 100 waterfalls within its city limits, more per capita than anywhere in the world. Webster's Falls, Albion Falls, and the geologically extraordinary Devil's Punch Bowl are the most photogenic. Dundurn Castle, the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum, and HMCS Haida are the main historic attractions; Whitehern, a three-generation McQuesten family home preserved exactly as left, is one of the best small-house museums in Canada. The Royal Botanical Gardens at the Burlington border is worth a half-day, particularly in May for the world's largest lilac collection. The city is 70km from Niagara Falls.