When we come to a new place, we always want not only to see the sights but also to get to know the city, country, people, their mentality, traditions, history, and culture. We get an idea of the city after a leisurely walk through the streets. We get a little insight into the locals and their mentality by meeting an interesting group in a bar. And we can learn the history of Ottawa and all of Canada by going to Upper Canada Village.

Getting out of the car there is like stepping over the threshold of a temporary portal. You are transported to old Canada, or rather to a part of it, to the Upper Canada Village. The village shows how the country looked in the sixties of the 19th century. This open-air museum appeared in 1962. And now Upper Canada Village is one of the largest replicas in the country.

This is not just a museum with old houses. This is a real village where people live: grow vegetables, take care of animals, bake bread, work in a factory, and ride along the streets in a horse-drawn carriage and drink coffee in a small cafe in their spare time.

The cool thing is that all 40 buildings in the village are real. This immerses you in the atmosphere of that time. Most of these buildings were relocated from abandoned villages that had to be flooded during construction on the Saint-Laurent Siway River. And it's not just about residential buildings. Mills, bakeries, and entire stores were also moved.

The locals, who are employees of the museum, are very kind. They conduct tours with a smile on their faces. They certainly like this place. The employees tell interesting stories about the cultural, religious, secular, and political life of that time. All of them are dressed in the outfits of the time. By the way, you can also dress up.

In the Upper Canada Village, you can visit a photo studio, look into a residential building, go to the vegetable garden and see how the farm is run, visit a wool-spinning factory, and take part in a variety of activities.

They advise you to visit the village before Christmas! It is especially beautiful at this time.