For fans of technology, Kitchener-Waterloo – and the region of southern Ontario that surrounds it – has a magnetic pull. As Canada’s busiest technology hub, it boasts the second-highest start-up density after Silicon Valley. The University of Waterloo’s world renowned computer science faculty inspired Google and Amazon to set up outposts here, at the beginning of the so-called digital era. Similarly, the world-renowned Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics regularly hosts eminent scientists like Stephen Hawking, adding even more brainpower to Waterloo Region’s technological cachet.
For those less interested in digital assets, the Waterloo Region offers a myriad of other attractions for visitors – from tours of the local Toyota manufacturing plant to the bucolic 19th century atmosphere of St Jacob’s, a village just outside of Waterloo. Home to a large community of Old Order Mennonites, the St Jacob’s Farmer’s Market is where Mennonite families have gathered for generations. Don’t be surprised to hear the clip clop of horses and buggies on county roads around these parts! It’s well worth a drive in the country to see the perfectly neat farms, rolling hills and catch a glimpse of 19th century farm life as it has been lived, unchanged, for the past 150 years.
While exploring Waterloo and its surroundings, any one of the following hotels is a solid, affordable choice. If you plan to visit during Kitchener-Waterloo’s Oktoberfest, make sure to book well ahead as it’s one of the country’s largest fall festivals.