Ottawa is relaxed, but at the same time an adrenaline-seeker’s dream. It’s funky and kitsch and yet effortlessly cool with brewing, dining and arts scenes to rival anywhere in North America – and its absolute best comes in the summer months.
Cruising the Rideau canal
While Ottawa’s Rideau canal plays host to hundreds of daily ice skaters carving across its frozen surface during winter months, the Unesco world heritage site is just as appealing in summer. Jump aboard Rideau Canal Cruises’ fully electric barge – the only vessel of its kind in North America – and savour the perfect vantage point for some of Ottawa’s most scenic spots. You can take in Lansdowne Park and Dow’s Lake to the south and the gothic revival splendour of the Fairmont Château Laurier hotel closer to downtown.
Political manoeuvring – with a twist
Zen can be found in surprising pockets of Ottawa but none more surprising than in its very epicentre – Parliament Hill. Inside the doors of the nation’s halls of power, things may be particularly frenetic with a federal election coming up this autumn, but on the lawn outside the stunning house of commons, things are decidedly more chill every Wednesday afternoon. The free weekly yoga class is an absolute must for yogis and non-yogis of all abilities. Even prime minister Justin Trudeau, an enthusiast himself, has stopped in at a class or two. Just bring a mat – and some sunscreen – and get your downward dog on while the politicians get their debate on inside.
Photograph: Ottawa Tourism
Brewing up a storm
When former US president Barack Obama rekindled his bromance with Trudeau during a visit to the capital earlier this summer, it was pretty fitting that the pair caught up at a brewery. Ottawa is teeming with taphouses pouring out some of Canada’s best brews. Obama and Trudeau opted for Big Rig Brewing where they sampled the Canadian Amber and Alpha Bomb IPA respectively. But there is hoppy goodness to be found across the city. Beyond the Pale in Little Italy is a gem with great eats to soak up even better beers, while Canada’s first Kickstarter-funded brewery, Dominion City, is so worth the trip to the east end. Can’t decide between the options? Then let the experts at Brew Donkey guide you on an always-fun brewery bus tour.
The best season? Patio season
Summer is patio season. There’s nowhere better to enjoy those great local beers or some of the best cuisine in Canada than in the open air. The uber-stylish Andaz hotel in the ByWard Market may lay claim to the city’s best patio, a rooftop escape that offers stunning views. But there are scores of rivals. Tavern on the Falls boasts soothing waterfall views, while Tooth and Nail Brewing Co has a recently opened sun-kissed courtyard to go with great beers. The Brig Pub may have the most Insta-perfect open-air space of all – a canopy of hanging greenery that still leaves gaps for blue skies to pierce through.
Sounds of summer
The capital reverberates to music all summer long. Bluesfest is the biggest and boldest festival of the summer and boasts much more than just blues. Headliners this year include the Killers, Alt-J, Wu-Tang Clan and the Backstreet Boys. But from June through to September there really is something for everyone: Escapade sates all EDM lovers’ appetites; Chamberfest is the world’s biggest chamber music festival; there are five days of fireworks at the Canadian Museum of History with the Sound of Light competition and, yes, there is also a 10-day jazz festival that features some of the world’s biggest acts.
Please the palate at a walking pace
Ottawa’s food scene – a melting pot that bubbles over with flavours and aromas – is as diverse as its population. The city ranges from award-winning fine dining to adventurous ethnic holes in the wall, with plenty in between. But there are so many funky new places opening up that wrangling them all in can seem like a challenge. So why not pass the job off to someone else by joining a walking food tour? C’est Bon Cooking offers great guides to the city’s food culture, snaking through the top foodie neighbourhoods. Centretown and The Glebe might be the most happening neighbourhoods right now.
Waterways to pass the day
If the blue lagoon part of the Goliath sounds appealing, but little else, then keep things upright and a little lower on the adrenaline scale by hitting the waterways that course around the city. With temperatures on the rise, the summer months in Ottawa are made for water lovers. You can take to the Rideau canal in your own personal vessel, with kayak, paddleboat, canoe and stand-up paddleboard (SUP) rentals all available at the marina at Dow’s Lake. Venture beyond the canal to either the Ottawa or Gatineau rivers. Urban Ocean may be the pick of some great rental and guide firms, offering the chance to SUP in the shadows of Parliament Hill or SUP yoga by the Ottawa locks.
Live the high life … then drop
Not everything has to be chill in Ottawa – there are thrills too. Nowhere does the adrenaline flow freer and faster than at the Rock. Just a 20-minute drive from downtown, this stunning limestone gorge is a site to behold but looks even better upside down. Great Canadian Bungee offers the highest fall on the continent of North America — fully 61 metres (200 feet) into the aquamarine lagoon below. Even the 49-metre (160-foot) rebound is higher than the next biggest bungee in the US or Canada! If you’re not feeling the urge, watching others drop below is a thrill in itself!
Culture cravings satisfied
Ottawa is not just the country’s political centre. It lays claim to being Canada’s museum and gallery capital too. The sprawling National Gallery of Canada finds room for almost 100,000 works, by a distance the country’s biggest. This summer’s highlight sees the world’s first-ever exhibition devoted to the portrait work of post-impressionist master Paul Gauguin. But make time for the Canadian and Indigenous galleries too, where the country’s cultural heritage can be traced back 5,000 years. At the Ottawa Art Gallery’s stunning new home – shared with Le Germain hotel – catch the Wrapped in Culture project, a powerful reclamation project between Indigenous artists from Canada and Australia.
Go wild
So many summer visitors eschew Canadian cities and make straight for the great wilderness. Ottawa offers the best of both worlds. Drive even 10 minutes outside the city and you’ll find your natural paradise. Gatineau Park is over 350 sq kms of green goodness and yet its main entrance is just 4km from downtown. Hike to the Pink Lake lookout where the deepest aqua-green waters ensure that no filter is required for the perfect selfie. There are trails for all levels of hikers, and rookies and experts alike should finish up at the genteel 1900s surrounds of the Mackenzie King Estate, where tea and scones at the former residence of Canada’s longest-serving prime minister are just reward for the hike.
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