An enormous joie de vivre pervades Montréal. It's the largest city of the Québec province, the most French region of North America, and Montréal is modern in every regard. It's got skyscrapers in unexpected shapes and colors, a beautifully preserved historic district, and a large area of artists' lofts, boutiques, cafes, and restaurants. Cold and snowy a good 8 months of the year, its calendar is packed with festivals and events that bring out natives and guests in all four seasons. Here are 13 favorite moments in taking in this humming, bilingual metropolis.
Photo Caption: Parc du Mont-Royal, Montreal.
Strolling Vieux Montreal's Cobblestone Streets
Horse-drawn carriages gather at the plaza's base, and outdoor cafes, street performers, and flower sellers recall a Montreal of a century ago. Locals insist they would never go to a place so overrun by tourists which makes one wonder why so many of them do, in fact, congregate here. They take the sun and sip sangria on the terraces just as much as visitors do, enjoying the unfolding pageant.
Getting History Straight at Pointe-a-Calliere
In English
Pointe-à-Callière is called the Montréal Museum of Archaeology and History, and a first visit to Montréal might best begin here. Built on the very site where the original colony (called Pointe-à-Callière) was established in 1642, this modern museum engages in rare, beguiling ways.
Photo Caption: Pointe-a-Calliere, Montreal Museum of Archaeology and History.
Indulging in a Plate of Poutine
Unofficially the comfort food of the province of Québec, poutine is French fries topped with cheese curds and gravy. If that sounds off-putting, know that it's better than expected. Packed with flavor (and calories), it comes plain or dressed up with bacon, hot peppers, or even foie gras.
La Banquise in the Plateau Mont-Royal neighborhood is open 24 hours a day and has 25 varieties to feed your need.
Photo Caption: Poutine, the unofficial food of Quebec, is served at La Banquise in Montreal.
Stopping to Smell the Flowers at the Jardin Botanique
The city's marvelous
Jardin Botanique (Botanical Garden) spreads across 75 hectares (185 acres) and is a fragrant oasis 12 months a year. Spring, naturally, is when things really kick in, but year-round greenhouses are humid quarters to orchids, vanilla plants, rainforest flora, and more.
Photo Caption: The Chinese Garden at the Jardin Botanique in Montreal.
Being Wowed by the Sexy Cirque du Soleil
Cirque has been developing a small campus of buildings in this industrial zone since 1997. All new artists come here to train and live in residences on-site. The complex has a dance studio, acrobatic training rooms, workshops where the elaborate costumes and props are made, and a space large enough to erect a circus tent indoors. The company doesn’t have permanent performances in Montréal, although it frequently sets up its signature blue and yellow tents in spring or summer in Vieux Port for up to 10 weeks. For information about when they’re coming to the province (and where else in the world you can find a show), visit www.cirquedusoleil.com.
Spending a Whole Afternoon and Evening Strolling Plateau Mont-Royal
Thick with boutiques, restaurants, and sidewalk cafes, the main drags of boulevard St-Laurent (known to all as "the Main") and rue St-Denis are where to find the city at play and to join in. Especially fun: During 3 days in June known as "Main Madness," boulevard St-Laurent turns into a massive open-air market with designer-dress sales, food kiosks, and ad-hoc outdoor bars where people party into the wee hours.
Photo Caption: Eating at a sidewalk café in Plateau Mont-Royal in Montreal.
Sampling Local Beers at Brutopia
Montréal is a feast for beer fans, and most bars and restaurants offer at least a few local varieties.
Brutopia makes its beers on-site and offers an engaging selection each day.
Bílý Kun has local microbrews along with Czech offerings for comparison.
Photo Caption: Brutopia in Montreal.
Settling in for a Few Sets of Jazz
Jazz may be the most American of art forms, but it is widely embraced by America's neighbor to the north. The monster Festival International de Jazz de Montréal celebrated its 30th year in 2009, and is an annual highlight for 11 days in July. But finding good, live jazz is easy year-round.
Photo Caption: A performance at the Montreal Jazz Festival.
Scarfing Down a Smoked Meat Sandwich at Schwartz's
Even with world-renowned gourmet restaurants at their beck and call, returning visitors make it a priority to get to this modest storefront for the Hebrew delicatessen's unique smoked meat.
Photo Caption: Schwartz's in Montreal is famous for its smoked meat sandwich.
Pausing in Silence at the Basilique Notre-Dame
Once you see the
Basilique Notre-Dame's ornate and breathtaking altar, you might understand why the church's Protestant architect converted to Catholicism. For a surreal experience, come when the evening light show, called Et la lumiére fut (And then there was light), bathes the interior in colors and music.
Photo Caption: Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal, Quebec.
Biking the Canal and the City's Streets
The Lachine Canal was inaugurated in 1824 so that ships could bypass the Lachine Rapids on the way to the Great Lakes. After much renovation, it reopened in 1997 for recreational use. It's now lined with 19th-century industrial buildings and bike paths on both sides. Meanwhile, the city boasts an expanding network of more than 560km (348 miles) of bike paths for commuting and relaxing.
Photo Caption: Bike path along the Lachine Canal in Montreal.
Grooving to the Sounds of Hundreds of Bongos in Parc Mont-Royal
Every Sunday in warm weather, Montréalers in the upper Plateau neighborhood wake to a weekly pandemonium of percussion, and never seem to complain. Hundreds roll out of bed and join the musicians or the sunbathers surrounding them.
Shopping the Underground City
Large shopping complexes built below many of Montréal's busiest buildings are connected by a huge maze of pedestrian tunnels
