"Canada's Capital City!" Ottawa by Jefie

Ottawa Travel Guide: 1,801 reviews and 4,417 photos

View of Quebec from the parliament building - Ottawa
View of Quebec from the parliament building

From the get-go I must admit that of all my travel pages, this is probably the one that least reflects how much I actually enjoy spending time in this city. As a federal government employee, I get the opportunity to travel to Ottawa at least once a year and each time I really look forward to it. Canada's capital is a charming, relatively quiet city that offers visitors an interesting blend of history, arts, nature and culture. There are several museums located in the Ottawa region, and with over 30 festivals going on throughout the year, there's always something fun to do around town. The main problem for me is that since I usually go there for work, I always seem to forget to document my trips, no matter how much fun they are. I'll try to update this page as often as I can, but here's the most important piece of advice I can give my fellow VTers: if you're planning a trip to Eastern Canada, do add Ottawa to your list of places to see!

A little bit of history...

Back in 1857, when Queen Victoria was asked to pick the capital of Canada, she chose Ottawa although she'd never been there herself. At the time, the little city of "Bytown" didn't have much to offer - in fact, it was a rather rough little town, mostly populated by loggers and Irish immigrants. However, the Queen's advisors liked how it was located about halfway between Quebec City and Toronto, two of the country's most important colonies at the time, and felt it could help unite Lower (French) and Upper (English) Canada. To a certain extent, one could say that it worked since the area we now call "National Capital Region" includes both Ottawa and the city of Gatineau, located on the other side of the Ottawa River in the province of Quebec.

  • Last visit to Ottawa: Mar 2012
  • Intro Updated Apr 28, 2012
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Reviews (20)

My room at the Lord Elgin Hotel - Ottawa My best hotel experience in Ottawa! Hotels (3)

Perhaps I haven't been lucky, but all the hotels I've stayed at in Ottawa were only so-so... until I stayed at the Lord... more travel advice

Totems in the Great Hall of the CMC - Ottawa Canadian Museum of Civilization Things to Do (10)

I guess I'm cheating a little bit because this museum is actually located across the river in Gatineau, QC but it's all... more travel advice

Example of a suite at the Capital Hill Hotel - Ottawa Budget hotel near Parliament Hill Hotels (3)

This hotel has clearly seen better days, so the rooms and furniture are all slightly outdated. However, if you happen to... more travel advice

Supreme Court of Canada - Ottawa A visit to the Supreme Court of Canada Things to Do (10)

Construction of the Supreme Court building began in 1939 and although it was completed in 1941, it first served as a... more travel advice

Comments (7)

  • Reply
    Regina1965's Profile Photo
    Aug 17, 2010 at 4:35 PM

    A lovely page on Ottawa. I have been there three times and hope to visit it again next year :D

  • Reply
    Bwana_Brown's Profile Photo
    Jan 2, 2010 at 5:58 PM

    Isa, this is an excellent little Ottawa page. Very helpful info on Parliament tours and those haunted walks sound interesting too! Wish I had known about the Canadian Museum of Civilization when I was there! Happy travels for you in 2010.

  • Reply
    Mikebb's Profile Photo
    Mar 25, 2009 at 3:07 PM

    Nice page Isa, but I cannot imagine sightseeing in the snow. How was your recent visit, no photos yet.

  • Reply
    pieter_jan_v's Profile Photo
    Feb 6, 2008 at 10:44 AM

    Familiar lookoff at your intro picture (see my cache.virtualtourist.com/230...) PJ

  • Reply
    Nemorino's Profile Photo
    Apr 24, 2007 at 4:41 AM

    I had no idea Mackenzie King was such an eccentric. His study looks great!

  • Reply
    Zajem's Profile Photo
    Apr 1, 2007 at 2:49 PM

    A very nice interier view of the Basilica!!

  • Reply
    Dester's Profile Photo
    Mar 30, 2007 at 4:14 PM

    No wonder you're so tired, great tips and pic's. I will definitely spend more time there the next time I'm through.

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