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Canada's second largest city is also the world's second-largest French-speaking city (behind Paris). Multilingual and multicultural, Montreal blends the fine taste and joie de vivre of France with the vigor and progress of Canada. Excellent parks and gardens, urban attractions, and historical spots abound throughout the spacious city. Montreal promises as much fun for long stays as for quick weekend trips.
Entertainment possibilities abound in Old Montreal (Vieux Montreal), the Old Port (Vieux-Port), downtown, Mont Royal, and Parc Jean-Drapeau, two islands across from Old Montreal. The city's Chinatown and Latin Quarter, just north of the old section, are worth exploration, too.
Place d'Armes, the oldest section of the city, offers an oasis of charm near the high-rise financial and government district. Centuries-old streets and squares invite exploration. The Chateau Ramezay, built in 1705 as the French governor's residence, is open as a museum of that period. Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours, built in 1773 for early sailors and voyageurs, is Montreal's oldest chapel. The Seminaire Saint-Sulpice, built between 1684 and 1687, is the oldest building in Montreal. Well-worth a look is the glorious interior of Notre-Dame Basilica, a common tourist spot, certainly, but for good reason.
Downtown attractions include Montreal's Place des Arts, a nine-acre complex of incredible architecture that features a great concert hall, a recital hall, and a theater. Visitors and residents alike enjoy Montreal's underground concourses. In these unique areas, such as Place Ville Marie and Place Bonaventure, weather is never an issue for an outing to restaurants, cinemas, cafes, and hundreds of shops. Visitors can take a subterranean tour on the noiseless, pneumatic-tire subway; each station sports a different design and displayed art.
Back outside, the Parc Jean-Drapeau, beautiful two-island site of Montreal's Expo '67 world's fair, features the Casino de Montreal, La Ronde amusement park, boat rentals, playing fields, skating areas, biking and walking paths, beautiful gardens, and floral displays. Biodome is also here on Ile Sainte-Helene. The former velodrome has been converted to reproduce ecosystems of the St. Lawrence marine world, the tropical rainforest, the Laurentian Forest, and the polar world.
Mont Royal spreads across the summit of a 748-foot hill; on the south slope is St. Joseph's Oratory. The basilica's dome height is second only to Saint Peter's in Rome, and it has an outstanding French carillon. The Art Deco buildings of the University of Montreal are not too far from here. In the summer, Mont Royal Park is a green island in the busy city; during winter, sleigh rides, tubing, cross-country skiing, and skating make it a popular destination.
Fine museums abound in Montreal. Downtown, the McCord Museum of Canadian History features paintings, folk art, native costumes, and other exhibits. The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts has an extensive collection that includes ancient Egyptian sculpture, fine silver, furniture, and modernist paintings. Other museums include the Musee d'art contemporain de Montreal (Museum of Contemporary Art), the Canadian Centre for Architecture, and the Montreal Planetarium, which offers sky shows and astronomy exhibits.
In Old Montreal, see the Montreal Museum of Archaeology and History (Pointe-a-Calliere).
On the city's northeast side, you'll find quiet Hochelaga-Maisonneuve. The neighborhood has a large block of recreational possibilities: Chinese and Japanese gardens, conservatories, and Montreal Insectarium are part of the Botanical Gardens, just north of Olympic Park. Built for the 1976 Summer Olympic Games, Olympic Park offers guided tours of the superb athletic facilities. Parc Maisonneuve, adjacent to both parks, is a municipal park with a nine-hole golf course.
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