Ottawa City Guide - overview

The capital of Canada is sited on the south bank of the Ottawa River, opposite the French-speaking city of Hull across the water in the neighbouring province of Quebec. Its main landmark is the 302ft (92m) high Peace Tower. The tower surmounts the imposing Parliament Buildings, which stand in Gothic splendour at the junction of the Ottawa, Rideau and Gatineau rivers. Ottawa is a city of pomp and pageantry with a harmonious blend of French and English culture. The city has a network of waterways and canals that link it to Lake Ontario and Georgian Bay. The historic Rideau Canal is used for boating in summer, and for ice sculpting and skating in winter, by locals and visitors alike. Ottawa has numerous top class museums and galleries, and the National Arts Center, which houses an opera company, theatres, studios and restaurants.

Getting around: For sightseeing purposes most visitors to Ottawa enjoy exploring the compact downtown area on foot or bicycle. However the OC Transpo company provides a top class integrated public transport system. Exact change is needed when boarding buses and streetcars, and sometimes at subway stations, but day passes and discount tokens can also be bought. A single adult fare is $2.60. Taxis are freely available, but fairly expensive. Rates should be displayed in the taxi cab and the meter rate should be set at one at the start of a journey.