Introduction
In 1857, Queen Victoria selected Ottawa as Canada's capital. Legend has it that the monarch was inspired by romantic watercolor sketches she'd seen of the area. Today's visitors can see the same beauty in the city's elegant buildings, its tree-lined streets and more than 70 municipal parks and gardens.
Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica, with its twin Gothic spires, is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the city skyline. Just a few kilometres away are the three mighty Parliament Buildings overlooking the Ottawa River. Their verdigris-tinged roofs and formidable stone walls form a striking backdrop to a time-honored ritual—the Changing of the Guard—and a Big Ben-style clock and tower make it seem all the more English. (After all, Canada is still a member of the British Commonwealth.) After the ceremony, guards in scarlet tunics and black fur helmets stand sentry at Rideau Hall. And no, they never crack a smile.
Ottawa's wealth of cultural attractions ranges from the Canada Science and Technology Museum to the Currency Museum of the Bank of Canada. For riches of a different sort, head to the National Gallery of Canada, home to a stellar collection of Canadian art, as well as works by prominent European and American artists, including Cézanne, Chagall, Picasso and Warhol. Learn all about military history at the Canadian War Museum and Diefenbunker, Canada's Cold War Museum.
One of the city's most popular recreational facilities is the Rideau Canal, a 19th-century waterway for summer canoeing, inline skating and bicycling. In the winter, the water freezes into a one-foot thick sheet of ice, perfect for ice skating. In addition, snow on the ground transforms the bicycle paths into hiking and cross-country skiing trails. If you happen to visit Ottawa in winter, tie on some skates, slide through the city and stop to enjoy warm refreshments along the way; concession stands line the canal and sell hot chocolate and beaver tails (a doughnut-like treat).
= Requires AAA Membership for access.