A city trip between two Canadian capitals: the cobblestone streets of Old Montréal, the train to Ottawa and Parliament Hill. Bonus: a giant spider and a UNESCO-listed canal.
Day 1: Montréal#
- Check-in at Hôtel Bonaventure Montréal, perched on the roof of the Place Bonaventure Pavilion with its 2.5-acre garden and heated outdoor pool
- First encounter with the hotel’s resident squirrels — not so surprising when you know the property maintains a real natural park on its rooftops
- Drinks at Brewskey in the old town, a speakeasy-style cocktail bar tucked into the cobblestone streets of Vieux-Montréal
- Stroll along the Old Port, redesigned in 1992 for the city’s 350th anniversary, stretching 2.5 km along the St. Lawrence River
- Quai de l’Horloge: a summer urban beach at the foot of the Tour du Havre (1922), built in memory of Canadian sailors who fell during the First World War — 45 m tall with 192 steps to the top
- Grande Roue de Montréal: 60 m high, 42 climate-controlled gondolas, panoramic views over the river and the downtown skyline
- A stop in front of Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours, founded in 1657 by Marguerite Bourgeoys — known as “the sailors’ church” for the model ships hanging as votive offerings from its ceiling
- A walk around Marché Bonsecours, an 1847 neoclassical building with a silver dome visible from the St. Lawrence, formerly used as a provisional parliamentary venue
- A must-stop at Messorem Bracitorium microbrewery near the Lachine Canal, renowned for its wild ales and mixed oak barrel fermentations
Day 2: Ottawa#
- Montréal Central Station is directly accessible from Hôtel Bonaventure via the underground RESO network — handy with luggage
- Train journey Montréal → Ottawa in about 2 hours with VIA Rail
- Ottawa’s station is on the outskirts (Vanier neighbourhood, ~5 km from the centre): an Uber is essential to reach Hôtel Metcalfe by Gray Collection
- Territorial Prerogative sculpture on Sparks Street, Ottawa’s historic pedestrian street
- Guided tour of the Parliament of Canada: sessions have been held in the West Block since the renovation of the Centre Block (Peace Tower), expected to last until 2030
- Wandering around Parliament Hill, a national heritage site overlooking the Ottawa River, home to the Centennial Flame lit in 1967
- Statue of William Lyon Mackenzie King, the longest-serving Prime Minister in Canadian history (1921–1948)
- A walk along the Rideau Canal, built between 1826 and 1832 and designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007 — in winter, its 7.8 km freeze into the world’s largest naturally skating rink
- A stop in front of Maman by Louise Bourgeois, outside the National Gallery of Canada: 9 m tall in steel and bronze, carrying 26 white marble eggs in its sac — one of only 6 replicas in the world (Bilbao, London, Ottawa, St. Petersburg, Seoul, Tokyo)
- Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Ottawa, the city’s oldest church (1832), with its twin towers added in 1879
- An obligatory stop at Brasserie du Bas Canada in Gatineau, just across the Ottawa River
- 1 night at Metcalfe Hotel by Gray Collection, a 4-star boutique hotel steps from Parliament Hill
