| | Overview (Source: Frommers) |
Ottawa might be the most underappreciated national capital east of Ulan Bator, even though on most counts it's an urban standard against which many North American cities would do well to measure themselves against. Ottawa's downtown is striking, to say the least: It sees more renovation and enlightened recycling of its 19th- and early-20th-century buildings happening every year. Its miles of tidy late-Victorian brick houses (with shops, restaurants, and homes) are characteristic of this city. The Gothic spires and towers of Parliament Hill look like the grand estate of an overachieving Scottish laird -- with the voluptuous Gatineau Hills standing in for the Highlands. In spring, carpets of tulips and daffodils cloak residences and ministries, casting a visual fire against the deep greens of the city's parks. Cutting a swath through it all? Only the Rideau Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It's a magnet for houseboats and cabin cruisers in summer, and a scene out of a Dutch painting in winter, when locals take to its ice on sleighs and skates; it's officially the world's largest skating rink. (You can look it up.) Oh, yes, and everyone here speaks two languages. How's that for continental? The real Ottawa is a far cry from the dour place one might expect before arriving. Befitting a national capital, it's kept spic-'n-span clean -- men with pans and brooms constantly tend to the downtown gutters -- and the streets are never choked with traffic. Ottawa, in fac
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| History (Source: WCities) | Top | Ottawa gets its identity from two major sources—its geographic location at the confluence of the Ottawa and Rideau Rivers, and the fact that it is the seat of power for the entire nation. For centuries the area that overlooks the two rivers was the meeting grounds for the First Nations tribe the Algonquin Indians, who were indigenous to this part of central Canada. The first European to set eyes on the area was Samuel de Champlain in 1613. In fact, a statue commemorating his discovery sits atop Nepean Point overlooking the Ottawa River. For the next 200 years the area remained a meeting place where natives met with French fur traders, who took valuable beaver pelts further downstream to Montreal and Quebec City. In 1800, a United Empire Loyalist named Philemon Wright left Massachusetts after the Revolutionary War and settled across the Ottawa River from the heights, in what is now Hull. Originally named Wrightsville, the small community grew into a burgeoning lumber town that helped to fuel Britain's desire for sturdy wood with which to build its navy. In 1826 construction began on Ottawa's second most identifiable landmark besides Parliament Hill . Lieutenant Colonel John By was commissioned to build a canal that ran from the Ottawa River in the north to Kingston in the south—a distance of 200 kilometers. Construction on the Rideau Canal was completed by 1832. During the building of the canal, development began to take place on the Ottawa side of the Ottawa Ri
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| How To Get There (Source: WCities) | Top | Getting There: By Air: Ottawa International Airport ( +1 613 248 2000 / http://www.ottawa-airport.ca ) offers transportation to destinations throughout the world. Its terminals house the following airlines: Air Canada ( +1 800 776 3000 / http://www.aircanada.ca ) American Airlines ( + 1 800 433 7300 / http://www.aa.com ) Bearskin Airlines ( +1 800 465 5039 / http://www.bearskinairlines.com ) Canadian North ( +1 800 661 1505 / http://www.canadiannorth.com ) CanJet Airlines ( +1 800 809 7777 / http://www.canjet.com ) Continental ( +1 800 525 0280 / http://www.continental.com ) Delta ( +1 800 221 1212 / http://www.delta.com ) First Air ( +1 800 267 1247 / http://www.firstair.ca ) Jetsgo ( + 1 866 440 0441 / http://www.jetsgo.net ) Northwest ( +1 800 225 2525 / http://www.nwa.com ) QuickAir ( + 1 800 551 7845 / http://www.quikair.ca ) United ( +1 800 241 6522 / http://www.ual.com ) US Airways ( +1 800 428 4322 / http://www.usairways.com ) WestJet ( + 1 800 538 5696 / http://www.westjet.com ) Zoom Airlines Inc ( +1 866 359 9666 / http://www.flyzoom.ca ) Ottawa's safe and reliable OC Transpo ( +1 613-741-4390 / http://www.octranspo.com ) provides an effective route for getting to and from the airport. Bus route 97 departs outside the Arrivals area and run frequently to points throughout the city. Ottawa's light rail system, the O-
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| What To Do (Source: WCities) | Top | Once a sleepy government town, urban renewal and a drive to become a greater tourist destination have changed Ottawa considerably in the past decade. The city now has a vibrancy that makes it a world-class destination. No matter what your interests, Canada's national capital is bound to offer something that appeals to everyone. Visual Arts Ottawa's internationally renowned galleries and museums play host to Canada's finest collections, as well as some of the world's most impressive traveling exhibits. Second only to Parliament Hill as a daytime tourist attraction, the National Gallery of Canada offers free admission to its permanent collection, which includes the best of traditional and modern Canadian art and a respected selection of Renaissance and Impressionist pieces including works by Gustav Klimt, Van Gogh, Cezanne, Monet and Degas. Recent traveling exhibits that have made an appearance at the gallery include works by Van Gogh, Monet, and most recently, a retrospective of the works of Gustav Klimt. The importance of art in the capital can be seen everywhere from museums like the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography and the Ottawa Art Gallery to over a dozen local galleries including the Carmel Art Gallery. History Notably, for a city barely two centuries old, Ottawa is obsessed with its own architectural and political history. From the Canadian War Museum to the Bytown Museum , which chronicles the building of the Rideau Canal and
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