Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the fourth largest city in Canada, and the sixth-most living in the world. Ottawa, located at the confluence of the three rivers, has been the meeting, negotiation and conclusion of business deals for the North American Indians since time immemorial. On December 31, 1857, Queen Victoria appointed Ottawa the capital of Canada, preferring this small city of Quebec and Ontario at that time.

How to get to Ottawa

In Ottawa there is an international airport, in which every day there are many flights from Europe, the USA and other cities of Canada. You can get to the city from it in several ways:

• taxi, an average of $ 30 to the city center;
• Yow Airporter Shuttle - a shuttle bus that takes tourists to hotels. In the list of companies more than 30 hotels, sending every half hour, from 4:55 to 23:55, the ticket price is $ 15 (round trip - $ 25),
• bus OC Transpo, scheduled departure, on average, four times per hour, $ 3.25.

By bus

In addition, from any major Canadian city to Ottawa, you can get on the bus Greyhound. From Montreal, buses depart once per hour from 6am to midnight, the journey takes two and a half hours, and the ticket price starts at $ 22. From Toronto, buses depart every 2-3 hours and travel about five hours, the fare is from $ 55.

The bus station is in the city center, at the corner of Catherine Street and Kent Street, so most of the hotels and attractions can be reached on foot for 15-20 minutes or by bus number 4 (stops at two steps from the bus station). If you want to take a taxi, getting to the hotel will cost an average of $ 8 to $ 15.

By train

Also from any other Canadian city in Ottawa you can come by train Via Rail. The route from Montreal will take two and a half hours, the trains leave 6 times a day, the ticket price starts from $ 35. From Toronto will need to go four and a half hours, every day to Ottawa sent 5-6 trains, tickets - from $ 55.

In Ottawa there are two railway stations. The Ottawa station is not far from the center - five minutes by buses No. 94 and No. 95, but to get there from there to the center on foot, you need to navigate a little in the city.

The second station, Fallowfield Station, is in the western suburb of Barrhaven, you'd better get off at it if you want to get to Nepean or Kanata. From there you can also reach the center by bus number 95.

On auto

By car to Ottawa from Montreal, you can drive two hours on Highway 417 or four and a half hours from Toronto on Highway 401, 416 or 7. South of the city, just 45 minutes away, is the American city of Ogdensburg, New York ), and to the western border will have to travel about an hour longer.

The climate of Ottawa is

March 1, Sunday Overcast -4 ° С in the day -15 ° С at night ° С water	March 2, Monday Cloudy, light snow -3 ° С in the day -7 ° С at night ° С water	March 3, Tuesday Clearly -8 ° С in the day -16 ° С at night ° С water
Ottawa weather forecast for 10 days

In Ottawa, the humid continental climate. Winter continues from December to mid-March, although sometimes frosts continue even until May. The average daily temperature is -5C, but sometimes it falls below -20 C.

Summer lasts from mid-May to mid-September, the average temperature in early summer is + 25C, and from mid-July to late August usually rises above + 30C. Also for winter and summer, there are sharp temperature changes, so the most favorable season for visiting Ottawa is autumn.

See also the current weather forecast in Ottawa for the next days.

Transport Ottawa

Ottawa has OC Transpo buses, the fare for them is $ 3.25 for cash payments to the driver. Also for travel, you can buy tickets in advance for $ 1.25, for an adult, you need two tickets, for a child from 6 to 11 years - one, and children under 6 years can ride for free. For $ 7.50 you can buy a travel card for the whole day.

In Ottawa, there is a Transitway, where buses run on a dedicated route every 1-2 minutes during peak hours and a little less often during the rest of the time. Also in Ottawa are O-Train trains that use the Proof of Payment (POP) payment system or tickets that can be bought in a vending machine at a station for $ 2, 75. Children under 11 years old can ride on trains for free. ±​​$ br >

In addition, the city has more than 170 km of bicycle paths, some of which are combined with roads and some with pedestrian routes, and you can rent a bicycle and buy a map of the city almost anywhere. Bicycles can be transported on buses and trains.

• How much will it cost to travel from Ottawa airport to the Russian embassy?

Money

You can change money at the airport, but usually there, as well as in hotels and supermarkets, there is quite a large commission. The most popular are the exchangers Calforex and Accu-Rate Foreign Exchange.

Shopping and shopping

Among other not less interesting places of Ottawa, tourists have the market of Bayward, on the territory of which there are numerous cafes, shops, shops, restaurants. Very often there you can see the performance of street performers, an unusual excursion "Ghost Walk in the Old City Prison", the Hull-Chelsea-Wakefield steam railway, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police roundabout, the Bonsher Cave, the EcoOdyssee landscape labyrinth. ±​​$ br >

If the plans mean also to arrange an "easy shopping" - more than 20 largest shopping centers in Ottawa are waiting for their visitors. And certainly after such a rich program of recreation it is impossible to leave the most important city of Canada without luggage in the form of positive emotions, vivid impressions, new knowledge and a couple of souvenirs for friends.

Restaurants

If you are interested in budget cafes with an average score of about $ 5 per person, you can go to Budapest Delicatessen, located in the Byward Market, where you can offer a variety of European cuisine, or Elgin Street Diner (374 Elgin Street), if you decide to try Canadian cuisine .

In addition, Somerset Ave. has a Chinese quarter, and next to Preston Street - Little Italy, where you can easily find a restaurant with Italian cuisine. And in Zak's, a 24-hour cafe in ByWard Market, you can find the best milkshakes in town.

Somewhat more expensive will be lunch at Johnny Farina's located at Elgin St, Italian bistro da Sergio (338 Preston Street) or at Vineyards in ByWard Market, an excellent restaurant with a huge selection of different beers and a large wine list. Here the average bill is $ 15-25 for one person.

If you are interested in restaurants with an average score of about $ 150 for two, you can visit Domus at ByWard Market, a fine restaurant, whose chef has many awards, Signatures a five-star French restaurant located in the Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Institute, or the Mediterranean Issac's 64 Hundred in The West End. In ZenKitchen, which received the title of the best new restaurant in Ottawa in 2009, you can find a great selection of vegan dishes and enroll in cooking classes.

Ottawa Hotels - $

From the category of $ 150 +, you can recommend The Ottawa Marriott or Chateau Laurier, with an appropriate level of comfort, located next to the Parliament building, a stone's throw from most museums and shops.

Of the "standard" options, the Albert House Inn, a Victorian building, seems to deserve attention, as if descended from the pages of a classic novel (cost within $ 90-120 per person); Avalon Bed and Breakfast (single room - $ 75- $ 125); and Executive Suites The Bostonian - room rates starting at $ 104.

For budget accommodation: Ottawa Backpackers Inn - $ 24 per person per night; Barefoot Hostel - $ 38 a night and Ottawa Jail Hostel - $ 24.15 per night.

Museums of Ottawa

By the number of museums Ottawa is superior to all other Canadian cities. The most notable of these is the National Art Gallery, which contains the richest collection of paintings and sculptures not only by Canadian artists, but also by well-known European masters. In the exhibition there are canvases of El Greco, Cranach, Picasso, Leger and many others.

The Military Museum stores exhibits related to the First and Second World Wars, and by visiting the Cold War Museum, you can find yourself in a real bomb shelter.

The Museum of Civilization exhibits exhibits telling about the history of Canada, from the migration of Aborigines and the invasion of the Vikings to our time. The Agricultural Museum is a working cattle-breeding farm located within the city limits. You can ride a horse and have a picnic.

In the central part of the city there is a complex of buildings of Parliament, which are considered a symbol not of Ottawa itself, but of the whole of Canada. The Parliament building is decorated with towers, among which stands the 96-meter Tower of Peace. It contains the Book of Memory, which includes the names of residents of Canada who died during the First and Second World Wars, the Altar of Victims and Bells, capable of performing complex musical compositions.

Entertainment, Excursions and Attractions of Ottawa

More than 60 festivals are held every year in Ottawa. For example, in the summer you can visit: a festival of jazz, chamber music and blues. In addition, the Fringe Arts Festival and the Ferrari Festival take place in the summer, and on July 1 Canadians celebrate Canada's birthday.

In winter Winterlude, a festival of snow and ice sculptures, and in spring - Tulip Festival.

Photos Ottawa (22)