With beginnings as a small, sleepy lumber town, it is difficult to imagine Ottawa as anything else but the nation’s cultural and intellectual capital. Located in the Ontario territory of Canada, the thriving, youthful, and pristine city brags of its smarts over the rest. In 1857, Ottawa was designed Canada’s capital by Queen Victoria. Today, the city positions in between the natural world and cosmopolitan life. Acres of green space, the River Ottawa, the Rideau Canal, and the River Rideau mingle amidst European looking buildings and state-of-the art museums.
When the sun intensifies throughout summer, a cruise along the Rideau Canal is in order. The Rideau Canal links the River Ottawa with Lake Ontario. If you are arriving to Ottawa in winter, the Rideau Canal will transform with nature for you. The World’s longest ice skating rink forms here in the wintertime, allowing visitors to skate 7.8 kilometers of ice as they glide through the downtown.
Ottawa keeps visitors busy with its wide range of museums. The Canadian War Museum chronicles Canada’s military past. Here, a compelling collection of artifacts and airplanes from the world’s major wars can be found. More war commemoration continues on over to the Diefenbunker Cold War Museum. This establishment takes things 27.5 meters underground. The actual museum hides below Ottawa in Canada’s once secret Cold War bunker. It was constructed to house the Canadian government in the event of a nuclear attack. Visitors can explore the mysterious four-storey bunker. Those looking for a general view of Canada and Ottawa can head to the Canadian Museum of Civilization. The museum details 1,000 years of Canadian history.
Ottawa’s history is not just apparent through its museums. The Laurier House National Historic Site preservers Canada’s history with this elegantly furnished home. Constructed in 1878, the House is famous for its two former residents. Both prime ministers Wilfrid Laurier and Mackenzie King used the Laurier House National Historic Site.
The city’s political side is more than apparent on Parliament Hill. The Neo-Gothic style structure regales visitors with its views of the River Ottawa and Quebec. Marching in tradition and uniform, a changing of the Guard ceremony is held here. It is difficult to miss Parliament Hill for it shines much like a penny. The buildings in this stretch top with copper roofs.
Art is usually in the eye of the beholder. In Ottawa, this is true in two locations. The National Gallery shows artistic greatness in a more tradition sense. The venue hosts one of the country’s finest arts collections, which includes native Canadian art. Perhaps not art at all, the Stray Cats of the Hill in the city could be considered a rare outdoor artistic and human expression. The open access kitty condo maintains a food and shelter establishment for the stray cat population of the city.
Clouded in elegant and ornate Gothic buildings, dressed with spires and turrets, and colored with rivers and greenery, Ottawa is recognizable just by looking at its outward appearance. As the city gazes out on the Gatineau Hills of Quebec, you can’t help but think, this city is smarter than the rest, positioned in a natural setting but urban just the same.
