The Most Beautiful Places to Visit in Ottawa

There are many places to visit in Ottawa, the capital of Canada. It is possible to find various activities to be held in the city, which welcomes thousands of tourists every year. Due to the large number of museums it contains, it is impossible to return from Ottawa, which is a land of museums, without visiting the museum. Museums in the city focus on different topics and have rich collections. There are many historical buildings worth seeing in Ottawa, which has a long history. The natural beauties of the city are also worth seeing. Founded around the Ottawa River, the city is the scene of other beauties in the winter and another in the summer. By spending three days in Ottawa, you can easily visit the must-see places.

1. Parliament Hill and Building

The Parliament Building, one of Ottawa’s landmarks, is located on a high hill. The hill, which is known as “The Hill”, is very close to the city center. The building, the official building of the Canadian Parliament, was built in the gothic style. The building, which is known as the center of management, is very important in the national area. It also attracts the attention of tourists due to its magnificent architecture and unique view of the hill on which it is located. Parliament Hill hosts approximately 3 million visitors every year. The area, which was used as a military base in the 18th and 19th centuries, was reserved for government affairs after Queen Victoria chose the city as the capital. It became a point representing the government in 1859. The Parliament Building has reached its present appearance with various arrangements and the addition of the Peace Tower to the structure.

If you want to visit the Parliament Hill and its building, you can start by visiting the tourist office on the hill. Tours are organized every day at different times by the tourist office. You can visit all the public parts of the building with a guide through these free tours. If you are not a very crowded group, you do not need to make a reservation. You can buy tickets by calling or visiting the office in advance. Tours are organized in English and French, the official languages ​​of the city.

2. Canadian War Museum

The Canadian War Museum is a museum that sheds light on Canada’s military history. The museum, located in the west of Ottawa city center, contains military equipment and documents used in many wars that have marked the history of the world, starting with their war with the French and the British. The museum provides a summary of Canadian history from the first known armed conflicts to its present military history. The museum, where many collections such as the wars in the 20th century, the Cold War Period, peace support operations and the honor history of Canada, are hosted by many visitors. Each gallery displays moments in Canada’s military history.

The museum highlights the destructiveness of war while revealing the war experience of humanity. Many items such as weapons, cannons, and warships taken from the depths of the seas are exhibited in the museum. There are approximately 3 million pieces in the Canadian War Museum.

3. Canadian History Museum

The Canadian History Museum is one of the most popular museums not only of Ottawa but of all of Canada. The Canadian History Museum, which has the title of the most welcoming museum in the country, is a museum that tells the cultural diversity of the people and sheds light on the periods of human history. The museum, located in the Gatineau area on the Ottawa River, sheds light on Canada’s 20,000-year period. The museum, which has been in service since 1856, has many exhibitions.

Canadian History Museum also serves as an important research institution. The people who are experts in many fields such as archeology, ethnology, folk culture are doing research. You can visit the Canadian History Museum every day of the week. The working hours of the museum are between 09.30-17-00, except Thursday.

4. Ottawa National Gallery

Ottawa National Gallery is one of the largest art galleries in Canada. The gallery, which contains many paintings, sculptures, photographs and various drawings, dates back to ancient times. The National Gallery was founded in 1880 by Canadian Governor John Douglas Sutherland Campbell. The gallery, which was moved to the building on Parliament Hill in 1882, has changed place many times over time. It moved to its current building in 1988. The National Gallery on Sussex Drive welcomes thousands of visitors every year. There are many paintings, drawings, sculptures and photographs in the collections in the gallery. Although the focal point is Canadian art and artists, it is possible to find the works of many artists from America and Europe.

Most of the works in the gallery were obtained by donations. British paintings donated by ex-Governor General Vincent Massey and Southam Family are the most important collections of the gallery. Ottawa National Gallery, one of the favorite galleries of art lovers, offers its visitors the best examples of art.

5. Canadian Supreme Court

The Canadian Supreme Court is the highest institution of the Canadian legal system and is located in the capital city of Ottawa. The court, which has a magnificent structure, is one of the best examples of Art Deco architecture. The court building in the southwest of the Parliament Hill is open to the public.

The construction of the Canadian Supreme Court began in 1939. Queen Elizabeth was also present at the ceremony to start the construction. Designed by Ernest Cormier, the building is full of details of art deco architecture. It is a dazzling structure with its carved columns, engravings in ceiling and floor covering. In 2000, it was selected as the most beautiful building built in Canada for the last millennium by the Royal Canadian Institute of Architecture. Various statues are also found in the Canadian Supreme Court’s garden and the large hall at the entrance.

You can visit the court building, which is open to everyone, free of charge between 08.00-17.00 on weekdays.

6. Agriculture and Food Museum

One of Ottawa’s most interesting museums, which has museums in various fields, is the Agriculture and Food Museum. Ottawa Agricultural and Food Museum, which is much more than a museum, offers its visitors an interesting museum experience. The museum, which was built on a large area, is actually a modern farm. In addition to the galleries displaying the history of agriculture, it is a research center where agricultural production is carried out and various researches are carried out.

The museum also has a playground and an area where you can have a picnic. If you wish, you can ride a horse and love the animals on the farm. These sections, which especially attract the attention of children, are the favorite places of the museum. With its galleries showing how Canadian agriculture develops over time, how it directs people’s lives, its contributions to today and future agriculture, the Museum of Agriculture and Food Museum promises a museum experience that they do not expect.

You can visit the Agriculture and Food Museum every day of the week between 09.00-17.00.

7. Rideau Building

Rideau Building, one of the most important political structures of the capital Ottawa, is used by the Governor of Canada. The building known as the “Canadian House” is located in the Sussex Drive area. The building, which has an important place in the Canadian management system, has a magnificent architecture. Although the Rideau Building has the same status as England’s Buckingham Palace and the White House of the United States, it is not inaccessible to the public. You can visit the building, which is open to visitors, with free tours organized by you or yourself.

The main building covers an area of ​​9500 square meters and consists of 175 rooms and 27 outbuildings. The building, which was built in 1838, has taken its present form with the arrangements made over time. There are many works of art in the garden and corridors of the building. Rideau Building, which is one of the structures that come to mind when it comes to Ottawa, hosts many visitors every year.

8. Gatineau Park

Ottawa is a city that has won the hearts of its visitors with its natural beauties as well as its cultural riches, art centers and museums. Gatineau Park is also a lush park in the heart of Ottawa. The park in the north of the city was established on a land of 36000 hectares. Gatineau Park, which is located on the road from Ottawa River to Quebec, is a natural park and the living creatures in it are under protection.

In the park, you can see the steep slopes of the Ottawa Valley, unique natural landscapes. Gatineau Park is home to a natural life with a rich variety of trees and plants. It is the French hunter Nicolas Gatineau who named the park. The park was named after him because he was the first person to explore the valley.

You can go hiking in the park and rent a bicycle. There are 5 public beaches in the park. If you want, you can swim on these beaches and go on canoe and boat trips. You can fish in the Phililippe and La Peche lakes in the park. In addition to these, there is a 200 km ski path in the park. If you visit Ottawa in the winter, you can also ski here.

9. Rideau Canal

The 200-kilometer Rideau Canal extending from the Ottawa River to Lake Ontario is the most symbolic and colorful element of Ottawa. Boat tours and canoe rides are carried out in the canal, which is popular with the people of Ottawali in the summer season. The main interest in the Rideau Canal, which takes on a chirpy atmosphere in the summer, is in the winter season. The Rideau Canal, like many rivers and lakes in the city, freezes during the winter months when the temperature drops to minus. For the people of Ottawali, this does not prevent using the channel. Many people in the city, even country rulers, go to work by sliding over the Rideau Canal.

You can see young people who always have fun on the canal, which turns into a natural ice rink, and people who use the canal like an ordinary street with the rush to catch up. It is possible to have fun around the Rideau Canal with the warming of the weather or on the canal with boat tours. Rideau Canal is a must-stop for your Ottawa trip.

10. Notre Dome Cathedral

Notre Dome Cathedral is the Roman Catholic Church on Sussex Drive. The main building of the cathedral was built in 1846. The building, which served as a church at that time, was declared a cathedral in 1847. Built in gothic and neo-classical style, the cathedral has a fascinating appearance.

The interior of the cathedral is as magnificent as the exterior. All the windows have stained glass and the stories in the Bible are depicted in these stained glass. Vivid colors are used in the interior of the cathedral, where fine workmanship draws attention in columns and door works. Notre Dome Cathedral with carved figures and various religious sculptures on its columns fascinates visitors. The cathedral is the oldest and largest church in Ottawa. The flamboyant twin towers of the cathedral are important symbols that make up the skyline of the city.