National Gallery of Canada

Ultra-modern and designed by Moshe Safdie, the National Gallery of Canada is an architectural masterpiece with prism-like glass towers that echo the lines of the nearby Parliament Buildings. The glass contrasts with the mock medieval Château Laurier, yet the attraction still fits well into Ottawa’s cityscape. Inside, galleries display aboriginal art, trace the development of Canadian art from religious works to the Group of Seven, explore European Impressionism, and show temporary exhibitions. The rooms of Inuit art are on the lower level under the glass-encased Great Hall. For more sightseeing, the National Gallery is well placed near many other Lower Town tourist attractions, including Notre-Dame and the Canadian War Museum.