Ottawa - City Attractions Trips and Visits for Tourists

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These things to do Ottawa City will set the scene for your visit.

Capital Cities are always a great draw for visitors though they are rarely a true reflection of the Country.

Maybe this city is no exception; if you visit you must judge for yourself.

It was founded in 1826 and was chosen to be the Capital of the Dominion of Canada in 1857.

I have read that it was a compromise choice so as not to favour the French speaking Montreal or the English Toronto.

It is situated on the banks of the Ottawa and Rideau rivers. Although I am sure many people visit, especially Canadian citizens, just because it is their Capital city but there is plenty to see and do for any visitor.

I suppose anyone who visits a capital city naturally wants to see the seat of power. The Parliament buildings in Ottawa were completed in eighteen sixty and they are located on a hill overlooking the downtown area. Not surprisingly it is called Parliament Hill.

There is a changing of the guard ceremony that takes place daily, but only in the months of June, July and August. I cannot find an explanation for this but Mounties always guard the building. The buildings are open for tours all year round, even when Parliament is in session and is one of the popular Ottawa attractions.

Originally the city was named Bytown after Colonial By who was there to supervise the building of the Rideau Canal. There is now Bytown museum, which is just east of Parliament and housed in Ottawa’s oldest building.

The museum will give you the history of the beginnings of the city and how it grew into the city you see today. Nearby the museum is the Byward Market that is busy all year round with cafes around cobbled courtyards, food stall, Farmers’ Markets and Boutiques.

Also while you are in this area you could visit the Notre Dame Cathedral, the ciy’s largest Catholic Church. It is not a very old church compared to European Cathedrals, built between 1841 and 1865 but the carvings and the huge pipe organ are worth going to see while you are in the area.

Museums and Arts centres are well in evidence. There is the Canadian War Museum, the Currency Museum, the Museum of Science and Technology and the Aviation Museum and more, but these few mentioned span a wide range of interests. Just to pick out one, perhaps the Currency Museum is the most unusual. It has displays showing all the diffent things that have been used for currency; whales teeth, glass beads, grain, paper and metal. Visitors can also see how the National Bank works.

If the Arts are more to you taste there is the National Arts Centre that was completed in 1969. It hosts a wide range of performances including those of the National Arts Centre Orchestra, which performs there regularly.

There are many places to stay and to eat, some of them very sumptuous, as you would expect of a capital city. Perhaps the most famous is Zoë’s Lounge Bar in the Fairmont Chateau Hotel. As the name suggests the hotel is built in the style of a French Chateau. As in any city though there is a wide ranging choice of accommodation and eateries.

I suppose one big attraction for the overseas visitor is the location of the city. It is in one of the most visited regions of Canada, Eastern Ontario. It is a truly beautiful area dominated by lakes and rivers but also beautiful areas that cater of every outdoor pastime you care to think of. In this region is Algonquin Provincial Park, a very famous wilderness area, and the very picturesque Kawartha Lakes area. The distances are not small but it would be easy to combine a city and outdoor holiday.

Put together Ottawa and its surrounds are an enticing idea for a vacation.

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