What I've Learned in Vancouver: My Experiences

 Vancouver is located on the land of three Indigenous tribes: the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh. Their culture is still very present here and has taught me a new way of looking at nature. Instead of wanting to mold it the way we humans would like it to be, we should rather be a part of it.

Nature blew me away right from the start. You drive ten minutes in the car and you'll come across bears in the forest. At the same time, I find everything I want from a big city here: a diverse cultural scene and, with "Hollywood North", the third largest film industry in North America.  

Canadians are a very warm people and Nevertheless, I first had to learn that they say "no" in a different way to the Germans.  Instead of saying it directly, they say "Maybe we can do it" - and then you never hear anything again.   

I originally moved to Canada to go snowboarding - and then discovered many other outdoor activities that inspire me: Freeride mountain biking, for example. It was invented on Vancouver's Northshore.  The best trails are on Mount Fromme and Mount Seymour.  

Here are four experiences that I recommend to friends: Take the gondola up to Grouse Mountain and gaze over the city lights in the evening. Take a canoe tour with Takaya Tours along the Burrard Inlet and learn more about the culture of the indigenous people of Vancouver. At the Capilano Salmon Hatchery on Vancouver's Northshore to watch salmon leap up the river.  

Go skiing on Cypress Mountain in winter. The ski pass there is much cheaper than in Whistler

German photographer and filmmaker Momme Halbe comes from the flatlands of Kiel. That's why he particularly loves the three local mountains that surround the city of Vancouver, his adopted home.