Sightseeing in Ottawa - what to see. Complete travel guide

This is a surprisingly quiet and beautiful city despite the fact that such peaceful atmosphere is not typical for large metropolitan regions. Here you will find many spacious forests, city streets are decorated with colorful flower beds, and you can see small cottages of various styles and forms simply everywhere. The city's name can be translated as "exchange". The reason for this is in the fact that several centuries ago Ottawa was one of the largest shopping areas that attracted traders from all neighboring countries.

Several important places of interest are located around the central square. Here also stands the tower of the World, which height reaches 96 meters; the square is also the location of government buildings. They are made in the Gothic style which is unusual for modern architecture, so these houses more like beautiful medieval buildings rather than modern buildings. Every morning at 10 o'clock on the area is changing of the guard, which involves officers of the Royal Mounted Police.

There are several institutions that are certainly worth visiting by lovers of art. Classical music fans will enjoy the performances of Canadian orchestra, which are organized in the National Arts Centre. Here are also conducted the performances of the Royal Ballet of Ottawa. The most popular exhibition centers are Congress Centre, Ottawa Civic Centre, and Nepean Sportsplex. Here are conducted numerous exhibitions devoted to painting, literature, history and archeology. In this city you will find many places for walking. Beautiful parks and lanes can be seen right on every step in Ottawa. In summer this is an ideal place for picnics, cycling, and winter is the time for skiing. If you travel to Ottawa in spring, you can participate in one of the favorite holidays of the local people – Tulip Festival. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

One of the most beautiful local architectural monuments is the Canada's Parliament Building. It is a chic Neo-Gothic-style structure that looks like a luxurious castle. The large-scale building was erected at the beginning of the 20th century. Beautiful gray granite was used for its construction. Near the spectacular building, you can see numerous monuments dedicated to prominent figures of politics and culture.

No less attractive Gothic monument is the Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica built in the middle of the 19th century on the site of a dilapidated wooden church. Today this cathedral is the oldest in the city, a few years ago it was recognized as a historic monument of national importance. The main feature of the building is two high spiers subsequently attached to the building in the late 19th century.

An interesting cultural site is the Canadian War Museum, the exposition of which began to form in 1880. Originally it consisted of a small collection of military artifacts; the official opening of the museum took place back in 1942. By that time the museum's collection was quite significant, therefore it was placed in the old state archive building. In 2005, the museum was moved to a new beautiful building, and now it presents very interesting exhibitions devoted to world wars of the 20th century.

In the immediate vicinity of Ottawa is the Canadian Museum of Civilization occupying a futuristic modern building of asymmetric shape. The extensive exposition of this museum is dedicated to the indigenous peoples of Canada. Here you can see unique archaeological finds, as well as artifacts belonging to the pre-colonial period. The museum's collection is constantly growing, so today it has many exhibits of the New Time.

A kind of symbol of the city is the beautiful Fairmont Château Laurier. This French-style castle was built in 1912. One of the most famous and popular hotels in Ottawa has been operated here for more than a hundred years. The interior decoration of the hotel is also striking in its splendor: many original design elements are fully preserved. In the lobby of the hotel, you can see luxurious Tiffany stained-glass windows, as well as elements of figured stucco molding. The walls of the hotel keep a rich collection of antique furniture, works of art and other decorations.