It is said that `seeing is believing? and once you have a look at the Niagara Falls you will understand the truth behind this statement. You might have read a lot about this world famous waterfalls and might have even viewed images or videos featuring the same, but to understand the awe-inspiring beauty of this work of nature, one has to see it personally. The deafening sound of water falling through a great height, the spray of mist on your face, the colorful rainbows that are formed from time to time make Niagara Falls stand in a different league altogether.

It was during the 1820's that this beauty of nature was introduced to the tourism industry in a big way and in a short span of 50 years the number of visitors to this scenic site had increased by ten times making it the most popular tourist venue. Nowadays more than 12 million tourists visit these falls per year to admire its beauty. Even Hollywood has been bowled over by the grandeur of these falls and movies like `Superman II? and `Niagara? have been filmed over here.

With the construction of the Whirlpool Bridge, the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge and the Rainbow Bridge more and more people are being able to access Niagara Falls. The best time to visit these falls are during the summer season though there are some people who testify that visiting the same during winter is an amazing experience. When the tourist season is at its peak, floodlights from the Canadian side illuminate the Niagara Falls for several hours after darkness has set in and this enhances the exquisiteness of this beauty of nature.

Located to the North of Western US border, this natural waterfall is composed of three different waterfalls, the Bridal Veil Falls, the Horseshoe Falls and the American falls. Together they pour approximately 5 million cubic feet of water per minute. Apart from being a world-renowned tourist spot, the Niagara Falls is used for other useful purposes too. The flow of water from these falls is harnessed and used to generate hydroelectric power, which is shared, by 3 cities close to it. All these three cities are named after the falls and two are located in the New York area and one in the city of Ontario in Canada.

Visitors to the Niagara Falls can enjoy its scenic beauty from either the Canadian or the US side and to facilitate them, special sitting arrangements have been provided. The height of the falls is lower on the US side, being 70 feet as compared with the height of 170 feet at the Canadian side. Those who have witnessed the grandeur of the falls agree in unison that it is a lifetime experience that can never be forgotten Those who do not have faith in the power of Mother Nature are recommended to go and spend some time in front of Niagara Falls to have a first hand experience of the spectacular beauty crafted by her.