Sometimes called Canada’s “Gateway to the West,” the cosmopolitan, multicultural city of Winnipeg is the capital of the province of Manitoba, only 60 miles north of the Minnesota border. The city grew around the confluence of two rivers, the River Red and the River Assiniboine, at a place now known as the Forks. As it has been for thousands of years, the Forks remains the city’s gathering point, where you’ll find a marketplace, restaurants, a skate park, event spaces, and the striking Canadian Museum of Human Rights.

Near the Forks is the bustling Exchange District, which showcases 20th-century heritage buildings and an exciting mix of restaurants, shops, and nightlife. The neighborhood is home to Winnipeg’s thriving cultural life, and you can catch performances at the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, the Manitoba Opera, and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet here. The city boasts an enviable selection of green spaces and trails, including Crescent Park by River Red, where you can take a relaxing stroll through its wooded areas.

As the capital of Manitoba, Winnipeg has excellent transportation connections with other cities in Canada and the United States. Its main airport is Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport (YWG), a 15-minute drive or 40-minute bus ride from downtown. The city has a well-developed bus system as well as taxis, ride-hailing apps, and bicycle rentals, and so you don’t need to rent a car at the airport to get around town. Its main train station, Union Station, in the Forks, is on the Toronto-Vancouver line. If you are driving to Winnipeg, it is situated on the east-west Trans-Canada Highway as well as Manitoba 75, which connects with US Interstate 29.

Manitoba has four distinct, and occasionally dramatic, seasons. The warm days of summer, which grow quite muggy in August, are the best time for exploring the region’s green spaces, including the Wetland Boardwalk Trail and Transcona Bioreserve. In June, Pride Winnipeg celebrates the city’s LGBTQ+ community.

If you head to Winnipeg in the winter, expect frigid temperatures and plenty of snow and ice on the ground, so be sure to pack a warm hat, thick coat, and proper boots. The streets light up during the holiday period, and the trails winding through the Arctic Glacier Winter Park in the Forks are beautifully illuminated from December to February. The transitional spring and autumn seasons are short but appealing, and May and September are rare times when you’ll encounter mild temperatures and few visitors at the same time. In May, the Manito Ahbee Festival celebrates the heritage, arts, and music of indigenous people who have called the region home for thousands of years.

Canadian Museum for Human Rights

Head to the Forks to admire one of the most cutting-edge buildings in the city: the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. As you wander around the 10 core galleries, you’ll gain insight into human-rights issues in Canada and around the world through exhibits that incorporate artwork, storytelling, and technology.

The Manitoba Museum

The Manitoba Museum, in the Exchange District, puts millions of years of Manitoba history on display, showing how the province’s icy Hudson Bay coasts and its prairie plains evolved over the ages. Walk through the immersive three-dimensional galleries before heading to the Planetarium, for a spectacular trip through the constellations.

Assiniboine Forest

Just 15 minutes southwest from the center of Winnipeg, Assiniboine Forest is one of the largest urban nature parks in the country, spread across 700 acres. Six well-marked trails will lead you through the park’s aspen and oak woods. The longest is the Sagimay Trail, a loop of just over 1.5 miles that brings you to a boardwalk through the wetlands surrounding the Eve Werier Memorial Pond. Look out for a host of animals and birds on your walk, including beavers and white-tailed deer.