David Lichtenstein Does North America: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
For being the capital of Canada, Ottawa is a surprisingly little known city with a tremendous amount to offer. Located in Southern Ontario, Ottawa is a bustling city brimming with culture and charm. Sitting on the edge of the Rideau Canal, downtown Ottawa is breathtaking with the feel of a centuries old European city. The offerings of Ottawa are far from slim; year round the city offers events as well as dozens of museums, the world famous ByWard market, and, of course, Parliament Hill.
Ottawa experiences a full four seasons a year, and given its northern location the winters are not mild. This isn’t to say that Ottawa shouldn’t be experienced in winter, however. In February the Rideau Canal freezes over and it’s opened up for Winterlude, a festival which offers the world’s largest skating rink with almost 5 miles of open canal skating. Spring offers the Ottawa Tulip Festival which welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors each year and is the world’s largest tulip festival. In addition to festivals, cultural heritage sights and museums, Ottawa offers endless nightlife options, world class dining, and an NHL hockey arena.
Depending on what you’re looking for, any time of year is an ideal time to visit Ottawa. The people are friendly, the prices of lodging, entertainment and food are comparable to other mid-size North American cities and the experience is once in a lifetime.
