Known as Hull until 2002, Gatineau is a French-speaking city across the Ottawa River from the city of Ottawa. There are nice views from Jacques-Cartier Park to the Parliament Buildings, the Rideau Hills and other important features of Ottawa. And the city’s grand Gatineau Park is a favorite of Canadian prime ministers such as William Lyon Mackenzie King.
First Nations people lived in the Gatineau area long before the first European settlement. The first French explorers, such as Champlain, arrived in 1613 and 1615, followed by forest people and other adventurers in search of furs. Around 1800, the American, Philemon Wright, started farming here using the slopes of the Chaudière and founded a colony which he named Hull after his parents’ birthplace in England. He sent a load of wood by raft to Québec and thus became the founder of an important industry.
Read also: Top Sights Tourist Attractions in Quebec
1 Canadian Museum of History
The beautiful Canadian Museum of History stands on the banks of the Gatineau, across from Ottawa’s Parliament Buildings, and a wall of windows looks out to Parliament Hill. The architect, Douglas Cardinal, wanted to evoke the vastness and diversity of the Canadian landscape with its flowing lines. The museum’s collections contain more than a million artifacts and some are on display in the First Peoples Hall, Canada Hall, and Grand Hall. There is a particular emphasis on the longhouses and totem poles of Pacific Northwest First Nations. A seven-storey IMAX screen always presents eye-catching, surprising films.
Address: 100 Laurier Street, Gatineau
Official site: https://www.civilization.ca/
2 Gatineau Park
Part of the Canadian Shield, Gatineau Park is a hilly forest and lake area near the Gatineau River. Some places are reserved for outdoor activities such as camping, jogging, hiking, horseback riding, swimming, fishing, cycling and downhill and cross-country skiing. Hiking trails through the southern part of the park make for an especially beautiful stroll in the fall as the leaves change color. There are also a number of attractions in the park. Lusk Cave is a marble cave open to the public for underground tours, while the Mackenzie King Estate is the grand historic residence of the former Prime Minister.
Address: 33 Scott Rd, Old Chelsea
Official site: https://www.ncc-ccn.gc.ca/places-to-visit/gatineau-park
3 Canadian Children’s Museum
Canadian children’s museum QUOI Media Group / photo modes
This enchanting museum within the Canadian History Museum allows children to discover the most remote corners of the world. Exhibitions have a strong atmosphere of play and invention with many practical and interactive functions.
Address: 100 Laurier St, Gatineau
Official site: https://www.civilization.ca/childrens-museum
4 Mackenzie King Estate
The estate of Canada’s longest-serving Prime Minister, William Lyon Mackenzie King, is found in the heart of Gatineau Park. The estate includes several small houses on a lakeside, including the main house, Moorside. Visitors can enjoy tea or a meal in the dining room and view items from the Mackenzie-King days. The romantic gardens feature picturesque ruins, which MacKenzie-King moved to the estate after the Canadian Parliament Building in Ottawa burned down in 1916.
Official site: https://www.ncc-ccn.gc.ca/places-to-visit/mackenzie-king-estate
5 Editor’s Pick Belvédère Champlain
Located about 16 miles from the Gatineau Park entrance, the Belvédère Champlain offers beautiful views of the Gatineau Hills. Especially in the fall, the orange-gold slopes cut a sharp contrast as they meet the rolling fields in the river valleys of Ottawa and Gatineau.
6 Jacques Cartier Park
Located on the banks of the Ottawa River, Jacques Cartier Park becomes an outdoor venue for many events and festivals throughout the year. The Canada Day celebration takes place here, as does Winterlude (Bal de Neige), when the park is transformed into a snow playground. Note: This Gatineau Park is easy to confuse with a larger national park of the same name near Quebec City.
Official site: https://www.ncc-ccn.gc.ca/places-to-visit/parks-paths/jacques-cartier-park
7 Moulin de Wakefield
The Moulin de Wakefield is located about 40 kilometers north of Gatineau (Highway 105) above the Pêche River just before it joins the Gatineau. Built in 1838 to mill flour, it has been restored to good condition and now operates as a (much more glamorous) Wakefield Mill Inn and Spa. Other historical attractions in the area include a steam train and pedestrian only Wakefield Covered Bridge.
60 Mill Rd, Wakefield
Official site: https://www.wakefieldmill.com
8 Lac Mousseau
The official summer residence of the Prime Minister of Canada is on Lac Mousseau, also known as Harrington Lake, in downtown Gatineau Park. Since the time of John Diefenbaker, the property has served this purpose, although the residence is not open to the public.
Where to Stay in Gatineau for Sightseeing
We recommend these great hotels in Gatineau near popular museums, shopping and restaurants:
- Hilton Lac-Leamy: luxury high-rise, lake view, spacious rooms, outdoor pool, luxury spa, rental bicycles.
- Ramada Plaza Gatineau: mid-range pricing, modern rooms and split-level suites, electric fireplaces, indoor pool.
- Les Suites Victoria: 3-star hotel, modern suites with kitchenettes, coffee makers, cozy café.
- Motel Adam: budget hotel, comfortable beds, outdoor pool, free parking.
Read also:
The History and Sites of Great Slave Lake
