Comfortable home base in beautiful heritage town

Our home is tucked into a quiet, family-friendly neighbourhood on the edge of beautiful historic Perth, Ontario — a charming small town in the heart of Ontario cottage country, surrounded by lakes, forests, farms and rolling countryside. One of the things we love most about living here is that you can leave the car behind. From our house, you can walk into downtown Perth for coffee, dinner, shopping, the farmers’ market or an afternoon in beautiful Stewart Park. The Tay River winds right through the heart of town, past historic stone buildings, patios and little bridges that give downtown Perth an almost European feel. Summer is when Perth really comes alive. There are night markets, outdoor events, patios, live music and the Stewart Park Festival — a fantastic summer music weekend held in July right in the park. Perth also has a surprisingly great food scene, with independent restaurants, cafés, pubs and shops, many within walking distance of our home. We live in true cottage country, and once you leave town, you're almost immediately surrounded by lakes, forests and winding country roads. Lanark County is dotted with lakes and rivers, so summer here revolves around the water — swimming, paddling, boating, fishing or finding a quiet spot by the lake for the afternoon. There are also endless opportunities for hiking, cycling and exploring nearby villages and small towns. And when you want a change of pace, Ottawa is close enough for an easy day trip, making Perth a great home base for experiencing both rural Ontario and Canada's capital. Our home is a comfortable four-bedroom bungalow that's especially well suited to families. We have a newly finished basement with a large family/TV room, a backyard deck and gazebo for summer evenings, an inflatable hot tub and a trampoline. There’s a small neighbourhood park and playground just down the street, and our streets are quiet and perfect for kids to bike, scooter and play. We also have a big driveway that has hosted its fair share of bikes and elaborate sidewalk-chalk creations. It’s a wonderful place to spend a Canadian summer: walk downtown in the morning for coffee, wander through the market or Stewart Park, head out to a lake for the afternoon, then come home for dinner on the deck. If you're looking for a home exchange that combines a walkable historic town, Ontario cottage country and easy access to Ottawa, Perth is a pretty special place to spend the summer.