Toronto is a beautiful city in spite of itself -- or rather, in spite of some of the city planners and developers who have torn down valuable parts of the city's architectural legacy in the name of progress. Toronto grew by leaps and bounds in the Victorian and Edwardian eras, which is why there are so many stunning buildings from those times (take a walk around the University of Toronto campus for a quick introduction to the different styles; also, the Ontario Legislature and the old City Hall stand out as particularly striking examples). However, much of the 20th century wasn't as kind: Clumsy planners plonked the Gardiner Expressway near the waterfront -- making what should have been prime territory into a wasteland -- and roughly 28,000 buildings were demolished between 1955 and 1975. A few of the buildings that went up during that era were stunners, such as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's black-glass Toronto-Dominion Centre and Viljo Rewell's new City Hall. Still, there are a lot of forgettable buildings in town, but enough Gothic-inspired ones survived that Toronto makes a convincing stand-in for New York on-screen. If you're interested in exploring Toronto's architectural history, the Royal Ontario Museum's ROMwalks programs are an excellent way to go.

Walk This Way--Several doors on the first story of Casa Loma open to a grand terrace that overlooks the gardens; most visitors step out, look at the gorgeous fountain and flowers below, and then proceed with the castle tour. Their mistake. From the terrace, it's almost impossible to see the entrances to several winding paths that lead around the extensive grounds and command amazing views. Follow the grand staircase down and enjoy a leisurely ramble.

A Place in the Sun--While it's easy to get carried away in the shops of Eaton Centre, don't overlook Trinity Square, on the west side of the building near the Sears department store. The complex surrounds two of Toronto's oldest landmarks: Trinity Church, dating to 1847, and Scadding House (tel. 416/598-4521), home of Trinity's rector. Concerned citizens demanded that the developers not block sunlight from reaching the buildings. They got their way -- the sun continues to shine on the church's twin towers.