72 hours in Canada’s capital to hit the historic highlights!
In the thick of August’s heatwave, heading to Ottawa seemed like a brilliant escape. The idea turned out to be misguided as this year, temperatures in the Canadian capital were higher than Atlanta’s. It had an impact on the three days my sister and I spent there, juggling how much we could do outdoors and how many times we had to change clothes. Still, we managed to pack in some serious sightseeing.
As the capital, Ottawa blends its British and French history into almost every facet of life, from the typical “hello/bonjour” greeting from locals to dual-language menus and signage. The most prominent historical links are the three government buildings perched atop Parliament Hill overlooking the Ottawa River. In 1866, they were designed in the Gothic Revival style and restored 11 years after a 1916 fire. The structures are closed for renovation with a projected re-opening sometime in 2032, which means visitors can’t get to the top of the Peace Tower whose clock and carillon honor the memory of World War I soldiers. The extensive grounds are open to stroll, and Ottawa River cruises offer views from the water. During the summer, the morning “changing of the guard” sees red-coated marching band and bagpipers in kilts make their way through the streets to the Hill to offer a short musical performance. We joined a throng of tourists and locals who braved the blazing sun to watch the 30-minute spectacle.
Nearby is another of the city’s most prominent National Historic Sites. The turreted Fairmont Château Laurier welcomed us, though we were definitely among the less famous and prominent who have stayed there since opening in 1912. Located across from what was once the main train station, it is one of several grand hotels built along the Canadian Pacific Railway route to promote tourism. On a tour, we heard how Charles Hays, the man behind the project, never lived to see it completed as he went down with the Titanic, and how a famous portrait of Winston Churchill was stolen, reclaimed and rehung in the lobby bar. A short walk from the chateau, the capital’s energy is on display at the ByWard Market, a bustling few blocks of small entertainment venues, markets, boutiques, gelato cafes and restaurants such as Starling where we indulged in fresh seafood. A break from the sun came one afternoon with a leisurely barge ride along the Rideau Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage site dug out by hand between 1826 and 1832 to provide passage to Montreal. Now when it freezes in winter, it often turns into a commuter route for skaters heading downtown.
One of the most touristy things we did was take a 90-minute, double- decker bus ride with a bilingual tour guide who pointed out the silver-spired Notre Dame Cathedral, the Agriculture and Food Museum, the Science and Technology Museum, the National Gallery, the War Museum (where we later checked out one of Hitler’s touring cars) and the Museum of History across the river in the French-speaking town of Gatineau. We got to most of these sites over the next few days when we also enjoyed dining on sea bass and gnocchi at Riviera Ottawa and Nagano pork tomahawk steaks at Social.
Our biggest dining surprise was finding most restaurants served only very sweet tea. Thankfully, we made our own unsweetened coolers in the hotel’s guest lounge while coping with the wildly unexpected weather in the otherwise charming capital.
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