Notre-Dame Cathedral in Ottawa

Best church in all of Ottawa. Enjoy going to bilingual French/English mass.

One of the few actual basilicas in Canada, Notre Dame is worth visiting whether you are religious or not. The architecture and stained glass is stunning. I would love to come back and listen to the organs.There are formal visiting hours at the church is always open for a quiet, sit and contemplation.

Very unique experience. What an epic interior look. On weekends opens 4:30 to 6:30 pm as well which is nice.Couldnt experience beyond ground floor as access was closed though it was meant to be fully open.Parking on religious historic site being contracted is very sad to learn

Maravillosa arquitectura! Wonderful architecture located in downtown, close to Byward Market, Major Hill Park, National Art Gallery, embassies,etc. During this Summer, many weddings were celebrated here.

So beautiful! Was fortunate enough to visit when the organist was playing which added to the atmosphere. Definitely a must visit when in Ottawa. The time it opens is wrong on Google. I got their at around 11am on a Saturday and they were just opening the doors.

Very ornate. Stopped in for a quick look during visiting hours. If youre visiting and in the area, Id recommend stopping in to have a look.

Id seen photos online but nothing can really prepare you for how gorgeous this building is, inside and out! Truly beautiful - so glad we made the trip! Open from 10am to noon on weekdays - a must-see!

It is nothing in comparison to Notre Dame in Montreal (let alone the one in Paris). But still, I always appreciate beautiful architecture.

Right across the street from the National Gallery of Canada, one of Ottawas main attractions, is a building that is hard to miss because of its thin and extra high aluminum clad bell towers. This type of cladding is quite common in Eastern Ontario and Quebec, but less visible in other parts of the world. The interior of the church is rich in decorations and will make your visit worthwhile. The Notre Dame Cathedral Basilicais impeccably kept, indoors and outdoors.

Most beautiful church in Canada so far I visited ! The colors, the details just made me “WOW” I feel this Church structures details even much better than Norte Dame Cathedral Basilica Paris!! Must visit in Ottawa list!!

Its definitely a work of art! The high ceilings, the nuances of the architecture, the beautiful stained glass, the huge pipe organ on the upper level: everything is out of the world...exquisite would be the word!

Beautiful cathedral! Amazing venue. Great location. Plenty of paid parking. Attended a wedding during major heat wave and to my surprise there is no central air conditioning. There was no ventilation, no fans except for open windows. The biggest issue was however luck of microphone for the marrying couple. Nobody except possibly people in the first row in the church could hear their vows. That is a bit embarrassing and unacceptable for the most prestigious cathedral in Ottawa.

Beautiful, free to the public. If you are in the core of Ottawa this is a nice place to visit for sure.

Just the most beautiful cathedral Ive seen

Cool basilica in town, very impressive. No visits when they’re having mass.

This church popped up as a must see of those touristic attractions. It was mentioned gothic and blah blah blah. You had me at gothic.And off we went. One word-unbelievable!The craftsmanship is just jaw dropping. I couldn’t even figure out how to take life like pictures with my phone. It felt wrong knowing the photos would be blurred and brought upon injustice.I still took pictures just because I couldn’t believe how artistic the entire setting is.Respect the hours as it’s open during certain times and get yourself into a whole different period of time.

I loved this church. I guess it is the most beautiful one in Ottawa. The interior is extraordinary beautiful. We had a mass on Sunday it was so calm and peaceful. I highly recommend visiting this place it will give you an inner peace 😍😍If you go dont forget to check the big spider "Maman" in front of the church!!

Sadly, doors were closed when we pass by but the exteriors were astonishing.

Our family went to the evening Mass. It was a great experience for our whole family. There is paid parking at the church and you can visit all the other buildings in the area while parked there.The service was bilingual and as the only none bilingual one in the family I would recommend going to a service in your language so you can understand more of the service and teachings. The service provided catholic traditions and fundamental biblical teaching and was quite reflective.The building is spectacular and full of biblical history and characters. Truly something you must see and experience in Ottawa and in many older cities on that note. The pipe organ is something that is a must to hear and I believe is only played during Mass or other events. The sound is so powerful.Overall, no matter your experience with Church and Catholicism, I would recommend a visit.

Very nice, huge and elegant. It seems almost like the one in Montreal. Beautiful sculptures. Worth seeing if you are in Ottawa. It can be seen alongwith Rideau hall as they both are on Sussex drive.

Beautiful architecture and works of art inside!

Went on a Sunday, just before the afternoon mass. Bful interiors and worship place. There is a parking spot at the back of the church and is decent size. Its a paid parking and is reasonable. $5 for an hour. There are parking spots on the side road as well which again is paid.

Beautiful place to see. Paid parking available back side of the building. Friendly staff. Will explain anything you ask.

Beautiful basilica which houses relics of St. Aemilius stored in there is an architectural marvel with designs from two different design periods. The pointy stoops have a tin foil like design- which were famous from during the 18th century. The inside’s of the basilica is also awe inspiring with detailed design depicting various saints from the church along with Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Visitors are not allowed during mass but if you would like to attend mass, you can experience it in English, French or a Bilingual service. A must visit when you are in Ottawa!!

Its near Parliament, Rideau Canal Locks, Fairmont Chateau Laurier (Hotel), National Gallery of Canada, National Art Gallery, & Byward Market.Beautiful Catholic Church.

When in Ottawa downtown you can stop by here …. You can cover it in 5 mins …. So stop by and see this church …. It’s definitely worth it if you are around the area

A great place to visit in Ottawa where you can chose to spend anywhere between 5 to 50min depending upon how long you would like to sit and admire one of the most beautiful building of Ontario!The cathedral is stunning on the inside and if you are lucky you can get to attend a live prayer session!

Lots of positivity....had wonderful experience.must visit place of Ottowa👍

A beautiful place of prayer.Magnificent architecture.Parishioners are very friendly.Amazing place to visit.Accessible (walking)to many other places that you can visit.

We had our wedding booked with this church several months ago. Today, the office manager who was incredibly rude and unprofessional claimed to have received no deposit and no documents with regards to the booking, despite us having records of same and same having been confirmed by one of the other clerks there. It is an incredibly disorganized system. I highly recommend you book your wedding elsewhere. We were corresponding with different people throughout the process and most of our questions went unanswered. They have now cancelled our ceremony (one week before the weddingwithout even so much as a phone call (until today when I called to confirm and finalize what was left to be provided). To do this to a happy couple about to me married is simply astounding and to have such a disorganized office that is based on rudeness and unprofessionalism is much worse. There were no consistent follow ups, no information on the course to be taken and no answers to our questions. Take your wedding elsewhere and I know that my family and I will not be attending this Church any longer.

First time here with my friend. We are not religious but while visiting Ottawa we entered the Notre Dame Cathedral. It’s a beautiful cathedral. Acoustics fantastic. And amazing design we love it. Overall it was impressive. Recommended

We are not religious but while visiting Ottawa we entered the Notre Dame Cathedral. What a beautiful cathedral. We attended the sunday morning church service. Aucustics fantastic. Choir was amazing. Overall it was impressive

Amazing church, it transported us to a different world, the church structure and interior is beautiful, the choir was class apart

What a beautiful church! The design and artwork is exquisite and you can feel the solemnity and sacredness of the place. Indeed a great place of worship every Catholic coming to Ottawa should visit.

So dissapointed we could not visit inside. A real beauty of architecture!

The Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica in Ottawa is pretty stellar looking building! We snapped some pictures with the family, We didn’t tour the inside because it was closed when we arrived but the exterior is quite scenic and very photogenic! If you’re in byword market , downtown or near the parliament buildings it’s just a short walk from there!

The Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica has an astonishing architecture, It is beautiful from the outside to the inside. It is the oldest and largest church in Ottawa. On this site, there was a wooden Church (St. Jaquesbuilt in 1832 but it was destroyed in 1841 to create a new one with a Neo-classical design which was finished in 1844 (lower section). They decided to redesign the church with a Neo-Gothic structure (upper section). It was completed in 1846 and it was designed the "Cathedral of Bytown" in 1847. Very beautiful with a really interesting historic timeline.It is just across from the National Galery of Canada.

Amazing architecture inside out! You can feel the peace and serenity once you’re inside and you can’t help but stare at the artistic walls, sculptures, ceiling... Notre Dame Cathedral is located at the center of the city at a walking distance from many Ottawa attractions.

Beautiful cathedral a short walk from the market, worth visiting and especially if you have time to attend Mass. Beautifully decorated inside and out. Huge capacity. No gift shop or bookstore, unusual for a church this size.

Its a beautiful church with great architecture. Just across the street from Parliament Hill. Theres lots of parking around!

The building was smaller than what’ve expected when we went inside. With that said, the architecture did not disappoint us, the insides were just as gorgeous if not even prettier than it’s exterior.

Beautiful, breathtaking basilica. The inner peace and joy you experience as soon as you walk through those doors is unexplainable. Love it, beautiful experience worth the trip all the way from Brandon, Manitoba.

So beautiful....it really deserved to be preserved and visited! I am going there for my masses....wonderfull and blessed atmosphere

Beautiful surreal view and majestic architecture. The symmetry of the whole structure is mesmerizing indeed.

What a beautiful place to worship.This is one of the many gems in Ottawa.Parking was easy, stick to meter parking, its always much cheaper.

Loved it! Absolutely fantastic. Great church with mesmerizing artwork. It is so peaceful over there that you dont want to leave it.Classic example of historic artwork. I can go there again and again.Doesnt matter if you follow Jesus or not, if you respect other religions, you will love to be there.A must visit National Heritage beautifully maintained by management.....

Beautiful church. Make sure you check mass timings before you go as they shut it down for visitors. We got lucky and got a few pictures before they closed it. Amazing architecture though both from inside and outside. Free to visit.

Wouldn’t have second thought about this Catholic basilica being one of the most elegant church buildings whatsoever. On top of that, it definitely has a lot to tell over the ages. Initially was a wooden church, being the very first Catholic basilica in North America, priests sent from France, and the difference in architect styles of upper part from the lower part due to the then leading French priest’s decision to follow the prevailing trend. Not to mention of the silver color reflected by the tin material used to cover the top pointy parts. Lots to find out. Worth visiting over and over again.

Definitely to be visited if you are in Ottawa. Beautiful church, especially the ceiling. The architecture, otherwise as well, is absolutely amazing. Quite a peaceful place where you can relax and pray. This is the place where the famous singer Celine Dion got married.The paid parking lot is right behind the cathedral. There is some street parking as well but if you are there on a weekend, you may as well forget about getting any space in there. Many of the places of interest are close to the cathedral - National Gallery (right opposite), Parliament, Byward Market etc.

The architecture of this church stands as a representative of its era, prolific and majestic. The large and spacious interior is decorated with artifacts and the use of light. Very impressive...a must see