Walking Tour 2

Downtown

Start: Bonaventure Métro station.

Finish: Musée des Beaux-Arts and rue Crescent.

Time: 1 1/2 hours.

Best Times: Weekdays in the morning or after 2pm, when the streets hum with big-city vibrancy but aren't too busy.

Worst Times: Weekdays from noon to 2pm, when the streets, stores, and restaurants are crowded with businesspeople on lunch-break errands; Monday, when museums are closed; and Sunday, when many stores are closed and the area is nearly deserted.

After a tour of Vieux-Montréal, a look around the commercial heart of the 21st-century city will highlight the ample contrast between these two areas. To see the city at its contemporary best, take the Métro to the Bonaventure stop to start this tour.

After you've emerged from the Métro station, the dramatic skyscraper immediately to the west (or directly above you, depending on which exit you take) is:

1. 1000 rue de la Gauchetière

Also called "Le 1000," this contribution to downtown Montréal is easily identified by its copper-and-blue pyramidal top, which rises to the maximum height permitted by the municipal building code. Inside, past an atrium planted with live trees, is an indoor skating rink.

Walk west on rue de la Gauchetière. Ahead is Le Marriott Château Champlain, whose distinctive facade of half-moon windows inspired its nickname "the Cheese Grater." Turn right on rue de la Cathedrale, heading north. At the next corner, you reach:

2. Boulevard René-Lévesque

Formerly Dorchester Boulevard, this primary street was renamed in 1988 following the death of René Lévesque, the Parti Québécois leader who led the movement for Québec independence and use of the French language. Boulevard René-Lévesque is the city's broadest downtown thoroughfare.

Across bd. René-Lévesque is:

3. Square Dorchester

This is one of downtown's central locations. It's a gathering point for tour buses and horse-drawn calèches, and the square's shade trees and benches invite lunchtime brown-baggers. This used to be called Dominion Square, but it was renamed for Baron Dorchester, an early English governor, when the adjacent street, once named for Dorchester, was changed to boulevard René-Lévesque. The square, which was recently spiffed up, was built over an old cemetery for 1832 cholera epidemic victims. Along the square's east side is the Sun Life Insurance building, built in three stages between 1914 and 1931, and the tallest building in Québec from 1931 until the skyscraper boom of the post-World War II era.

At the north end of the square is:

4. Montréal's Central Tourist Office

The Infotouriste Centre at 1255 rue Peel has maps and brochures, most of them free for the taking. You can also ask questions of the bilingual attendants, purchase tour tickets, make hotel reservations, or rent a car. It's open daily.

On bd. René-Lévesque at the corner of Square Dorchester is the:

5. Basilique-Cathédrale Marie-Reine-du-Monde

Suddenly get the feeling you're in Rome? This cathedral is a copy of St. Peter's Basilica, albeit a fraction of the size. It was built as the headquarters for Montréal's Roman Catholic bishop. The statue in front is of Bishop Ignace Bourget, the force behind the construction.

Continue on bd. René-Lévesque past the cathedral. In the next block, on the right, is:

6. Fairmont the Queen Elizabeth (Le Reine Elizabeth)

Montréal's largest hotel stands above Gare Centrale, the main railroad station. The Fairmont is where John Lennon and Yoko Ono had their famous weeklong "Bed-in for Peace" in 1969. Lennon fans should also note there is a garden in his honor in Parc Mont-Royal near the Peel Street entrance.

On the other side of bd. René-Lévesque, directly across from the hotel, is:

7. Place Ville-Marie

One thing to keep in mind is that the French word place, or plaza, sometimes means an outdoor square, such as Place Jacques-Cartier in Vieux-Montréal. Other times, it refers to a building or complex that includes stores and offices. Place Ville-Marie is in the latter category. Known as PVM to Montréalers, the glass building was considered a gem of the 1960s urban redevelopment efforts. Its architect? None other than I.M. Pei, who also designed the glass pyramid at the Louvre in Paris. Pei gave the skyscraper a cross-shaped footprint, recalling the cross atop Mont Royal. The complex was completed in 1962.

Continue on bd. René-Lévesque to the end of the block and turn left on rue University. As you walk, look to the top of the skyscraper a few blocks down; this pink, postmodern glass office building is Tour KPMG and was completed in 1987. The two-peaked top is meant to resemble a bishop's miter, or cap, but many see the ears and mask of a certain DC Comics superhero. In 2 blocks, you'll reach:

8. Rue Ste-Catherine

This is one of the city's prime shopping streets, with name brands, local businesses, and department stores. Among them, to the right, is La Baie -- or "the Bay" -- successor to the famous fur-trapping firm Hudson's Bay Co., founded in the 17th century. Also here is Henry Birks et Fils, a preeminent jeweler since 1879 -- the building alone is worth taking in. Inside the Birks Café is a decidedly posh spot to enjoy lunch, high tea, or buy some take-home chocolates or macaroons.

If you're in the mood to shop, stroll west on this main shopping drag. (Be aware that there are adult shops here, too, most of which are above street level and accessible by stairs.) To continue the tour, return to this corner and the:

9. Cathédrale Christ Church

Built from 1856 to 1859, this neo-Gothic building is the seat of the Anglican bishop of Montréal. The church garden is modeled on a medieval European cloister. In addition to Sunday's 10am Sung Eucharist and 4pm Choral Evensong, the church has services at 8am (7:45am Wed), noon, and 5:15pm on weekdays.

Walk east on rue Ste-Catherine to avenue Union, where the La Baie department store is. Turn left on av. Union and go north 3 blocks, to rue Sherbrooke. You'll be in front of McGill University's Schulich School of Music.

10. Java U

At the corner of Union and Sherbrooke is an outpost of the cheery Java U (626 rue Sherbrooke), a local coffee chain that got its start in 1996 at Concordia University. It's a buttoned-up venue with friendly, laid-back staff, serving quiches, salads, sandwich wraps, cake, and ice cream from local purveyor Bilboquet.

Head left (west) on rue Sherbrooke. This is the city's grand boulevard, and the rest of the tour will take you past the former mansions, ritzy hotels, high-end boutiques, and special museums that give it its personality today. One block down on the left is:

11. Musée McCord

This museum of Canadian history opened in 1921 and was substantially renovated in 1992. Named for its founder, David Ross McCord, the museum maintains an eclectic collection of photographs, paintings, and First Nations folk art. Its special exhibits make it especially worth a visit.

Continue west. On your right is:

12. McGill University

The gate is usually open to Canada's most prestigious university. It was founded in 1821 after a bequest from a Scottish-born fur trader, James McGill. The central campus mixes modern concrete and glass structures alongside older stone buildings and is the focal point for the school's 34,000 students.

On campus is the:

13. Musée Redpath

Housed in a building dating from 1882, this museum's main draws are the mummies in its Egyptian antiquities collection.

Continue on rue Sherbrooke. About 9m (30 ft.) past McGill's front gate, note the large stone on the lawn. This marks the:

14. Site of the Amerindian Hochelaga Settlement

Near this spot was the village of Hochelaga, a community of Iroquois who lived and farmed here before the first Europeans arrived. When French explorer Jacques Cartier stepped from his ship onto the land and visited Hochelaga in 1535, he noted that the village had 50 large homes, each housing several families. When the French returned in 1603, the village was empty.

15. Café Vasco da Gama

Downtown is full of restaurants both fancy and casual. Right in between is Café Vasco Da Gama, 1472 rue Peel (1 block south of rue Sherbrooke), a sleek, high-ceilinged eatery with a Portuguese feel -- the owners also run the esteemed Ferreira Café on the same block. It features big breakfasts, pastries, sandwiches, and tapas.

Two blocks farther down on rue Sherbrooke, at no. 1188, just past rue Stanley, is:

16. Maison Alcan

Rue Sherbrooke is the heart of what's known as the "Golden Square Mile." This is where the city's most luxurious residences of the 19th and early 20th centuries were, and where the vast majority of the country's wealthiest citizens lived. (For a period of time, 79 families who lived in this neighborhood controlled 80% of Canada's wealth.) Maison Alcan is an example of a modern office building that has nicely incorporated one of those 19th-century mansions into its late-20th-century facade. Step inside the lobby to see the results over to the right. Also look across the street at Maison Louis-Joseph Forget at no. 1195 and Maison Reid Wilson at no 1201. Both are designated historic monuments.

Continue on rue Sherbrooke, passing on your left the Holt Renfrew department store. At the corner of rue Crescent is the:

17. Musée des Beaux-Arts (Museum of Fine Arts)

This is Canada's oldest museum and Montréal's most prominent. The modern annex on the left side of rue Sherbrooke was added in 1991 and is connected to the original stately Beaux Arts building (1912) on the right side by an underground tunnel that doubles as a gallery. The adjacent church is being converted into an addition to the museum and was set to open in 2011.

There are several options at this point. If you have time to explore the museum, take the opportunity -- a visit to the Musée des Beaux-Arts should be part of any trip to Montréal. For high-end boutique shopping, continue on rue Sherbrooke. For drinking or eating, turn left onto:

18. Rue Crescent

Welcome to party central. Rue Crescent and nearby streets are the focal point of the downtown social and dining district. The area is largely yuppie-Anglo in character, if not necessarily in strict demographics. Crescent's first block is stocked with boutiques and jewelers, but the next 2 blocks are a gumbo of terraced bars and dance clubs, inexpensive pizza joints, and upscale restaurants, all drawing enthusiastic consumers looking to party the afternoon and evening away. It's hard to imagine that this was once a run-down slum slated for demolition. Luckily, buyers saw potential in these late-19th-century row houses and brought them back to life.

19. Sir Winston Churchill & Boustan

Lively spots for food and drink are abundant along rue Crescent. Sir Winston Churchill Pub (no. 1459) is one, if you can find a seat on the balcony.

For a satisfying snack, consider a filling shawarma sandwich from the unassuming Lebanese joint Boustan (no. 2020). Yes, that's former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau's photo at the register; he was a regular.