“I love that at Niagara Falls you can get incredibly close to one of nature’s most powerful wonders.”

Solmaz Khosrowshahian, Toronto-based food and travel blogger

“I still remember the first time I saw Niagara Falls and experienced sensory overload from the roar, the crash and the spray. I’ve been back more than 50 times since.

Fall is my favourite season to visit. You’ll never forget flying over the falls with

Niagara Helicopters (niagarahelicopters.com) while the trees dotting the escarpment are bright red, orange and yellow above the blue rush of the water. You can see the mist creating its own rainbows. On the water, Niagara City Cruises (cityexperiences.com/niagara-ca) goes right up to the falls until you can feel the spray hitting your face. You really sense the power when you’re right under it!

In winter, Niagara Falls is serene. Everything is frozen, there are fewer tourists and sometimes it’s so quiet that you can hear the crackling of the ice.

Toronto is less than two hours drive away but if you instead follow the river downstream, you’ll reach Niagara-on-theLake, a heritage town with street lanterns and horse-drawn carriages. I recommend staying at 124 on Queen (124queen.com) – the exterior of this boutique hotel fits the old-town vibe but the rooms are modern and there’s a beautiful wellness spa. The in-house restaurant, Treadwell Cuisine (treadwellcuisine.com), offers fabulous farm-to-table dining.

My favourite thing to do is rent a bicycle and wander around Niagara wine country. A stop at Two Sisters Vineyards (twosistersvineyards.com) is a must for an Italian meal overlooking the vineyards while sipping cabernet sauvignon. Ravine (ravinevineyard.com) is more rustic and lives by the region’s farm-to-table ethos. Perch on the patio and order a glass of their creamy barrel-fermented chardonnay.

The Niagara region is known for its ice wine, made from grapes that have frozen on the vine. The result is a sweet dessert wine that’s beautifully balanced with bright acidity. Pop by Inniskillin (inniskillin.com) to try its unique vidal or sparkling ice wine – the 2019 Sparkling Cabernet Franc Icewine is my favourite.”