Ottawa, Canada’s beautiful capital city, experiences four distinct seasons, with temperatures that can reach beyond 90 degrees Fahrenheit in summer and fall far below freezing in winter. And while Ottawa embraces each one, no season is more anticipated than spring, when migrating birds return from their winter ranges in the South, flowers start pushing up in beds across the city, and visitors return in droves to enjoy seasonal and year-round attractions and experiences. Here are five of the top things they come to see and do:
1. Canadian Tulip Festival
Held each May since 1953, this perennial favorite celebrates the return of spring against a backdrop of a million tulips blooming in massive gardens across the region. Centered at Commissioners Park next to the Rideau Canal, the 2023 festival will run May 13–23 and feature live entertainment, garden tours, activities for young and old, and a closing fireworks extravaganza. The festival traces its origins back to the Second World War, when the Dutch royal family escaped to the safety of Ottawa. When Queen Juliana (who had given birth to a baby princess while in Ottawa) returned to the Netherlands, she thanked the city and Canada with a gift of 100,000 tulip bulbs. Today, their annual blooms attract flocks of photo enthusiasts.
2. Camp Fortune
Located 20 minutes north of downtown Ottawa in the breathtaking Gatineau Park, Camp Fortune is a four-season resort offering adventure experiences that will take your breath away. Once the snow melts from its ski runs, the resort offers exciting spring, summer, and fall experiences. Its Aerial Park is for those with no fear of heights, with activities that take them into the treetops, across bridges, and through the air on ziplines. Its new Mountain Coaster departs from the top of the chairlift and plunges down a monorail track through the forest and onto ski runs, reaching speeds of up to 25 miles per hour (though riders can control the speed). And for something even more exhilarating, Camp Fortune will open in May 2023 an all-new, 4,478-foot zipline that will zig-zag from peak to peak across the resort. Strap in and take the plunge!
