National Gallery of Canada

Canada’s largest art gallery is a must, housing the largest collection of Canadian and Inuit art in the world. The structure is a piece of art in itself – one of Ottawa’s modern architectural gems. The striking ensemble of glass and pink granite was concocted by Moshe Safdie, a noted architect who also created Montréal’s well-known ‘Habitat’ (a unique apartment complex). His emphatic glass spires at the museum’s rear echo the ornate copper-topped towers of the Parliament nearby. The dialogue between the heavy metallic roof and the floating crystalline steeple is magical even on the dreariest of days.

On the interior, the vaulted galleries display classic and contemporary pieces with an emphasis on Canadian artists. The thoughtful chronological displays guide visitors through an annotated retelling of the nation’s history. The Inuit Gallery on the ground level fuses ancestral themes with modern media in the dedicated photography gallery next door (room B102 and B103). Beyond the slew of Canadian art, galleries of US and European works will please the eye with several recognizable names and masterpieces.

There are two smooth courtyards deep within the museum’s interior – both ooze Zen and tranquility, making them the perfect place to rest your eyes. Also hidden deep within is the unusual Rideau Street Convent Chapel. Built in 1888, this stunning wooden chapel was saved from demolition and restored piece-by-piece inside the gallery.

The complex, a 15-minute walk north of Parliament, takes at least two hours to navigate, and that’s without checking out the latest rotating exhibitions, video presentations and film archives.

Two levels of underground parking hide beneath the museum ($12 per day).