London, Paris, Tokyo… Ottawa???

A barista in a Starbucks in Ottawa said the weirdest thing to me. After inquiring where I was from, she asked me what other part of Canada I was there to visit. According to her, no one comes to Canada just to see Ottawa.

That comment stuck with me. It had me wondering if she was just being humble about her nation’s capital. Or, do Canadians really feel that Ottawa is too dull to visit on its own?

Capital angst

Look, I know I’m biased. I adore my nation’s capital. Washington, D.C. is definitely among my top three favorite cities in the entire country. 

Having visited and lived in a number of other capitals across the globe, I have to admit I love most of them too! Paris, Seoul, London, Panama City, Prague, Beijing. They all have their own unique flair and appeal. So, the idea that someone wouldn’t be enthralled with their nation’s capital is somewhat of an enigma to me. 

Perhaps that malaise has something to do with Ottawa being sandwiched between two much larger hip cities: Toronto and Montreal. It’s like when people go visit California. There’s so much to see. Folks want to visit LA, or San Diego, or San Francisco. Hardly anyone talks about going on vacation to good ol’ Sacramento.

You oughta visit Ottawa

Whatever the reason for Ottawa’s less-favored status, we found the city to be quite charming. Here’s a few of my favorite places during our recent visit:

Canada’s Parliament

This is the #1 sight on my list because of the the amazing gothic architecture. Yes, it looks freakishly similar to England’s parliament and Big Ben, but so what? Canada is a Commonwealth country. It’s allowed.  

Walking the grounds around the parliament buildings allowed us to enjoy all the small details on the stone arches, windows, walls, and towers. Each thing we looked had such intricate features, it made you want to pause and spend more time taking it all in.  

The Canadian Supreme Court

Adjacent to the parliament building is Canada’s Supreme Court. It was a striking contrast to the parliament’s gothic architecture. The copper roof gives it that castle feel, while the rest of the building is a bit of an art deco/neoclassical mash-up. If you just glance at it, it seems a bit simple. But, the longer you stare, the more you realize the architect’s optical illusion of columns on the front, even though the pillars are flat. Pretty cool, huh?   

My favorite discovery about the Canadian Supreme Court was that the Chief Justice gets the title “The Right Honourable” before his or her name. Seriously, how cool of a title is that?? And the Canadian court doesn’t wear the traditional boring black robes. They wear red robes with a little cape trimmed in white fur. So, their official photo looks like a group of VERY well-educated Santa Clauses. (It makes RBG’s awesome jabots look downright subtle now.)

The Rideau Canal and Ottawa locks

The Rideau Canal is actually a UNESCO Word Heritage Site. The canal was built during the War of 1812 as a secure way for the British military to move supplies between Kingston and Montreal. It later became a route for commercial boats because it was easier to navigate than the St. Lawrence River. Though no longer used for this purpose, the locks are still in working order.

We were lucky enough to watch a small yacht go through a portion of the locks while we were there. It was painstakingly slow, since each set of gates had to be manually opened by three people once water sufficiently filled the lock.

Apparently at the end of the boating season, the city then prepares the canal to be the world’s largest largest skating rink during the winter! Seriously!

Royal Canadian Mint

After lunch, our sightseeing took us to the Royal Canadian Mint. For a completely reasonable entrance fee ($8.63 USD total for a family of three), we got a 40-minute guided tour of the Mint. And, how can you not love a government building that looks like a castle?  

During the tour, we learned what’s required to make Canadian currency legal tender and some of the unique aspects of their coins that make them different than others from around the world. For example, the monarch is always pictured on one side of the coin, and each time the crown changes, the direction the monarch faces is reversed. Additionally, the opposite side of each coin must be a Canadian-specific item designed by a Canadian artist. Our guide was exceptional, and I’d highly recommend the tour for visitors of all ages.