With international travel plans on pause for basically the last two years, we’ve developed a newfound appreciation for all of the diverse and majestic landscapes on our very own soil. It turns out, you don’t even have to venture outside of Canada’s borders to find deserts, rainforests, and cobblestone streets straight out of a European village.

There are so many places in this country that look unbelievably similar to other places around the world, and here are 6 of the best examples.

Mt. Washington, B.C. / Upernavik, Greenland


The Vancouver Island ski town of Mt. Washington has a lot of similarities to Upernavik, a small northwestern town in Greenland. From the snowy landscape to the multicoloured homes, you could hardly tell the two apart in some photos.

 

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Quebec City, QC / Brussels, Belgium


Widely known as Canada’s most European-looking city, Quebec City is sometimes compared to European cities like Vienna and Brussels for its historic architecture, cobblestone streets, and narrow alleyways lined with boutiques and cafes.

Quebec City is one of the oldest European settlements in North America and it definitely preserves its historic charm.

Drumheller, Alberta / South Dakota, U.S.A.

 

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Drumheller is home to Alberta’s badlands. The region is known for its iconic sand and clay capstones called the hoodoos and the dramatic Horseshoe Valley landscape. Its rugged beauty closely resembles Badlands National Park in South Dakota, made up of similar rock formations, canyons, and wildlife.

 

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Banff Upper Hot Springs / Rigi Kaltbad, Switzerland

 

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The stunning mountainside hot springs in Banff, Miette, and Radium — known collectively as the Canadian Rockies Hot Springs — look similar to Switzerland’s Mineralbad & Spa at the Swiss Alps resort called Rigi Kaltbad.

The springs overlook the majestic Rigi mountains and in addition to the sweeping views, guests have access to herbal saunas, treatment rooms, and a crystal spa, according to Time Out.

 

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Tofino, B.C. / Carmel-by-the-Sea, California

 

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There’s no place in Canada (or the world) quite like the Vancouver Island beach town of Tofino. Its foggy year-round climate, breathtaking sandy shorelines, and ancient rainforests put Tofino in a league of its own, but it does bear some similarities to Carmel-by-the-Sea in California.

Also a small beach town situated on a peninsula, Carmel-by-the-Sea has both sandy beaches and striking rocky bluffs, not unlike the ones you’d find in Tofino.

 

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Osoyoos, B.C. / Chihuahuan Desert, Mexico

 

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The town of Osoyoos in the Okanagan Valley is known as Canada’s pocket desert and its landscape is one-of-a-kind. The vast and extraordinary region is home to one of the world’s rarest ecosystems.

In photos, you’d hardly be able to tell it apart from the Chihuahuan Desert in northern Mexico and southern United States.

 

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Curiocity Staff

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