Canada's most underrated city is now within easier reach than ever

Telegraph

26-02-2025

When I visited Ottawa in January, winter was in full blast. Snow lay thick on the ground and during the day, the temperature hovered around –15C. A bad time to visit, then? Not at all. With layers, gloves and a rather unflattering woolly hat – or tuque, as the locals would say – Canada was my oyster.
In any case, things should be warming up in the country's capital when – after a five-year hiatus – Air Canada resumes non-stop flights there from Heathrow on March 31. It will provide a golden opportunity for British tourists, who will find this friendly city is a marvellous alternative gateway to both Ontario and Quebec (the French-speaking province lies immediately across the Ottawa river, so close you can practically smell the croissants), with plenty to keep you occupied before you leave town, including a lively food scene.
Ottawa is a city of distinct seasons – all of them offering their own charm and character. In winter, there are plenty of bright, clear days, ideal for hiring skates and gliding along the frozen Rideau Canal through the heart of the city, with the national parliament buildings as your backdrop (£19 for two hours; rideaucanalskateway.com). Some locals even use it to commute to work.
Afterwards, warm up with a hot chocolate or a flat white at Little Victories on Elgin Street (lvcoffee.ca) – and eavesdrop on the lobbyists who use the coffee house as a second office – or see behind the scenes of Canadian democracy with a free 'immersive experience' at the visitor centre on Sparks Street, or a free guided tour of the temporary home of the upper house, the Senate, housed in the city's rather grand 1912 railway station (visit.parl.ca). It's also practically mandatory to attend an Ottawa Senators' game to soak up the atmosphere of the country's national sport (nhl.com/senators).
If you're in town in February, you'll likely overlap with the giant annual street party, Winterlude: an extravaganza of ice sculptures, live DJs and local stalls (beer and Beaver Tails – flat sugary doughnuts with various toppings – anyone?).
Come in March or April, and the city is awash with tulips – around a million of them – an annual thank-you from the Dutch for hosting their royal family during the Second World War, and for Canadian help in liberating their country from Nazi occupation in 1945. It's in late April and May that the bloom really comes into its own, however, with a 10-day annual festival celebrating the revered bulbs (tulipfestival.ca).
Summer brings warm days, late nights, and a shift to the great outdoors, whether that's to a pavement café, or to go hiking or canoeing. If you want to explore the great Canadian outdoors, Gatineau Park is just 25 minutes away by car – the area's largest protected green space (140 square miles), with hiking and cycling trails, as well as swimming, kayaking and picnic spots. In summer there's also a free shuttle bus which runs from the downtown area.
In autumn, Ottawa paints itself in fall colour, with maple, oak and birch trees creating gorgeous palettes of yellows, oranges and reds. Cooler temperatures also mean a perfect excuse to tuck into traditional poutine: chips loaded with cheese curds and gravy – some of the best of which can be found at Jean Burger near Wakefield, where Gallic influence means washing them down with a glass of local cidre or cabernet sauvignon (jburger.ca).
The city is also a treasure trove of museums and galleries. The Canadian Museum of Nature is set in an Edwardian castle-like building with an impressive modern glass extension, home to numerous dinosaur skeletons and exhibits about First Nations groups and Canadian wildlife (£10; nature.ca).
Just across the river in Gatineau, you'll find the Canadian Museum of History. Its Grand Hall has an impressive collection of indigenous totem poles, and there are usually immersive film experiences playing to keep younger ones interested (£13; historymuseum.ca).
Cut through Major's Hill Park and along the path to sculptures in newly renovated Kìwekì Point, where you will also get great views of Parliament Hill, before carrying on to Moshe Safdie's 1998 building that houses the National Gallery of Canada (£10; gallery.ca).
There's an impressive collection of Canadian and European paintings, drawings and photography, and even a 19th-century chapel that was dismantled in the 1970s and brought here, now an exhibit with 40 speakers reproducing the sound of a choir, each speaker highlighting one individual voice.
Afterwards, it's a 10-minute walk to Byward Market (byward-market.com), which opened in 1848 and is packed with cafés, restaurants, pubs and bars – though it's far from the city's only excellent dining option. Burgers at Starling (£16, starlingottawa.ca) and cheesy French onion soup at the Metropolitan Brasserie (£8; metropolitanbrasserie.com) were highlights of my visit, while in summer, the restaurants dotting Somerset Street West spill out onto the pedestrianised street so you can enjoy the long daylight hours.
If food is really your thing, there are even fine-dining food tours, led by a local guide, on which you will have a starter at one restaurant, main at another, then dessert at a third, with a cocktail or wine at each. C'est Bon offers a particularly good gastronomic safari along these lines (£155; cestbonottawa.ca).
When you're planning a Canadian holiday, Ottawa might not be the most obvious start or end point – but give it a go, and you will be pleasantly surprised.
Opt for the new flight, and you will miss the worst of the cold weather – not that it matters; the locals here are far too polite to laugh at unfetching woolly hats.
Essentials
Will Hide travelled as a guest of Ottawa Tourism (ottawatourism.ca) and stayed at Le Germain Hotel (room-only doubles from £177; germainhotels.com). Air Canada (aircanada.com) offers nonstop Heathrow-Ottawa flights four times a week starting from March 31, from £543.