Ottawa travel guide

A happy hand in politics.

While many come for business, Ottawa has plenty of pleasure to offer too. Canada's capital is a sparkling city lying between Montreal and Toronto, bridging eastern French-speaking Canada with the English-speaking West. Ottawa holds many festivals throughout the year, including the popular Chamber Music Festival that occurs every summer. Ottawa's National Gallery of Canada is an impressive example of architecture in itself, and it houses the best collection of Canadian art in the world; a massive sculpture of a spider by Louise Bourgeois hovers over visitors on the way in. A visit to Parliament Hill yields impressive architecture and shines a light on Ottawa's active political hand. Ottawa lies along the (who would have guessed) Ottawa River. The Rideau Canal, 202 km (126 miles) long, links the waters of Lake Ontario at Kingston with the Ottawa River and is Canada's first UNESCO Heritage site. Ottawa may be Canada's most surprising city. Catch a concert at Lansdowne Park, take a boat ride along the canal, and enjoy the thriving multicultural communities alongside some of the friendliest citizens a tourist could find.