Those looking for visual splendour in Canada’s capital tend to make a beeline for its core, the gothic revival cluster of buildings on Parliament Hill. While the towers and spires are iconic and appealing in equal measure, what is often missed is that Ottawa offers natural delights on its doorstep too. Gatineau park is just four kilometres from the political seat of power and offers some breathtaking hikes and trails, irrespective of the season. Beavers, deer, wolves and even black bears roam the sprawling wilderness. Hike to your heart’s content safe in the knowledge that once you’ve walked up a hunger, the best dining and drinking is just a 10-minute drive away.
Things don’t always have to be so energetic in the wild. Nestled on the outer edge of the eastern corner of Gatineau park is one of the most renowned relaxation havens in North America. The Nordik Spa is a year-round oasis that is arguably at its very best in winter, when snow creeps up to the edges of the panoramic outdoor pool and steam billows from you as you scarper to your next thermal dip. Basic entry rates provide great value, with over 10 spa pools and nine saunas accessible, but there are myriad ways to up the ante and treat yourself even more. When hopping from one Scandinavian sauna to the next, hydration is key.
Unesco could rarely be accused of having poor judgement. When a site is added to their world heritage list, it’s well earned. So it is with Ottawa’s iconic waterway, the Rideau canal. At just over 200-kilometres, the canal links the capital to the great Lake Ontario and the city makes the absolute most of the stretch that snakes through it. Skate over its frozen surface in winter, lazily cruise down it in spring or summer, or just amble alongside it as the red and golden shades of autumn envelop downtown. Start at the ByWard Market and finish around the Glebe (or flip it and do the opposite route) – both are hotspots for great dining.
A little bit – or a lot – of culture can help get the hunger ramped up too. And Ottawa offers a plentiful supply. For art lovers, the National Gallery of Canada – by a distance the country’s most sprawling cultural space – and the newly relocated Ottawa Art Gallery will quench every thirst. Hours are so easily lost in the city’s museums too. The Canadian War Museum is the kind of informative space that one comes back to and finds a fascinating new corner each time. For a deeper dive into the country’s origins, the Canadian Museum of History is a must.
A hub of watersports and a great base for winter sports, Ottawa offers so many athletic avenues to work up a sweat. But if a watching brief is more your thing, there’s year-round sporting bandwagons to jump on. The city’s biggest pro sports team is the Senators, who play in ice hockey’s NHL, with the season running from October through to almost summer. They give way to the Redblacks, who compete in the CFL (Canada’s own version of gridiron) at the TD Place Stadium, in the heart of downtown, an arena they share with the city’s pro football team, the Fury.
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