To the point
This article includes suggestions for good restaurants and activities around the city of Gatineau.
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On both sides of the Ottawa River
The cities of Gatineau and Ottawa share the Ottawa River. They face each other, one in Quebec, the other in Ontario.
It’s easy to visit both cities on the same trip, because they’re only a bridge away. But while Ottawa, Canada’s capital, is well known, Gatineau deserves some introduction.
Let’s see what you can discover in Gatineau and its surroundings . For a weekend, during spring break or the summer vacations, or during the much appreciated Bal des Neiges, which takes place in both cities. As you wish.
Our selection of restaurants in Gatineau
Within walking distance of the Sheraton Gatineau-Ottawa if you are staying there, locals recommend the following restaurants:
- Le Cellier.
- Le Bistro Coqlicorne.
- La Maison Samorn which has been pleasing people of the neighbourhood for a while now.
- And the very popular Clandestin, cuisine créative.
- And finally, a small grocery store to get a picnic or eat on the terrace in summer.
A little further from the Sheraton Gatineau-Ottawa, by car, we recommend these:
- BBQ Shop.
- La pataterie hulloise.
- Le Foubrac – for its excellent burgers.
- Edgar’s on Bégin Street – often ranked among the best restaurants in Canada.
- Then La Squadra. No kidding, a chef who prepares Italian boxes for us to take away.
- Les Brasseurs du Temps, one of the most beautiful terraces in the region, offers excellent beers brewed on site.
- Maison Oddo, whose 35-year-old pastry chef from Gatineau, Benjamin Oddo , was elected best pastry chef in Quebec at the 2021 Gala des Lauriers for Quebec’s gastronomy. Not too shabby.
Activities in Gatineau
First, there is an unmissable visit to the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, where you can spend hours. Check out its collection of First Nations works. Oh! These totems. We also go there for its architecture, for its interactive activities at the Canadian Children’s Museum, for its 3D cinema and so much more.
The outdoor centre and beach at Lac-Leamy in Gatineau has a canoe and kayak rental center in the summer. In winter, snowshoes and cross-country skis are available.
Parc de la Gatineau offers various activities that will delight young and old alike:
- Snowshoeing. During the day but also under the stars.
- Skiing.
- Winter bike/Fat bike.
- Winter walking and hiking.
- Camping and accommodation.
- Mackenzie King Estate: for visiting th ruins and for the haunted walk (summer only) Dogs on a leash are allowed.
Take the Rogers Interzip with its interprovincial zipline that picks up in Gatineau and connects to Ottawa. An original way to get to the other side of the river! (Available in summer).
The activity has generated a lot of interest in 2021, the year of its inauguration.
Other activities in the Outaouais
- For skating fans, Eco Odyssée offers to ler you skate in its labyrinth. Also available on the water in the summer (can be done in the dark too).
- Another one to try, the Lac des Loups skating rink.
- Camp Fortune, Edelweiss (skiing, tubing and in summer, its new zipline and its famous mountain coaster).
- Monts Cascade. In winter, jump on your skis or go for a snowshoeing trip. In summer, go slide in the water park.
- Laflèche Caves. Besides skiing, we try ziplining and other activities.
- Mount Sainte-Marie
- Then in Chelsea, the extraordinary Nordik Spa-Nature!
And that’s it for the ten or so activities to do in Gatineau and the surrounding area.
Our reports in the region
We have done many photo reports in the Gatineau-Ottawa region:
Bottom line
We thought we’d write this article because Gatineau is a city that offers a wide range of opportunities for visitors.
Also, with a very affordable category 2 Marriott hotel, the Four Points Sheraton Gatineau-Ottawa, it became interesting to highlight what there was to do in the area. And this, before crossing the bridge.
We would like to thank Ms. Josée Madore, an expert member of our Facebook group and a local resident. She was able to direct us to the most interesting places to discover from her list of experiences.
