How to spend top weekend in Ottawa - ideas on extraordinary attractions and sites

To Spend Time in the Village of Wakefield

If you leave Ottawa by car and travel for about 20 minutes, you can reach the village of Wakefield. It was founded by settlers from Britain near the Gatineau River in 1830. Small houses, gardens, and a covered bridge are located on its territory. The bridge is made of wood. There are also art galleries, an old mill, and the “Black Sheep” tavern here. It combines a cafe, hotel, and Spa. If you come here in winter, you can go skiing or dog sledding. You can go golfing, horse riding, or kayaking or canoeing on the waters of Philippe Lake during the summer months. There is also a high tower here. It is designed for bungee jumping.

Visit Gatineau Park

You can go to the nearby city of Gatineau while on vacation in Ottawa. Gatineau Park is located there. It covers an area of 360 square kilometers. You can spend a whole day in nature by getting to it. You can choose the appropriate type of active leisure, depending on the time of year. For example, you can do cross-country skiing, swimming, Nordic walking, or running. You will also be able to travel on special hiking trails or bike routes, ride a rented canoe, or a regular boat on the lakes Meech, Philippe, and La Peche.

Fun in the Park Mooney's Bay

The scenic Mooney’s Bay Park is located on the banks of the Rideau Canal. You can visit it in any season of the year. You will have the opportunity to go skiing in the winter months. You will be trained by a professional instructor if necessary. Experienced instructors work at the ski school on site of Mooney's Bay. It is better to visit Mooney’s Bay in summer to have a picnic near the river, swim and sunbathe on one of the sandy beaches, or ride a bike on specially equipped paths. They are suitable for both a slow voyage along the Rideau riverbed and for a quick descent. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Climb the Peace Tower

A small cliff is located above the Ottawa River in the central part of the capital. The Canadian Parliament is located on it. It is a complex of buildings built in the neo-Gothic style in 1859. It is open for daily excursions from 9:00 to 16:30. If you come here, you can see the architectural landmark. You will also have the opportunity to take the elevator to the observation deck of the 92-meter Peace Tower. It looks like Big Ben in Westminster. The tower is installed in front of the main parliamentary building in memory of the people who died during the First World War. You can admire the beauty of the center of Ottawa, the river of the same name, the Gatineau Hills, and the Muséum of Civilisation from a height standing on it.

Entertainment on the Rideau Canal

The Ottawa River is connected to Lake Ontario by the Rideau Canal. Its length is 200 kilometers. The number of gateways is 47. It was created by workers from Ireland from 1826 to 1832. At first, it was used for military purposes. It is turning into a large outdoor ice rink in winter in the present time. You can take a boat trip along the canal, go canoeing, or go for a bike ride along the shore in the warmer months.

Calypso Waterpark

Calypso Waterpark was opened 35 kilometers east of the city in 2010. It only works in the summer months today. You can get here in 50 minutes by car. You will have the opportunity to increase the level of adrenaline in the blood, riding on extreme rides. For example, this is "Black Hole", "Boomerang", "Canyon Rafting", and "Adrenaline". There are also numerous water slides there. They have different levels of difficulty. There is a 28-meter hill "Summit Tower" and a wave pool with an area of 5 thousand square meters here. It's called the Calypso Palace.