Temples and cathedrals in Ottawa

Answer: Parliament Hill with a neo-Gothic complex of buildings of the 1860s, designed by Thomas Fuller and Chillion Jones, is the hallmark of the city. The Basilica of Notre Dame in the neo-Gothic style with stained glass windows of 1879 and a carved oak altar is a masterpiece of sacred architecture. The National Gallery of Canada, in a 1988 glass building designed by Moshe Safdie, houses a collection from European masters to Inuit art.

Answer: Neo-Gothic dominates the Parliament Hill ensemble, where Charles Meredith designed the Central Block after the 1916 fire. Château-Laurier (1912) is a sample of the French château style created by Bradford Gilbert for the railway magnate Charles Hayes. Confederation Square combines Art Deco (National War Memorial 1939) and Modernism (National Arts Center 1969).

Answer: The Canadian Museum of Nature in a 1912 castle building with dinosaurs and interactive displays on biodiversity. The experimental farm is an active agricultural complex dating from 1886 with gardens, animals and historic buildings. The Museum of Science and Technology invites children to drive a locomotive and explore space in the halls with artifacts of the industrial era.

Answer: In winter, the Rideau Canal turns into the world’s largest skating rink (listed in the Guinness Book of Records), framed by Victorian buildings. Views from the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill span the Ottawa River and the Gatineau Hills. Sparks Street is a pedestrian zone with frescoes depicting historical events and ancient facades of banks of the XIX century.

Answer: Laurier House is the 1878 residence of Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier with preserved Victorian-era interiors. Confederate underground tunnels connect government buildings and are decorated with contemporary art. Fort Wellington of 1813 is a rare example of surviving British fortifications of the War of 1812 with the original barracks.

Answer: At Raizu Hall, the residence of the Governor General, Queen Victoria and Winston Churchill stayed. Prime Minister Mackenzie King was personally involved in designing the reconciliation memorial on Neil Avenue. In 1982, Queen Elizabeth II signed the Constitutional Act near Parliament Hill, ending the process of Canadian independence.