Top Attractions in Ottawa

Ottawa Essentials

Ottawa’s landscape is defined by the neo-Gothic spires of Parliament Hill and the historic Rideau Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage site. This collection features the city's most significant cultural institutions, including the Canadian Museum of History and the Canadian War Museum. Highlights include the bustling ByWard Market, the ornate Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica, and the official residence at Rideau Hall. From the natural history exhibits at the Museum of Nature to the architectural grandeur of the Fairmont Château Laurier, these landmarks represent Canada’s political and cultural heart.

Ottawa Essentials — Map

Makaristos / Public domain

A

Centre Block

The Centre Block is the main building of the Canadian parliamentary complex on Parliament Hill, in Ottawa, Ontario, containing the original…

John Talbot / CC BY 2.0

B

Peace Tower

The Peace Tower is a focal bell and clock tower sitting on the central axis of the Centre Block of the Canadian parliament buildings in…

D. Gordon E. Robertson / CC BY-SA 3.0

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Rideau Canal

The Rideau Canal is a 202 kilometre long canal that links the Ottawa River, at Ottawa, with the Saint Lawrence River at Kingston, Ontario,…

Jcart1534 / CC BY-SA 3.0

D

Byward Market

The ByWard Market, is a retail and entertainment district in the downtown core of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Wladyslaw / CC BY 3.0

E

Canadian Museum of History

The Canadian Museum of History is a national museum on anthropology, Canadian history, cultural studies, and ethnology in Gatineau, Quebec,…

F

National War Memorial

This granite cenotaph in Confederation Square features 22 bronze figures representing all branches of the Canadian forces. Unveiled in 1939, it commemorates those who served in World War I and now houses the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

D. Gordon E. Robertson / CC BY-SA 3.0

G

Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica

The Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica is a Roman Catholic minor basilica in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada located on 385 Sussex Drive in the Lower…

Andrijko Z. / CC BY-SA 3.0

H

Fairmont Château Laurier

The Fairmont Château Laurier is a 660,000-square-foot hotel with 429 guest rooms in the downtown core of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, located…

D. Gordon E. Robertson / CC BY-SA 3.0

I

Major's Hill Park

Major's Hill Park is a park in downtown Ottawa, Ontario. The park stands above the Rideau Canal at the point where it enters the Ottawa…

Own work / CC BY 2.0

J

Canadian War Museum

The Canadian War Museum is a national museum on the country's military history in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

PhiveKali / CC BY-SA 2.0

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Canadian Museum of Nature

The Canadian Museum of Nature is a national natural history museum based in Canada's National Capital Region.

Northwest / Public domain

L

Royal Canadian Mint

The Royal Canadian Mint is the mint of Canada and a Crown corporation, operating under the Royal Canadian Mint Act.

//www.flickr.com/photos/husseinabdallah/ / CC BY 2.0

M

Rideau Hall

Rideau Hall is the official residence in Ottawa of the governor general of Canada.

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