6 Best Sights in Gastown, Vancouver

After the 1886 Great Fire, which wiped out most of the fledgling settlement of Vancouver, George Byrnes built what is now Vancouver's oldest brick building. It now houses shops and offices. But for awhile, this two-story building was Vancouver's top luxury hotel, the Alhambra Hotel, charging a dollar a night. The site of Deighton's original saloon, east of the Byrnes Block, is the starting point from which all Vancouver street addresses begin.

The collection of First Nations jewelry, ceremonial masks, prints, and carvings at this gallery is impressive. If you're looking for more affordable souvenirs, check out the gorgeous books and art cards.

Once the site of the city's first civic buildings—the constable's cabin and customs house, and a two-cell log jail—this atmospheric brick-paved courtyard is now home to cafés and offices.

An underground steam system, which also heats many local buildings, supplies the world's first steam clock—possibly Vancouver's most photographed attraction. On the quarter hour, a steam whistle rings out the Westminster chimes, and on the hour a huge cloud of steam spews from the apparatus. The ingenious design, based on an 1875 mechanism, was built in 1977 by Ray Saunders of Landmark Clocks to commemorate the community effort that saved Gastown from demolition. Fun fact: yes, the clock does use steam power, but three electric motors help it run, too.

Built in 1905 with gold-rush money, this elegantly renovated brick warehouse is now home to offices, shops, and Steamworks, a popular brewpub. From the oversized bay window at the rear of the lobby, you can appreciate where the shoreline was 100 years ago, as well as enjoy views of Burrard Inlet and the North Shore Mountains.