Canada Inside – The country that crosses you

A land too vast to sum up

Canada. The very name evokes wide open spaces, forests, crystal-clear lakes, bears, wooden cabins, and towering mountains.

But this country isn’t a postcard. It’s something you cross, tame, and embrace. We chose not to follow the classic East or West itineraries. Our idea? Cross the country from Alberta to Québec, along the Trans-Canada Highway.

A true road trip in the spirit of Jack Kerouac: moving forward without certainties, stopping when the heart says stop, driving as long as the sky smiles. The Indian Summer was there to magnify each step, with golden and crimson leaves, like confetti falling from the sky.

In the Rockies, where it all begins

Our adventure begins in the heart of Alberta, in the Rocky Mountains. We collect magical stops: Jasper, Banff, Bow Lake – names that became memories.

The Icefield Parkway unfolds dreamscapes: snowcapped peaks, mirror-like lakes, autumn-gilded forests, sometimes scarred by summer wildfires. The contrast is striking. Wildlife appears: elk, bighorn sheep, maybe even a lynx.

We wander down trails, bear spray at hand – just in case. Each curve delivers a visual shock. Winter slowly settles in, covering trees with a white veil. Here, in this still-wild nature, Canada truly begins to leave its mark.

Endless plains and western sunsets

Then come the prairies of Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The mountains vanish – what remains is silence, flat horizons, rolling hills, and fields stretching forever.

Three days of driving, thousands of kilometers, two time zones. Giant grain silos, endless freight trains, roads without end. And yet: skies that steal your breath, sunsets in no man’s land, drone shots, a falcon perched on a post – and the feeling of being inside a western.

A stop in Pinawa and Whiteshell Park: forests, rivers, a suspension bridge, total silence. Even in the middle of “nothing,” Canada always has something to offer.

Ontario in motion – between lakes and skyline

Ontario is a province of extremes. Thousands of lakes, fiery autumn forests, and Toronto rising like a megacity by the water.

At Niagara Falls, the water roars. Too touristy? Maybe. But their power holds us in awe. In Toronto, the tempo changes: rooftop sunsets, street art in alleys, skyline by the lake. Of course, we climbed the CN Tower – an essential stop and a heart-stealer.

We also discover nature differently, in High Park or along Lake Superior. Ontario keeps reinventing itself – between tradition, modernity, and North American grandeur.

Québec – francophone warmth and vibrant panoramas

The final stretch: Québec, French-speaking and warm, with landscapes as varied as its local expressions.

Montréal greets us with hockey – a game in a legendary arena was, of course, on the list – with parks, spiral-staircased houses, and street art-filled alleys.

Québec City feels like Europe: cobblestone streets, a fairytale château, and views over the Saint Lawrence River.

A detour to the Saguenay Fjord and Mont Tremblant reconnects us with nature – high above, in silence, in awe. The treetop walkway becomes a suspended moment: walking above the trees, overlooking forests, breathing deep.

Back in Montréal, we savor one last time that unique atmosphere – somewhere between Paris and New York.

End of the journey, start of the imprint

This road trip: 7,500 kilometers driven, more than 200 walked, five provinces, three time zones, dozens of forests, animals, sunrises, and sunsets.

But a trip isn’t measured in kilometers. It lives in every bend. It’s a breath. A collection of moments. The kind of journey that empties your mind, only to fill your heart.

If I were to return, I’d do it in reverse: east to west. With Vancouver as the final stop. But one thing is certain: Canada – once it has captured you, it never lets you go.