Recreation
Ottawa is a great place to have fun and unwind – whether
you’re here for a visit or a resident of our community, there
are unsurpassed cultural assets to enjoy, professional sports teams
to cheer on, and a wealth of parks, beaches, golf courses, waterways,
ski trails, bicycling, jogging paths and entertainment venues to
help you relax.
Arts and culture
In Ottawa, there are dozens of cultural assets to enjoy, from
the National Arts Centre and the National Gallery of Canada to the
Canadian Museum of Civilization and the many other museums, libraries,
archives and historic monuments that showcase the region's history,
its culture and its heritage.
Ottawa is always alive with the sounds of music – from music
festivals to live performances of pop, folk, blues, rock, celtic,
jazz, alternative and classical music to Opera Lyra and the National
Arts Centre Orchestra’s astounding performances. There is
always something to listen to in Ottawa!
Ottawa is also home to many performing arts organizations who bring
theatre, comedy and dance to life on stages around the region.
To find out more about upcoming arts and culture events in Ottawa,
visit Ottawa Tourism’s
website or the National
Capital Commission.

Shopping, dining and night life
In Ottawa, there are several major shopping centres and districts,
and a wide variety of fine dining establishments for all tastes.
Learn more about shopping and dining in Ottawa by visiting Ottawa
Tourism’s website.
Ottawa supports an active night life in a wide variety of venues
around the region. From live music and pubs to fine dining and dancing,
Ottawa has a lot to offer. There are several major night life districts
to choose from; all offer a number of choices for nightly entertainment,
from sophisticated bistros and elegant bars to Celtic pubs and alternative
music venues. Visit Ottawa’s
Tourism site to learn more.

Sports
The Ottawa region boasts professional sports teams and plenty of
community athletic and leisure centres that offer a variety of sports
choices for participants and spectators alike.
For upcoming games and tickets:
To participate in Ottawa sports, learn more by visiting the following
links:
Outdoor adventure
A healthy and active lifestyle becomes second nature with Ottawa's
wealth of parks, forests, waterways and open spaces. Covering an
area of 4,662 square kilometres (1,800 square miles), the Ottawa
region conveys a luxurious sense of space. Hundreds of kilometres
of cross-country ski trails and bicycling, rollerblading and jogging
paths crisscross the region, and wind alongside the three rivers
and canal that converge on the heart of the city.
Surrounding the urban core is a 532-square-kilometre (205-square-mile)
"emerald necklace," a unique and precious preserve of
federally owned open space - parkland, forests, wetlands and even
a working farm. No wonder Ottawa is widely praised as one of the
greenest capitals of the world. And yet, as all the locals know,
one of the best things about the Ottawa region is that it's easy
to get around! Just minutes from downtown are some of the region's
finest beaches, golf courses, ski hills and whitewater rafting spots,
while not far away lie the hundreds of lakes of cottage country.
In just a few minutes, you can reach the beautiful forests, trails
and walkways of Gatineau Park – a great place to visit any
time of year. For a change of pace, try hot air ballooning, a sunset
ride on a bicycle built for two, skating on the world’s longest
outdoor rink, or even taking a romantic gondola ride on the Rideau
Canal! For more daring adventurers, Ottawa also offers skydiving,
bungee jumping, windsurfing, skateboard parks, kayaking and scuba
diving!
Learn more about outdoor activities by visiting Ottawa Tourism’s


|