Ottawa–Gatineau

Around Ottawa–Gatineau

Photo: DXR · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Metro area · Ontario · 1.5M people

Ottawa–Gatineau

Locals say National Capital Region · “The Capital”, “O-Town”

Where the canal freezes and the shawarma flows

Senators redSenators gold

Join the room Ask the neighbours

Welcome to the National Capital Region! Whether you're here for the festivals, the canal, or just the amazing food, there's always something happening. Get ready to embrace all four seasons and make some great memories.

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The room

One room for everyone around Ottawa–Gatineau. It never closes; when it's busy it splits into tables. Once you're in, you stay until you leave.

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Marketplace

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Things to do

  • Parliament Hill Seat of the Canadian government, iconic Gothic buildings
  • Rideau Canal UNESCO World Heritage site, becomes world's largest skating rink in winter
  • ByWard Market Historic farmers' market and nightlife district
  • Gatineau Park Vast nature park with hiking, biking, and cross-country skiing
  • National Gallery of Canada Houses renowned Canadian and Indigenous art
  • Canadian Museum of History Major museum on Canadian history and culture
  • Outdoors Skating on the Rideau Canal
  • Outdoors Hiking in Gatineau Park
  • With kids Visit the Canadian Museum of History
  • With kids Explore the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum
  • Evenings Bar hopping in ByWard Market
  • Evenings Live music on Elgin Street
  • Locals love Sugar shacks
  • Locals love Canal-side patios

Through the year

  • Winterlude February Winter festival with ice sculptures and canal skating
  • Canadian Tulip Festival May Display of millions of tulips
  • Ottawa Bluesfest July Major music festival
  • Ottawa International Animation Festival September Film festival for animation
  • Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival August Hot air balloon show

Ottawa has four distinct seasons, with cold, snowy winters and hot, humid summers. The best time to be out is during spring and fall, though winter offers the unique experience of skating on the canal. Best: Spring and fall are mild and pleasant, ideal for outdoor activities.

Talk like a local

“The Canal”
The Rideau Canal
“The Market”
ByWard Market
“The Hill”
Parliament Hill
“The Queensway”
Highway 417

Getaways

Local flavour

Teams

  • Ottawa Senators NHL
  • Ottawa Redblacks CFL
  • Ottawa Charge PWHL
  • Ottawa 67's OHL
  • Gatineau Olympiques QMJHL
  • Ottawa Atletico CPL
  • Ottawa Blackjacks CEBL
  • Ottawa Titans Frontier League
  • Carleton Ravens U Sports
  • Ottawa Gee-Gees U Sports

Eat and drink

  • BeaverTails Fried dough pastry, invented in Ottawa's ByWard Market.
  • Shawarma
  • Poutine A Quebec classic, especially beloved on the Gatineau side with local cheese curds.

Where people go

  • Sugar shacks Cabane à sucre in the Outaouais, serving maple taffy on snow.
  • Rideau Canal skateway
  • ByWard Market Historic market district with food stalls, pubs, and nightlife.
  • Parliament Hill The seat of Canada's government, with its Gothic revival architecture.
  • Gatineau Park A vast nature park with hiking, skiing, and panoramic views of the capital.

Heritage and traditions

Ottawa‑Gatineau is proud of being the bilingual capital of Canada, a city of grand landmarks and natural beauty, where the Rideau Canal freezes into the world's largest skating rink and the Parliament buildings light up the skyline.

This time of year in Ottawa–Gatineau

  • Fall colours Autumn Gatineau Park's foliage is spectacular in late September and October.

Say it like a local: “Tuque” — A winter hat, from Canadian French.

Festivals

  • Ottawa International Jazz Festival June A major jazz festival with international artists, held in late June.
  • Ottawa Chamberfest July The world's largest chamber music festival, featuring concerts in historic venues.
  • Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival June Dragon boat races on the Rideau Canal, with a festive atmosphere.
  • Ottawa Caribbean Carnival July A vibrant celebration of Caribbean culture with music, food, and a parade.
  • Festival Franco‑Ontarien June Celebrates Franco‑Ontarian culture with live music and performances.
  • Gatineau Loppet February A major cross‑country ski race in Gatineau Park, part of the Worldloppet series.

Landmarks with a story

  • Notre‑Dame Cathedral Basilica A stunning Gothic Revival cathedral in downtown Ottawa.
  • Diefenbunker A Cold War‑era underground bunker, now a museum, located in Carp.
  • Laurier House Former residence of Prime Ministers Sir Wilfrid Laurier and William Lyon Mackenzie King.
  • Mackenzie King Estate The ruins and gardens of the former prime minister's estate in Gatineau Park.
  • Bytown Museum Ottawa's oldest stone building, telling the city's early history.
  • National War Memorial Canada's national war memorial with the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Food traditions

  • Sugar bush breakfast A hearty meal of baked beans, ham, eggs, and pancakes with maple syrup, enjoyed at sugar shacks in early spring.
  • Maple taffy on snow Hot maple syrup poured onto clean snow to make a chewy candy, a sugar‑bush favourite.
  • Perogies and cabbage rolls Eastern European comfort food from the region's Ukrainian and Polish communities, often served at community dinners.
  • Tourtière A Quebec meat pie traditionally served during the Christmas season.
  • Late‑night shawarma Ottawa's famous shawarma with garlic sauce, pickles, and fries is a go‑to after a night out.

Music and arts

  • National Arts Centre The NAC hosts the Ottawa Symphony, theatre, and dance performances.
  • Ottawa Valley fiddling A distinct style of fiddle music with Scottish and Irish roots, popular at local gatherings.
  • Franco‑Ontarian music A vibrant French‑language music scene with artists like Damien Robitaille and Les Cowboys Fringants.
  • Indigenous art The Canadian Museum of History and local galleries showcase Indigenous art and crafts.

A little history

  • 1826 Bytown founded by Colonel John By.
  • 1832 Rideau Canal completed, linking Ottawa to Kingston.
  • 1857 Queen Victoria chooses Ottawa as the capital of Canada.
  • 1900 Great Fire of Ottawa destroys much of the downtown.
  • 1945 Gouzenko Affair: a Soviet defector exposes espionage rings in Canada.

Rivalries

  • Senators vs Maple Leafs NHL rivalry
  • 67's vs Olympiques OHL rivalry
  • Carleton Ravens vs Ottawa Gee-Gees U Sports rivalry
  • Redblacks vs Alouettes CFL rivalry
  • Game day Sens Mile
  • Game day Redblacks Walk
  • Outdoors Canoeing on the Rideau Canal
  • Outdoors Snowshoeing in Gatineau Park
  • With kids Canada Science and Technology Museum
  • With kids Children's Museum at the Museum of History

The region is bilingual, with many residents speaking both English and French. The local accent blends Canadian English with Quebec French, and you'll often hear code‑switching between the two languages.

Only here

  • The Rideau Canal skateway is the world's largest skating rink.
  • The ByWard Market is one of Canada's oldest continuously operating farmers' markets.
  • The Peace Tower carillon plays concerts on the hour and during special events.
  • The Diefenbunker is a Cold War‑era underground bunker, now a museum.
New here? A few tips
  • Learn some French, especially if you live on the Gatineau side; it's appreciated and often necessary.
  • Dress warmly in winter – temperatures can drop below −20°C, and the wind chill is real.
  • Use OC Transpo (Ottawa) and STO (Gatineau) for transit; the two systems connect at the interprovincial bridges.
  • Try shawarma and poutine early on – they're local staples.
  • Explore the ByWard Market and Gatineau Park; both are quick escapes from the city.

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Nearby

Every area
Prescott-RussellOntarioWhere the maple runs and the French echoes in the fields.Petite-NationQuebecWhere the river whispers through maple grovesLanark CountyOntarioWhere the Rideau winds through maple groves.Stormont, Dundas and GlengarryOntarioWhere the St. Lawrence meets the HighlandsCornwallOntarioWhere the river shapes our days and the maple runs sweet.Renfrew CountyOntarioWhere the Ottawa River runs deep and the forests stand tallMassenaNew YorkSmall towns, big river, endless sky.HawkesburyOntarioWhere the river meets the maple groves, and two cultures blend.

Ottawa - Gatineau. Areas from the US Census Bureau and Statistics Canada; places from GeoNames. Local flavour was written with a model and may have mistakes. Team names identify teams; no endorsement.

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