Information for Travelers
The Canadian capital Ottawa is located in the southeastern part of the province of Ontario, not far from
Montreal and the
US border.
Ottawa grew between 1820 and 1840 from a building base where the Rideau Canal diverged from the Ottawa River.
Universities and various research institutes are located in the city, as are internationally renowned institutions such as the National Gallery and the National Arts Center, a venue for opera and concerts.
On the park-lined Rideau Canal, boats hop in summer and ice skaters in winter.
Busy thoroughfares are Wellington Street, Kent Street, O'Connor Street, Metcalfe Street and the Sparks Street pedestrian area.
A number of large department stores and stylish boutiques make it the destination for shopping in Ottawa.
The panoramic view from the viewpoint atop the Peace Tower (Tour de la Paix), the highest point in Ottawa.
Encompasses Parliament Hill, the entire city, the river, Gatineau and the hills to the north.
Culture
Along with all the attractions of Gatineau, just across the Ottawa River in the
province of Quebec, Ottawa has developed a rich cultural life.
In the center of the city on the Ottawa River on Parliament Hill are the Parliament Buildings as well as magnificent Victorian buildings and museums such as the National Gallery of Canada with renowned collections of Indigenous and other Canadian arts.
Located beside the Ottawa River, the strikingly modern Canadian War Museum (Musée Canadien de la Guerre) explores Canada's military past.
Exhibits cover everything from the struggle between the French and the Iroquois in the 16th century to the Canadian contribution to the First and Second World Wars.
There are also exhibits relating to the role of modern peacekeepers.
Ultramodern and designed by Moshe Safdie, the National Gallery of Canada (Musée des Beaux-Arts du Canada) is an architectural masterpiece with prism-shaped glass towers that echo the lines of nearby Parliament buildings.
The glass contrasts with the simulated medieval Château Laurier, but the attraction still fits well into the Ottawa cityscape.
Read about Ottawa in Wikipedia