Recently in Ottawa Category

Canada is blessed with plenty of great art and culture, and if you happen to be in the capital city of Ottawa, you'll find it in abundance at the National Arts Centre. The NAC is the place to go to experience the country's best classical music, dance, and theater in a beautiful modern space with comfortable seating and flawless acoustics. Founded in 1969, the NAC Orchestra is well-versed in masterpieces from Mozart, Brahms, Haydn, and the like, but is known to jump into genres like Latin Jazz as well. NAC Dance, meanwhile, features outstanding ballet, jazz, and contemporary dance, and its Canril Ballet Series welcomes the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, the National Ballet of Canada, and Les Ballets de Monte Carlo. As with most Canadian institutions, the NAC Theater department is bilingual, and guests can choose between English and French versions of everything from Shakespeare to cutting-edge work by Canada's finest dramatists. Still haven't found something you like? Browse the offerings on the Fourth Stage, which hosts off-the-wall performances such as the Ottawa Storytellers Series and the Geggie Concert Series. Welcome to the Great Wild North. The National Arts Centre is a short three-block walk from the Sheraton Ottawa Hotel.

Although most people would love to take their under-13 children on international trips, sometimes the thought of the plane ride alone is just too much to bear. The good news is, you can just jet across the border to Canada with the kids and call them international travelers. Ottawa is the perfectly kid-friendly city, even (or maybe especially) in the coldest months of winter. During the first two weeks of February Winterlude takes over the city with ice sculptures, and the Rideau Canal becomes the world's longest skating rink for the duration of winter. And you won't even have to go through the rigamarole of pulling outerwear off the kids to eat in a restaurant, as some of the best food in Ottawa can be found in outdoor street carts offering everything from shwarma to poutine to pastries. Starwood has two kid-friendly properties in the city, too: the Sheraton Ottowa Hotel and The Westin Ottawa.

If you've read the New Yorker or The Economist lately, perhaps you have noticed that the Canadian capital of Ottawa is currently pushing a major ad campaign to attract tourists. But what is there to do in the Ontario city? We found a great guide at the unlikely source of a small Alabama newspaper. The Decatur Daily's Ottawa roundup covers city attractions such as the changing of the guard, the Canadian Parliament, the Byward Market, the National Gallery of Art, the Canadian War Museum and the Rideau Canal. The Westin Ottawa is conveniently located in downtown Ottawa.