Ottawa

Ottawa sits on the south bank of the Ottawa River, directly across from the Quebec city of Gatineau, and that bilingual border gives the capital a fascinating dual character. The Parliament Hill complex — a magnificent Victorian Gothic set of buildings overlooking the river — is the symbolic heart of the country, and free guided tours of the Centre Block (undergoing a long-term restoration) and the Senate are available to all.

Ottawa’s museums are free of charge and among the finest in North America. The Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, directly across the Ottawa River, is visually stunning and holds the most visited museum collection in Canada. The Canadian War Museum is deeply moving and intelligently curated. The Canadian Museum of Nature, the National Gallery of Canada and the Canada Science and Technology Museum round out an exceptional cultural offering that would easily fill three or four days.

The Rideau Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage site, runs through the centre of the city from the Ottawa River to Kingston and doubles as the world’s largest naturally refrigerated outdoor skating rink each winter — commuters skate to work while vendors sell hot chocolate and BeaverTails pastries. In summer, the canalside parks and pathways make for excellent walking, cycling and kayaking.

Byward Market, just east of Parliament Hill, is Ottawa’s most lively neighbourhood — a covered public market surrounded by restaurants, bars, galleries and boutiques that buzzes year-round. Winterlude in February and the Canadian Tulip Festival in May (when millions of tulips bloom across the city in tribute to the Dutch royal family’s wartime exile here) are among the finest seasonal events. Ottawa is best visited May to September or in winter for skating and Winterlude.