Ottawa, Canada’s multi-layered, multi-lingual capital, is a dynamic, convivial city framed by grand Gothic Parliament buildings, the scenic Rideau Canal, green parks and gardens, and wide-open public spaces. It's a place where the locals embrace cold weather by skating to school, work and social events on the Rideau Canal Skateway. During the first few weeks of February, the Winterlude Festival glistens city-wide with ice sculptures, lighting displays, artistic and culinary programs, a giant playground known as Snowflake Kingdom, and more. In the summer, the downtown area is alive with tulips, while fall drapes a fiery blanket of reds and yellows across the treetops.