Fodor's Expert Review Canadian War Museum

Emerging from the ground on a slant that reaches a peak of 24.5 meters (80 feet), the dramatic architecture of the new Canadian War Museum echoes the undulating European landscape where Canadians fought in the two World Wars. A path leads onto the grass-covered roof; the greenery symbolizes earth's regeneration over formerly bloody battlefields. The $136 million museum, opened May 2005, traces Canada's military history with artifacts and a re-creation of a walk-through trench, complete with bursting shells, to a replicated Peacekeepers' command post. In one cavernous gallery, you can walk around a huge collection of artillery and military vehicles including Hitler's Mercedes-Benz. The restaurant's outdoor patio overlooks the Ottawa River.