Say 'Bonjour!' to Ottawa's eternal charm

Ottawa may fly under the radar as Canada's dynamic, unsung capital but those wise enough to make a beeline for this cultural hub will unravel a vibrant mix of museums, bustling cafés and leafy parks. Now, Ottawa is a little bit closer with the summer launch of Air France’s new direct service from Paris, which links up nicely with flight services from key UK cities such as London and Manchester. The timing couldn’t be better for British visitors looking to soak up and discover Ottawa's eternal charm this autumn and winter as they experience the best of Canada in one city.

Fly me to Ottawa

For a comprehensive look at the Canadian capital’s wide and varied offering, from active adventures and festive fun to culture and culinary delights, see here. Meanwhile, here are just some of the highlights awaiting UK visitors in the remainder of 2023...

Visitor attractions

The end of summer doesn’t stop play in Ottawa – far from it. Culture vultures are particularly spoilt for choice with Canada’s capital home to no less than seven of Canada’s nine national museums, showcasing the country's rich heritage and culture.

Art lovers won’t want to miss the National Gallery of Canada. Meanwhile, it’s small wonder the Canadian Museum of History is Canada’s most visited museum, with attractions ranging from a 3D movie theatre to the Canadian Children’s Museum and its fascinating exhibits about the Indigenous Peoples in the First Peoples Hall, including the world’s largest indoor collection of totem poles.

Food and drink

Ottawa’s ByWard Market is a year-round ‘go to’ for anyone looking to discover the best the capital has to offer, from farmers' market stalls to fine dining, with food tours such as those offered by C’est Bon Ottawa providing a great way of sampling a wide range of fayre in a short timeframe.

As falling temperatures bring cravings for comfort foods, the arrival of autumn and winter provide the perfect excuse to sample satisfying local staples such as poutine, a classic winter warmer that harnesses the combined powers of cheese curds, fries and gravy.

Ever-popular Beavertails pastries make an inspired choice on the sweet side, providing tasty bursts of energy when you’re being active outdoors, preferably washed down with a warming hot chocolate. Also keep an eye out for sweet treats using Canada’s world-renowned maple syrup – a specialty at establishments such as Fulton’s, located in Pakenham, just outside Ottawa.

Plus, the run up to Halloween sees pumpkin-flavoured goods become more prevalent, including pumpkin beers. This is also the best time of year to take one of the city’s Haunted Walk Tours, with all manner of shocking seasonal activities served up at local institutions such as Saunders Farm, from pumpkin patch picking to Fright Fest events. This before attention shifts towards the Ottawa Wine & Food Festival, the November event being one of Canada’s most hotly-anticipated gastronomic happenings.

Autumn colours

Canada’s green and leafy capital looks particularly resplendent in its new coat of ‘Fall’ colours, with early October the best time to catch them at their height. The city’s expansive parks and open spaces serve up some particularly photogenic ‘leaf peeping’, with some of the best viewing to be had in the beautiful Gatineau Park and Mer Bleue.

Those Fall colours sure make a pleasing backdrop for visitors enjoying cycle-friendly Ottawa’s excellent network of bike paths, spanning more than 800km, such as the Osgoode Pathway, a flat, easy rolling 13-mile pedal along a repurposed, Victorian-era railway track. Canoeing and kayaking excursions along the Rideau Canal, for example, offer another great way to drink in those colourful panoramas, the season continuing on into October.

Active options

Autumn is indeed an excellent time to get out and about exploring the city with average high temperatures hitting 15 degrees C in October and 7 degrees C in November. Then, as autumn turns to winter, visitors can get their skates on at the centrally located rinks such as Rink of Dreams at Ottawa City Hall and the Skating Court at Lansdowne, both of which open in December, weather permitting, and are free to use.

Ottawa’s active adventure playground Gatineau Park offers everything from tobogganing, fat-biking and downhill tubing to cross-country skiing and snowshoeing trails. Set against an idyllic seasonal backdrop, it’s also incredibly easy on the eye.

All of which will serve to whet visitors’ appetites for the February 2024 launch of the annual Winterlude festival, which each year sees Ottawa’s principal waterway transformed into the Rideau Canal Skateway, the world’s largest frozen outdoor skating rink.

Festive fun

Canada’s capital does Christmas in a big way and rest assured you’ll be feeling festive if you time your trip for late in the year, with many festivities kicking off in late November and continuing on into January.

Each year, as part of Winter Lights Across Canada, Ottawa is illuminated under a spectacular, technicolour blanket of lights. Some of the best spectacles are to be found along Confederation Boulevard, Jacques Cartier Park in nearby Gatineau, and the various bridges spanning the Ottawa River. A nice family-friendly option is to take in the best of the illuminations on a City Lights or Winter City excursion, such as the heated trolley tours offered by Cobblestone Tours.

While shoppers throng to Ottawa’s annual Christmas Market, a riot of lights, festive fun and tempting food and drink, festive foodies beat a path to ByWard Market, with lots more festive family fun on tap at establishments such as Stanley’s Farm.

Visitors can even take to the air on a scenic flightseeing tour with Santa while all manner of parties, celebrations and fireworks take place across the city to help visitors ring in the New Year, ushering in another 12 months of eternal charm.

Feeling inspired?

For more inspiration, head to the official Ottawa Tourism website.

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