Ottawa

Ottawa of the XXI century is a city with a young population. Almost half of its residents are under the age of 35. They are the descendants of Europeans who came here in the last two hundred years. The capital boasts the highest level of education in Canada — more than half of its citizens have a degree, diploma, or certificate. Ottawa is a city with many different levels of educational institutions. Each year, the population of the capital grows significantly due to the students who come here from all over the world. Residents of the city are friendly and always welcome visitors.

In the second half of the XVIII century, this area was conquered by the British. They began to be built a fort, churches, enterprises for harvesting timber and furs. The first settlement, built with wooden houses, numbering about 2,000 people, appeared.

In the early part of the XIX century, a navigable canal began to be built between the Ottawa and Rideau Rivers. The population of the settlement increased due to construction workers up to 10 thousand people. The city was actively being built and continued to develop, with the lumber industry taking the lead in the city's economy.

At the end of 1857, Queen Victoria received a letter requesting to determine the capital of the Canadian state. Geography and politics tipped the scales in Ottawa's favor. In 1867, it was officially proclaimed the capital of Canada.

On Barracks Hill, not far from the Rideau Canal, the magnificent Houses of Parliament were built. The best engineers and builders were employed, and a considerable amount of money was spent. Ottawa was rapidly changing.

Today Canada's capital is the fourth-largest city in the country and the sixth-largest in the world in terms of quality of life. It is a cultural, economic, and technological center of international standing. Many of the world's companies have opened their research centers and offices here. The well-kept, green, highly developed infrastructure, comfortable, the picturesque capital of Canada is undoubtedly attractive for tourists, who come here from different corners of the world every year to see it with their own eyes.

In March, there is still snow, and the temperature does not rise above 0°C. The first snowfall is expected in November. Winter in Ottawa is harsh, with an average temperature of -11°C in January, but it can drop down to -25°C or even -30°C. Ottawa is considered the snowiest capital in the world and one of the coldest. It snows the most in December. Despite the cold, on the pre-New Year's Eve, people come here for the holiday mood, the atmosphere of magic. And also to go skating on the Rideau Canal.

• Visit the Papanack Park Zoo. The magnificent variety of fauna from all over the world makes a great impression. The zoo staff will be happy to share interesting information about any of the animals. You can even feed and pet many of them. This trip will bring pleasure not only to children but also to adults.
• Admire the beautiful birds of the picturesque island of Petrie, where, in peace and quiet, there are many species of birds. You can also watch the life of rare species of turtles, take unforgettable colorful, and vivid photos.
• Pay tribute to the women and men of the Canadian Navy at the Royal Canadian Navy Monument.
• Attend the largest tulip festival in the world, the Canadian Tulip Festival, held here every year from May 12 to 22. Enjoy this magnificent spectacle, a festival of color and tenderness.
• Go shopping at the St. Laurent Centre Mall. This is a huge shopping center, the largest in the city, with 195 stores of world-famous brands. You can recover from shopping in the beauty salon, creating a new look.
• Buy a silver or gold coin for good luck by visiting the Mint Museum. Here you can see the process of minting and gold coin weighing 100 kg, thanks to which the museum entered the Guinness Book of Records.
• Climb up to the viewing platform of the Tower of Parliament from where you can enjoy a dizzying view of Parliament Hill and the cityscape. Of course, it's worth a visit to Parliament itself to soak up the spirit and atmosphere of the country.
• Don't miss the changing of the guard at the Rideau Hall (the royal residence). Everyone can watch it, but only during the summer months. It is a truly colorful and unforgettable action.
• At the ByWard Market, buy cute things made by Indians and Eskimos. Elegant jewelry boxes, unusual masks, statuettes will be a wonderful reminder of this trip.
• See all the magnificence and variety of frost-resistant roses, peonies, lilacs, get aesthetic pleasure and the most positive emotions from communication with the most beautiful flowers of all colors and shades in the ornamental gardens of Ottawa.
• Try the tourtiere (meat pie with three kinds of meat), which takes about six hours to bake, and for dessert, order the famous nanaimo — a three-layer cake with chocolate, cookies, mint extract, and coconut chips, which is served chilled and will touch the delicate strings of the soul of the most demanding sweet tooth.