Like many purpose-developed capital cities, Ottawa may seem a little staid on the surface but the city has the usual plethora of impressive buildings, dominated physically and spiritually by the neo-Gothic Parliament Buildings. the War Museum charts the country's participation in various wars including the early spat with the US and rivalry between French and British settlers. Also notable is The Royal Mint, various grand old homes inhabited by ministers of state and a swag of museums which do justice to the country's icons: nature, aviation, science and technology, skiing and agriculture. A must-see attraction is the National Gallery, displaying an enormous array of North American and European works.

The pleasant streets are wide, there are many public parks and the downtown district is divided into Eastern and Western portions by the Rideau Canal. The Eastern section is full of guesthouses and cheap eateries.

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