Rideau Hall is the official residence of the Governor General of Canada in Ottawa. Its main building consists of 170 rooms and 24 outbuildings. Rideau Hall is situated in a relatively inconspicuous place as compared to other buildings of equal rank, e.g. Buckingham Palace or the White House, which makes it look more like a private home. Rideau Hall is a place where Canadian prime ministers and other cabinet members take oath, and many other ceremonial and constitutional tasks are performed. General public can visit Rideau Hall on a guided tour. Every year nearly 200,000 people attend this place.

In 1817 Thomas McKay, an immigrant from Scotland and later a prominent contractor overseeing the Rideau Canal construction, chose this site and built here a stone residence. After several modifications in the course of years, the villa, thence known as the Rideau Hall, took its current shape. McKay and his family lived here until 1855.

In 1864, Queen Victoria chose Ottawa as a new capital for Canada. She took Rideau Hall on lease from the McKay family for $4,000 per year. The building was meant to serve as a momentary residence for the viceroy pending the construction of a government house. A new structure was added to the villa and Viscount Monck, the first Governor General of Canada, started to live here. The first function after the end of WWII was held at Rideau Hall for Dwight D. Eisenhower, then President of the United States.

Nowadays, the royal residence plays host to numerous events held all year round. Foreign guests of honour visiting the Hall plant in its garden a tree to mark their visit. During summer months, the garden sees many parties hosted by the viceroy. Also there are cricket matches played, organized by the Rideau Hall Cricket Association and Ottawa Valley Cricket Council, and many other outdoor activities, such as skating, tennis and toboggan runs, organized during the year.

In 1977, Rideau Hall and its grounds were designated a National Historic Site.

Ottawa City Hall stands between the Cartier Square Drill Hall and the Ottawa Court House. A complex of two joined buildings – a modern wing situated on Laurier Avenue and a 19th century heritage wing on Elgin Street – it has entrances on both these major streets. The main entrance, however, is on Laurier Avenue.

Built in 1990 as the headquarters of the former Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton, the modern wing serves as the main section of the City Hall. It contains the Council Chamber, a big atrium and a number of offices and public services. A large open plaza lies in front of the building and represents a popular venue for concerts, festivals, and other community events. Many sculptures, including a sound sculpture, and a fountain are also present there.

Originally this site was designed as a parade ground for the Drill Hall; there were series of buildings constructed during the Second World War to house military personnel. Several decades later, those buildings were demolished and the City Hall and Courthouse built in the place, designed by architects Horsey and Sheard, and made of Gloucester Blue Limestone and Ohio sandstone.

The old part of the City Hall was damaged by fire in 1931, following which the municipal government offices had to be temporarily moved to the Transportation Building. A new, permanent City Hall building was completed in 1958. Princess Margaret, a member of the Royal Family, inaugurated the building on 2nd August 1958. Known as the Old City Hall, this building was used as the city hall from 1958 to 2000. It was also the first fully air conditioned building in Ottawa.

Jim Durrell, mayor of Ottawa, planned to expand it but his scheme proved controversial. After a long opposition, the city council ruled in favour of the design. However, the new building was seen by some people as a waste of money while others liked it very much. In 1999, the Department of Affairs rented many of the building's offices and eventually filled up most of the available vacancies.

The Royal Canadian Mint in Ottawa houses one of the oldest (est. 1911) and one of the largest gold refineries in the Western Hemisphere. The new refinery was built in 1936 to refine gold for mines and central banks around the world. The Canadian Mint was officially opened by Lord Grey and his wife, Lady Grey, on January 2, 1908. Originally established to produce Canadian circulation coins, today the Royal Mint manufactures coins for other countries as well, including the Czech Republic and Zambia.

It also designs and produces collector coins made of gold, silver, palladium, and platinum. On top of that, the Mint creates medals, medallions and tokens, and offers gold and silver refinery and assay services.

The Canadian Mint was the first to produce 99.99% pure gold Maple Leaf coin for commercial distribution, thus establishing a new international gold standard. Its name is entered in The Guinness Book of World Records for producing 100 kg, 99.999% pure gold bullion coin worth $1 million. In order to ensure the best quality, each collector coin manufactured in Ottawa is thoroughly examined at the press. Visitors are allowed to see the minting process on a guided tour.

The National Gallery of Canada,located in the capital city Ottawa, Ontario, is one of Canada's premier art galleries. The Gallery is now housed in a glass and granite building on Sussex Drive with a notable view of the Canadian Parliament buildings on Parliament Hill. The acclaimed structure was designed by Moshe Safdie and opened in 1988. The Gallery's former director Jean Sutherland Boggs was chosen especially by Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau to oversee construction of the national gallery and museums. The Gallery has a large and varied collection of paintings, drawings, sculpture and photographs. Although its focus is on Canadian art, it holds works by many noted European artists. It has a strong contemporary art collection with some of Andy Warhol's most famous works. The Gallery organizes its own exhibits which travel across Canada and beyond, and hosts shows from around the world, often co-sponsored with other national art galleries and museums.

Set in the place where the first Catholic chapel once stood, Notre Dame Basilica is the oldest church in Ottawa that has survived for many centuries. In 1978, the Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica of Ottawa was officially marked as a historic building by the City Council.

In 1832, a small wooden church, known as St. Jacques Church, was erected on the site. In 1841 it was demolished with the plan of being replaced by a larger church. The latter was designed in a Neo-classical style by Antoine Robillard and Father Cannon. After the completion of the church's lower section, the construction was handed over to Father Telmon who redesigned it in a more famous Neo-Gothic style. As a result, the building features a combination of styles: Neo-classical in the lower section and Neo-Gothic in the rest of it.

The interior of the church is more brightly painted and more elaborately decorated than the exterior. There are superb stained glass windows and a large number of statues of different religious persons, the most notable of which is the gold plated statue of Madonna with twin spires. The church and its characteristic architectural features are clearly visible from the nearby Parliament Hill. The latest renovation of the church took place in the late 1990s.

Among other notable events that have taken place at Notre Dame Basilica are the funeral ceremonies of Governor General Georges Vanier and Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier. Visitors are free to enter the church and offer their prayers during the week. Many of the visitors, however, are attracted by the majestic grandeur of the building itself.

Founded by Lt-Col. John By in 1826, ByWard Market is one of largest and oldest public markets in the Canadian capital, commonly regarded as the birthplace of Ottawa. John By, responsible for engineering the Rideau Canal, laid out the market plan. While working on the town grid, he arranged for George and York Streets to be extra wide. The aim behind this was to make way for the horse-drawn carriages that daily transported grocery to the market.

ByWard has largely preserved its historical Victorian heritage. Since the 1840s, it has been a major commercial hub. Today, ByWard Market is still popular for vegetable and grocery shopping, which attracts tourists and locals alike.

Famous for its chic boutiques, high-end restaurants and glamourous nightclubs, the ByWard Market area only two-three decades ago was mostly a blue-collar Lower Town district inhabited by workers of Irish and French descent, predominantly lumbermen, supplying construction materials for the canal works in Hull.

Greatly adapted to the trends of today's Canadian society, ByWard Market is a prominent tourist destination in Ottawa. It is the foremost place for eating out, shopping, and entertainment, dotted with numerous restaurants and bars that have mushroomed in recent years. Swarming with street performers also, it is one of the liveliest places in the city, seeing on average 50,000 visitors each weekend during the summer. There are more than 260 stalls held by local farmers and artisans along with the stands of over 500 businesses. Other amenities found in the area include a community centre, child care facilities, schools, parks and places of worship.

Major's Hill Park is one of the most distinguished parks in downtown Ottawa. It is situated above the Rideau Canal at the spot where it empties into the Ottawa River. Because of its prime location, Major’s Hill Park is the site for many of Ottawa's exciting events such as Canada Day celebrations on July 1, annual Tulip Festival in May and February’s Winterlude Festival.

Laid out in 1874, the park was originally named after Colonel By, the engineer who built the Rideau Canal, and had his residence located on the site of the park. After his succession by Major Daniel Bolton, the name was changed to Major's Hill Park in 1832. In 1849, By's residence was destroyed by fire; the ruins of it are still visible today.

The National Capital Commission manages the park and has placed many interpretative panels displaying historical information in the northwest corner of the park. Dozens of artists come to Major’s Hill regularly to sell their works – paintings, clothing, woodworking, pottery, glass and jewelry – in the designated area called Artisans in the Park. During the Tulip Festival, the International Friendship Village presents countries that have made mark in the cultivation of tulips, among them Turkey, the Netherlands, and Japan. Many varieties of food are also available in the park, complete with many crafts activities to engage in.

Concert Stage operates day and night. During the day, it is open to all visitors free of charge. In the evening, the Concert Stage features big name artists and requires a ticket. The Family Zone, located at the north end of the park, abounds in various activities and teems with kids.

Major’s Hill Park is a peaceful retreat in the middle of the city. With its grand trees and pathways, it offers picturesque views of Ottawa’s major sites such as the Rideau Canal, the Parliament Buildings, the National Art Gallery, the Ottawa River, Sussex Drive and ByWard Market. It is a great place to walk during the summer months, enjoy ice cream from the street vendors, or sit on one of the many benches and soak up the moments of tranquillity. It is also a great urban picnic spot to be found in a close proximity to some of Ottawa's best restaurants and shops.