Ottawa
Travel Guide > North America > Canada > Ontario > Ottawa
Introduction
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, built on a high cliff to protect against the potential advance of American invaders, the capital is now a welcoming place for visitors. The winters offer the opportunity to skate on the world's longest skating rink, at the end enjoying a sugary treat called a Beavertail. The summer provides festivals, the beautiful flowering of the tulip festival and the biggest Canada Day party on July 1st.
Neighbourhoods
- Hull - across the river from Ottawa and in the province of Quebec, Hull boasts many attractions, and provides the gateway to the Gatineau mountains.
Sights and Activities
Parliament Buildings
Visitors can tour the grounds and buildings of the Parliament buildings, site of architectural beauty, historical significance and federal political power in Canada. Tours are free, lasting between 20 and 60 minutes. See the Official Tourism Website for more details.
ByWard Market
The ByWard Market is one of Canada's oldest and largest public markets. Roughly four blocks square, the market contains museums, cafés, food shops, boutiques, galleries, restaurants and pubs. Check out the ByWard Market website for details.
National Art Gallery of Canada
Known locally as the "NAG", the National Art Gallery hosts a large collection of Canadian and international art in a beautiful Moshe Safdie designed glass and granite building in downtown Ottawa. The gallery is open from 10 am until 5 pm (8pm on Thursdays) 7 days a week. Admission is $5.95 for adults for the main collection. Special exhibits have additional costs. Gallery Website.
Museum of Civilization
In Hull, Quebec sits the most visited museum in Canada, providing a history of Canadian civilization. There are two halls, the Native Peoples' Hall, documenting the pre-European lifestyle of the indigenous population of Canada and the Canada Hall, documenting the history since the initial contact between European and Native Canadian.
Skating on Rideau Canal
In the winter, the Rideau Canal becomes the world's longest skating rink. The Rideau Canal Skateway is 7.8 km long, starting in downtown Ottawa and running down to Dows Lake in the south. Along the way are a number of huts to get warm drinks and sugary snacks to fuel your skate.
Summer biking
Ottawa has over 170 km of bike paths, many of them completely isolated from car traffic and winding through beautiful natural settings. A map of the bike paths can be obtained from the internet at the City of Ottawa website.
Events and Festivals
- Canada Day - July 1st is Canada's national holiday, and no one celebrates it like the Canadian capital. Fireworks and concerts on Parliament hill. Check out the Canadian Capital Region website for more details.
- The Canadian Tulip Festival - In the fall of 1945, Princess Juliana of the Netherlands presented Ottawa with 100,000 tulip bulbs. Since that time, the Canadian Tulip Festival has grown into the largest Tulip Festival in the world, displaying millions of blooming tulips and hosting cultural and musical events. Dates for 2007 are May 2 – 19. Read more at the Canadian Tulip Festival
- Winterlude - Every February, Canada's Capital Region is host to the winter festival of Winterlude. Running for three weekends in the dead of winter, Winterlude provides an opportunity to kkate on the world’s largest skating rink, see majestic snow sculptures and glittering ice sculptures or catch musical acts at the Snowbowl. 2008 festival runs from February 2 to February 18, 2007. Read more about Winterlude
Weather
Getting there
By Air
Ottawa has one international airport (airport code: YOW) to the south of the downtown area. The majority of flights arriving at the International airport are from Canada or the east coast of the USA. From the airport, travellers can use the OC Transpo Route 97 to get downtown.
By Train
Intercity train service arrives at the Ottawa Train Station to the east of downtown. Via Rail operates service from Ottawa to Toronto and Montreal. Information on routes, schedules and times can be found that the Via Rail website (Via Rail). Travellers arriving at the train station can take OCTranspo bus routes 94 or 95 from the train station to downtown Ottawa.
Getting around
By Public Transit
OCTranspo is the public transit service in Ottawa. They run light rail service (O-Train) and bus service in the Ottawa area. A number of the bus services run in the "Transitway," a bus only road system. Fares, routes and schedules can be found at the OCTranspo Website.
Eat
Drink
Try walking down Elgin Street as there's loads of Irish, British and Canadian Bars and restaurants very close to one another.
Sleep
Backpacker dorms can be gotten for $20 - $30 a night. Bed and breakfasts can be reserved for $80 and up. Hotels are $90 and up.
The Ottawa International Hostel at 75 Nicholas Street is a unique experience for the traveller. Located in downtown Ottawa, the hostel was a prison prior to being converted into a hostel. Originally known as the Carleton County Gaol, the jail was open from 1862 until 1972 when it was closed for unsanitary conditons. The jail was one of the most disheartening buildings in Canadian history, and is rumoured to be haunted. The hostel provides a tour of the facility and explains it's past. Rates are Rates: $24.15 in a shared dormitory or $56.70 double room. Reservations can be made at HI Jail Hostel page.
The http://www.thebusinessinn.com is a great and cheap hotel Suite to stay at while in Ottawa.
For less than $100 (up to 3 people per room) you get a large room with Cable TV, a Kitchen with Cooker, fridge and Microwave and most importantly, a free PC and printer in your room with Broadband Internet.
For 3 of you sharing this would cost you $33 a night.
It's walking distance to the Bus Station and very central (even has a bar on the Lower Floor)
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