Vancouver one of the most beautiful and livable cities in the world. Not surprising, because situated at the sea and surrounded by mountains and forests, it is a picture to see. Be sure to take a few days off if you want to explore Vancouver well. The city is spacious, with lots of greenery (Stanley Park) and beautiful neighborhoods with history (China Town & Gastown), top museums and special architecture. Alternate your city trip with a trip in the area and enjoy the beach and the beautiful nature.

We leave Vancouver via the Lions Gate Bridge and head for Merritt in the province of British Columbia. Merritt is also called 'The Country Capital of Canada'. It lies in the Nicola River Valley, many people passing through the Coquihalla Highway 5 and the Okanagan Connector choose Merritt as a stopover on their passage.

Merritt is a fairly small place and can easily be explored on foot. Every year in July the six-day Merritt Mountain Music Festival is organized and the place is flooded with more than 100,000 visitors, making it one of the larger festivals in Canada. With the country festival and the Walk of Stars, here you will find images of mainly country singers who have performed in Merritt. In addition to the murals, there are also bronze handprints in the pavement, Merritt profiles itself as the Canadian capital of country music.

In this 4 star route you will drive on beautiful good roads, through a breathtaking environment and the stop at Bridal Veil Falls is beautiful.

History
Merritt is located in a valley with a lot of grassland. This drew pioneers to the area in the nineteenth century. These pioneers exploited the grasslands by developing ranches along the rivers. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the way was cleared for mining and the wood industry. In 1906 the place name 'Merritt' was officially taken into use, a name after William Hamilton Merritt, a local mining and railroad worker. As the railways developed, Merritt played a pivotal role and the city flourished. Government buildings and offices settled from nearby Nicola in Merritt. A town hall was built in 1912 and it was given the status of city. A change in the composition of the population took place between 1950 and 1970, with the arrival of foreign migrants to Merritt. Many labor migrants came from India to work in the timber industry. These Indo-Canadians are still part of the population and own restaurants or small businesses in the city.