All of Canada in one city

A naturally beautiful city surrounded by three rivers and awash in green spaces, Ottawa is a showcase for Canadian history and culture and a leading centre for high technology. With 29 museums lining its historic streets, Ottawa is home to more national treasures than any other city in Canada — and that’s aside from the venerable Parliament Buildings. Perched atop a limestone escarpment that looms over the Ottawa River, the Gothic-style stone buildings are the seat of the Canadian government and a major city attraction. The daily Changing the Guard ceremony is a guaranteed crowd pleaser.

But all is not pomp and pageantry in Ottawa. Far from it. The city’s 60-plus annual festivals prove that the national capital is a party-goer at heart. There’s always something to celebrate in this distinctly Canadian city, where the two national languages of English and French can be heard everywhere around you and where everything from cool blues music to hot air balloons is deserving of a festival in its honor. This is the site of the world’s biggest Tulip festival (and you thought that distinction belonged to Holland!) and the world’s largest skating rink - the Rideau Canal (now a UNESCO World Heritage Site) - which is the epicenter of the annual Winterlude festival that takes place here each February.

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