Parliament Hill, Ottawa

The building of the Houses of Parliament was begun in 1860. In their Neo-Gothic style, they look as though they have been transplanted straight from Westminster. The part that was destroyed by fire in 1916 has been completely restored.

Set amidst lawns, in themselves a kind of sculpture park, the National Arts Center, the cultural "pulsating heart" of Ottawa, has three auditoria famous for their acoustics. Leading national and international orchestras, appear here, as do opera, theatre and dance companies.

Below Parliament Hill there is a really lovely walk that runs alongside the Ottawa River.

Canada's Supreme Court is to the south-east of the Parliament and has a glistening green roof. Built in 1875, it also has a good view of the Ottawa River.The Supreme Court interprets the Canadian constitution and is the highest court of appeal in the land. It hears criminal and civil cases from the ten provincial courts, the three territorial courts and from the Federal Court.

The Bytown Museum presents the history of Ottawa and Bytown (the original name for Ottawa) in the oldest stone building (1827) still standing in Ottawa. While the building of the Rideau Canal took place the building itself was used by royal engineers and Lt. Col. John By.

The two houses of Parliament, the House of Commons and the Senate, are in the buildings on either side of the Peace Tower, and can be visited, as part of a guided tour, along with Confederation Hall and the Hall of Honor (tickets can be obtained from the Information Service in the grounds, but apply in good time).

The Peace Tower (glockenspiel with 53 bells), was built in 1927 to commemorate the Canadian dead of the First World War.It is part of the Parliament Buildings and impossible to miss. This tower is often used as symbol of Ottawa and the Canadian Government.

The splendid Conference Centre in front of the Château Laurier was actually Ottawa's central station until that was transferred to the south eastern edge of the town in the 1980s.

The Mosaika Sound and Light Show is a unique experience with a sound and light show set to a narration on Canada's culture and landscape. The show runs nightly on Parliament Hill in Ottawa throughout the summer months.

Ottawa's latest grand mall, the Rideau Center, is an ultra-modern complex of shopping arcades, cinemas, restaurants and conference rooms, on what was railway land behind the former station.