The rich mix of heritage city, cottage country and flourishing Ontario farmlands makes living and visiting here something special.
Explore Peterborough and the Kawartha lake chain for an amazing volume and variety of experiences. With more than 600 festivals and events annually, you’ll always find fun and inspirational activities.
Enjoy free outdoor concerts all summer overlooking Little Lake in downtown Peterborough at Peterborough Musicfest. Camp at the famous Havelock Jamboree or experience rich First Nations history and culture at the Curve Lake First Nation Pow Wow. See a large concentration of aboriginal rock carvings at Petroglyphs Provincial Park. First Nations people came to the area more than 11,000 years ago and named the Kawarthas after an Ojibwa term meaning “the Land of Shining Waters.”
Enjoy some of Ontario’s best fishing, hundreds of miles of recreational trails, signature cycling and paddling routes and plenty of space for boat, snowmobile and ATV activities. Winding Ontario country roads offer stunning autumn drives by car, motorcycle or bicycle.
See the Peterborough Lift Lock, the world’s highest lift lock, along the Trent-Severn Waterway, both Canadian national historic sites. While here, visit the Canadian Canoe Museum with an amazingly large collection of canoes, kayaks and paddled watercraft.
Many of Canada’s great literary icons, including Margaret Laurence, Catharine Parr Traill, Susanna Moodie and Robertson Davies once lived in Peterborough. Learn about their time here at the Lakefield Literary Festival in July. Visit Lang Pioneer Village Museum, which has two authentic Jacquard looms.
As a leader in the local food movement, the region has more than 350 restaurants, many dedicated to serving the fruits of centuries-old farmlands. Pair that with award-winning craft beer and wine, an eclectic mix of international cuisine and a daily farmers market for a food scene that rivals Ontario’s most well-known locales.
A 90-minute drive northeast of the Greater Toronto Area, the lively city of Peterborough is in the heart of Kawarthas cottage country. Visit this regional capital and university town brimming with heritage and culture, just minutes from more than 151 lakes and charming towns and villages such as Lakefield, Millbrook and Buckhorn.