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Vancouver Touristenattraktionen

Welcome to our Vancouver English page where you will see everything that's worth seeing during your stay in Vancouver BC. If you have any comments or feedback about our website, please email us at feedback@prostamerika.com.

Christmas on Grouse Mountain

If you are interested in spending a magical Christmas in the snow, then Grouse Mountain is for you.

From December 1st to 24th, several lively festivities take there making it a right lively Christmas season. Family fun is guaranteed when you visit Santa at his workplace. He’ll even hire you as a helper and take you on a tour of the mountainside with some spectacular Vancouver views thrown in.

You can also enjoy an 80,000 square foot snowshoe track, and with the trees all snow-capped, it really feels seasonally perfect for you. If you book early enough, you can spend an unforgettable Christmas Eve and stay at the summit of Grouse Mountain with an unparalleled vista of Vancouver around you.

Vancouver Aquarium

If you are looking for a family attraction that has something for everyone, the Vancouver Aquarium located inside Stanley Park will be your best bet. From the entrance of Stanley Park, just follow the signs to the Aquarium, where schools of fish, beluga whales, dolphins, and sea otters are waiting. You can easily spend up to two hours inside the aquarium, especially if you wish to catch one or more of the daily beluga whales, dolphins, and seal shows, as well as sea otter feedings. Not only are the shows educational, but they are all entertaining.

The aquarium is both an indoor and outdoor attraction. Indoors, you will find large aquariums filled with Pacific fish, tropical fish, sharks, jellyfish, and sea anemones. Past the Admissions Gate, you will be met with your choice of exhibits, as the layout of the attraction is divided by geography and climate, from Pacific Canada, the tropic zone, and Amazon Rain Forest. Each exhibit is impressive, to say the least, and very picture worthy, so charge your batteries and click away!

Outdoors, you will be met with a series of large water tanks, homes to the Aquarium's main attractions: beluga whales, dolphins, and those infamous sea otters featured in the well-known Youtube video. Have you arrived too early for a show? It is worth the wait to watch a beluga whale or dolphin show, as these creatures are intelligent, well aware of your presence, and enjoy the exercise and play that is involved.

The Vancouver Aquarium is also located in one of the best locations in Vancouver - inside scenic Stanley Park. After your visit to the Aquarium, take a drive around the park and stop at its many scenic spots for a great view of the mountains!

Maplewood Farm

Would you like to see animals from very close up? If so, we recommend Maplewood Farm on the north side of Vancouver.

First some historical background: Around 1900, the farm was built on the edge of Mount Seymour. In the 1920s, Maplewood Farm developed into a dairy farm whose fresh milk and cream was delivered all over North Vancouver. Come 1970 and the agricultural component of the economy disappeared from North Vancouver; luckily, Maplewood Farm was bought out by the parks District. It officially opened in 1975, and the five-acre farm was home to about 200 farm animals and birds at that time.

Maplewood Farm has something to offer for everyone in the family. For example, you can feed the birds (pheasants, parrots, budgies, turkeys, geese and ducks), or stroke and feed the large white hares in the "Rabbit Hutch". Peacocks run around freely and show off their magnificent plumage. The "Goat Hill" is definitely a highlight. You can approach the goats in the pen and stroke them – though you must leave all food outside and pay attention to your belongings as the goats will nibble at anything and everything.

Additionally, there are daily milking demonstrations (goats and cows), and you also see how the calves and pot-bellied pigs are fed.

Beyond that, there are year-round activities such as sheep shearing, pony riding, competitions to judge the best sunflowers and pumpkins, as well as a Christmas party with Santa, music and much more.

The farm is wonderfully situated, and lends itself beautifully to a picnic under one of the large trees or around the duck pond. In case of rain, you are also catered for as there is a large area with covered seating places.

Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden

The Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden is a replica of a 15th century Chinese scholar's residence, in the heart of Vancouver's Chinatown.

The central pond is surrounded by tiled courtyards containing carefully-arranged groupings of miniature trees and shrubs mixed with the weathered Tai Hu rocks that were believed to evoke supernatural powers. Inside, spacious wooden-floored rooms contain Chinese works of art including wall paintings, Buddhist mandalas, and miniature rock gardens. At the end of your visit, you can sit on a simple wooden bench in the tea room, sip a cup of Chinese tea, and contemplate the views from each latticed window.

The philosophy of balance and yin-yang behind the garden is explained, and the interested visitor can also read about Dr. Sun Yat-Sen, the garden's inspiration and the "Father of Modern China", who sought to bring democracy to China in the early 20th century. Guided tours are available, or you can simply wander through at your own pace.

The adjacent public park is a great place to relax and have a picnic lunch, or just sit in the lily pond's miniature pagoda and watch the goldfish and turtles.

Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden

Stanley Park Horse Drawn Tour

The weather was lovely, and the horses adorable. A park is a park but as parks go, this one is blessed with some stunning views including Grouse Mountain, the Lions Gate Bridge, two large yellow piles of sulphur, and a harbor that gives way to downtown Vancouver. Attractions inside the park include large first-growth cedars, totem poles, a cricket ground, and statues including Robbie Burns and a modern version of the little mermaid.

But what really made this tour stand out was the colourful commentary provided by our driver. Honest and forthright about the history of the park and the area, her overview was a welcome change from the blandness that can sometimes accompany tourist information.

The tour takes about an hour and if you have weary feet from being a tourist, this is the ideal way to rest them while not missing out on Vancouver.

Stanley Park Horse-Drawn Tours

Museum of Anthropology

The Museum of Anthropology is situated on the campus of the University of British Columbia. The building itself is an attraction, having been designed by renowned Canadian architect Arthur Erickson based on traditional Northwest Coast post and beam structures. The MOA is not only Canada’s largest teaching museum but also one of its most popular public museums.

The museum has a fascinating collection of First Nations exhibits including totem poles, house boards, canoes, and the masks and ceremonial gifts used in an important ceremony called the “potlatch”. These gifts include such objects as blankets, fur robes, baskets, boxes and bowls. Through both written and audio/video materials, the importance of the potlatch ceremony is explained and gives a fascinating insight into native culture that the artifacts alone cannot.

Tribes such as the Kwakwaka’wakw and Haida feature prominently, and their different styles of carving and decoration are demonstrated and explained. A new carving by artist Lyle Wilson adorns the Great Hall of the museum, and shows the changes and continuity in First Nations art and culture.

In addition to First Nations art, the MOA also features items from Inuit, European and Asian culture. Of particular interest to German visitors, the Koerner ceramics gallery was added in 1990. This features more than 600 European ceramics collected over almost eighty years by Dr. Walter C. Koerner (1898-1995). The collection contains examples of tin and lead-glazed earthenware and stoneware from the 15th to the 19th centuries.

We recommend that you leave at least two hours for this attraction, and don’t forget to go around the back on your way out to view the spectacular totem poles too large for the interior of the building.

UBC Museum of Anthropology

Vancouver Art Gallery

The Vancouver Art Gallery, located in the heart of downtown Vancouver, reflects the vibrant spirit of the Vancouver art scene, and is a must-see for anyone interested in modern art. A series of changing exhibitions keep the gallery fresh and interesting. During our visit, current exhibitions included "Monet to Dalí: Modern Masters from the Cleveland Museum of Art", "Andrea Zittel: Critical Space" and "Emily Carr and The Group Of Seven".

The Monet to Dali exhibition is one of the most comprehensive collections of European painting and sculpture, covering the years from 1864 to 1964 that make up the European modernist movement. Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Dadaism, Cubism and Surrealism are all represented and explained for the viewer, with carefully-chosen examples showing the progession from pre-photographic realism through Impressionism and beyond. Key works by Manet, Monet, Cézanne, van Gogh, Rodin, Picasso, Dalí and other renowned artists are included. Of particular interest to the German visitor is the German Expressionist collection, including "Self-Portrait with Hat" by Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, founding member of German expressionist group Die Brücke.

Andrea Zittel's "critical Space" presents alternative ways of living in an era of increased mobility, overcrowding and consumerism. Customized trailer homes, mini-apartments and "escape vehicles" are displayed, creating an alternate world of precision and miniature comfort.

Emily Carr is considered the dominant figure in British Columbia art in the first half of the twentieth century. This new exhibition shows her work in the context of the contemporaneous group of artists "The Group of Seven", who connected with Carr in 1927, giving her a sense of acceptance that re-energized her career. Works by members of the group are displayed, as well as many of Carr's own works, showing her trademark intensity.

Each of these major exhibitions would be an event in itself, and you will want to leave plenty of time to visit them all. Upcoming exhibitions for late 2007 and 2008 include a retrospective of Canadian photographer Roy Arden's work, and a survey of Georgia O'Keeffe.

Vancouver Art Gallery

BC Sports Hall of Fame

Canada may not be interested in exactly the same sports as we are, but don’t let that stop you from visiting this museum. Admittedly, some space is given to that peculiarly Canadian phenomenon the Canadian Football League, but there is more than enough left over for athletics, ice hockey, soccer, rugby, basketball, baseball and the Olympics.

Divided neatly into decades, each exhibition takes you back to that period with newspaper cuttings, photographs, equipment and mementos of the great Canadian sporting moments of that decade.

The inspirational tale of Terry Fox has a gallery to itself. If you don’t know the history of this man, then this is the place to learn it. Considered one of the greatest Canadians of all time, that part of the museum devoted to his life is a must.

And don’t think you are just there to view. There are some great participatory attractions, such as your chance to take a penalty kick or pitch a baseball at a computer generated opponent. Table football and air hockey are also included. The staff had to throw us out at closing time as our enthusiasm for the table hockey game in particular got our competitive juices flowing!

Finally, don’t forget to peak into the adjoining BC Lions Stadium. You don’t often see large sporting stadiums through a small window in a museum.

A good place for visitors of all ages, children included, and a good quick way to learn about the things Canadians get most passionate about.

BC Sports Hall of Fame

UBC Botanical Gardens

The UBC Botanical Garden is both a public garden and an active research center, and its mission is to conserve and educate as well as to provide a beautiful public garden for all to enjoy.

The many interlinked gardens include an Alpine Garden with volcanic outcrops containing rock plants and alpine flowers, an Asian Garden with hanging wisterias and rare shrubs, the Native Garden containing many of the native plants of British Columbia, the Physic Garden with its healing herbs, and even a Food Garden with vegetables and fruit trees. The nearby Nitobe Memorial Garden, one of the most authentic Japanese gardens in North America, is also included in your entrance fee.

New gardens are under development, such as the Carolinian Forest, which will contain hardwood trees and plants native to eastern North America. The new plants are being grown in the Botanical Garden nurseries, and new topsoil is already in place.

While the gardens are mainly devoted to the plants themselves, there are also works of art here and there, such as the Minotaur statue and its accompanying turf maze, which visitors are encouraged to walk.

Be sure to leave plenty of time for your visit to the Botanical Garden, and bring a camera to capture the many beautiful flowering plants and woodland vistas.

UBC Botanical Garden and Centre for Plant Research

Vancouver Lookout

The Vancouver Lookout at Harbor Centre is a must-see for any visitor. The observation deck has a 360-degree view of downtown and greater Vancouver, and on a clear day you can even see Vancouver Island. Brochures and posted signs tell you more about the sights, and free guided tours are available in many languages including German. You can also relax in the lounge and enjoy a city sunset or the Vancouver night-lights


Copyright Vancouver Lookout
Measuring 177 metres tall, Harbour Centre Tower is Vancouver and British Columbia's tallest building. The observation deck is reached by a glass elevator traveling at nearly a second per story -- the entire trip up takes only 50 seconds!

Your admission ticket is good all day, so you can enjoy the view as often as you like. Viewing hours are from 8:30 to 22:30 April 30 to October 14, and 9:00 to 21:00 October 15 to April 29.

The Vancouver Lookout is also a good compliment to one of the city tours such as the Trolley Tour, since you can see many of the same sights from both vantages, and learn more about them. The staff are friendly and well prepared for the German-speaking visitor.

Vancouver Lookout

Vancouver Museum

The Vancouver Museum provides a fascinating insight into the history of Vancouver, from its founding years onward. Not that you have to be a history buff to enjoy this, as the staff have put together a good balance of the educational and the colourful. They have assembled some fascinating items especially from the 40s, 50s and 60s, that will bring back memories for some (but not the staff at Prost Amerika of course). We particularly enjoyed the old-style juke box which they’ve kept in working order. Luckily the place wasn’t packed when we put ‘Yakety Yak’ on!

Outside this delight to be found in the 50’s Gallery, there are other exhibits such as The Gateway to the Pacific, Boom, Bust and War, and You Say You Want A Revolution. One interesting feature is a set of historical questions with several possible answers, encouraging the visitor to guess the correct answer and discuss their reasoning once they lift the panel to find out which answer is correct.

The new La Belle Epoque exhibit is a fascinating overview of women's fashions in the peaceful and prosperous "beautiful years" from 1890 to 1914, showing the changing styles and silhouettes of a period where there was no outside incentive for change - a period abruptly brought to an end by World War I and the need for more functional clothing.

In addition to the permanent galleries, there are a variety of temporary exhibits which can be found on the museum website.

Vancouver Museum

H.R. MacMillan Space Centre

The H.R. MacMillan Space Centre offers everything a space aficionado could want, from the many educational and interactive scientific exhibits, to the planetarium and laser show, to the "Comet Impact" virtual reality motion simulator (highly recommended by Prost Amerika staff!).

The planetarium is focusing on alternative views of the sky and earth, such as the current "Sky Stories" show, about the way the Canadian First Nations peoples saw the sky and stars, and some of the stories they told. Next up will be a presentation based on traditional Chinese astronomy.

Another fun event is an overview of how astronauts live on the space station, with a focus on daily activities such as eating, sleeping, exercise, and of course using the toilet!

As well as being a fascinating way to spend a few hours, the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre is home to resident astronomers who lead school tours and host planetarium shows, while carrying on their own research at the linked Gordon MacMillan Southam Observatory. If you're there on a Friday or Saturday evening, you can join in a public telescope viewing session (donation requested).

The space centre is located in Vanier Park, right next door to the Vancouver Museum, so you can easily spend a whole morning or afternoon visiting the two before taking the trolley back up to downtown Vancouver.

H.R. MacMillan Space Centre

TELUS World of Science

The Science World at TELUS World of Science is a fascinating destination for visitors of all ages. Set under the Expo '86 geodesic dome, it offers many fun and interactive scientific exhibits.

The BodyWorks Gallery allows you to test your strength, endurance, reaction time, memory, accuracy and more. There are also two-person games that let you race or test relaxation ability with a friend.

The Illusions Gallery offers three-dimensional versions of optical illusions, and interactive puzzles made of wooden blocks or interlocking ropes and rings.

In the Eureka Gallery, you can whet your scientific curiosity with guided experiments in water, air, light, sound and motion, or create your own inventions. Live webcams offer views inside and out, and you can control the direction and zoom level.

There are also galleries offering a look at future thinking, or exploring the natural world and the human body. Children under 6 have a special section just for them, with safe hands-on exhibits featuring light, water, color and movement.

In addition to these permanent galleries, there are temporary exhibits and special presentations throughout the day. The attached Science Theatre is free with your admission, and offers programs exploring themes such as termite mounds, the origins of life on earth, or the Great Divide. For an extra charge you can also see a film at the OmniMax Theatre.

If you're interested in science and enjoy interactive hands-on exhibits, Science World is the place for you!

TELUS World of Science

Vancouver Trolley Tour

The Vancouver Trolley Tour is a great way to spend a day seeing Vancouver. Your ticket allows you to hop on and off as many times as you like during that day, so you can make your way around attractions such as Gastown, Stanley Park (including the Vancouver Aquarium), English Bay, Vanier Park (home of the Vancouver Museum, Maritime Museum, and H.R. MacMillan Space Centre), Granville Island, and Chinatown (where the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden is located). The Science World at Telus and the Vancouver Lookout are also close to the trolley route, and there are a number of stops downtown and at major hotels.

The trolleys are replica San Francisco style from the turn of the century, and the drivers offer a lively ongoing commentary about the many sights and attractions around Vancouver. In the summer, the trolley tours team up with Gray Line of Vancouver Double Decker buses to offer service every 15 minutes. City attractions tours begin at 8:30 and the last tour ends at 18:15. In the evening, special tours to Grouse Mountain and Capilano Suspension Bridge are offered.

Orpheum Theatre

Orpheum Theatre.
The "Grand Old Lady of Granville Street" was built as a film palace in 1927 for films such as Gone With the Wind. The Orpheum is a palace with high gold covered walls, a painted cupula, large shining chandeliers, red velvet seats and an original Wurlitzer organ. With its 3000 seats, it later became impractical for cinema audiences. Snapped up by the city in 1974 it was fully restored and reopened three years later, and in the middle of the 90s, the acoustics underwent improvement. It has been the home of the Vancouver Symphony since 1977.

Reviews by Prost Amerika staff writers, Winnie Mah and Stephanie Knueppel
Translations by Anja Weinbach

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