Montreal Travel

Montreal (Montréal) is unique in North America, blending a brash New World urbanity with the romantic charm of its European-flavoured historic districts and a Gallic sense of joie de vivre evident in the citys many pavement cafés and dynamic nightlife. Although its downtown skyscrapers are a testament to the economic clout of Canadas second largest city, visitors are more likely to be drawn by the promise of a horse-drawn calèche ride along the cobbled streets of Old Montreal near the St Lawrence River or around Mount Royal, the citys landmark.

Montreal is situated on an island, 50km by 16km (31 by 10 miles), sandwiched between the rivière des Prairies and the St Lawrence River. When Jacques Cartier first discovered the island in 1535, it was already inhabited the Iroquois village of Hochelaga stood at the foot of Mount Royal. By the time Paul de Chomedey, the Sieur de Maisonneuve, arrived in May 1642 to found Ville-Marie, the first permanent European settlement, Hochelaga had been abandoned. The cross on the top of Mount Royal, which is visible from much of the city, marks the spot where de Maisonneuve planted a wooden cross in thanks for the city being spared from flooding during its first winter. The French held onto their colony until 1760, when Montreal fell to the British, whose influence can be felt in the architecture of the beautiful 19th-century mansions and such institutions as the Museum of Fine Arts and McGill University.

French resentment at the English dominance in their economic affairs was one of the factors leading to the Quiet Revolution of the 1950s and 60s, culminating in the October Crisis in 1970 and the referendums on sovereignty in 1980 and 1995. As a result, French has become prevalent in the workplace and a number of Québécois companies are active in worldwide markets. Some 67% of the inhabitants claim French as a mother tongue, making Montréal the second most populous French-speaking city in the world. But Montreal is also home to a cosmopolitan mix of immigrants from around the globe, all of whom contribute to the rich cultural heritage and lively atmosphere of the city. This is never more evident than during one of the frequent large-scale festivals celebrated in downtown Montreal, notably the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, when tens of thousands of revellers fill the streets each day.

The charming buildings of Old Montreal, which was the heart of the city until the end of the 19th century, are today filled with boutiques, bars, hotels and restaurants. Montrealers and visitors alike promenade along the adjacent Old Port. The nearby islands in the St Lawrence (Ile Ste-Hélène and Ile Notre-Dame) were the site of the Expo 67 World Fair, and now comprise the citys largest park, Parc Jean-Drapeau. Another legacy of a major international event (the 1976 Summer Olympics) is the Olympic Stadium, which has the worlds tallest inclined tower and is next door to the citys expansive Botanical Garden.

The real Montreal, though, exists in neighbourhoods that celebrate their ethnic origins like Little Italy and Chinatown and especially the multicultural Plateau Mont-Royal. Boulevard St-Laurent (The Main), which runs through the Plateau and divides Montreal into east and west, is the citys most lively street, where the shops, bars and ethnic restaurants draw crowds until well into the night.

The best time to visit Montreal is in the summer, when even the nights can be sultry and the whole city seems to be partying, as the festival season moves into high gear. The cooler autumns bring out the colours in the leaves and are a great time to visit the forested Laurentians or the rolling hills of the Eastern Townships. Even the cold and snowy winters are bearable inside the Underground Citys network of shops and entertainment spots, if not on the ski slopes.

Montreal Tourist Office

Address: 1001 du Square-Dorchester St, Montréal, PQ H3B 1G2, Canada

Email: info@bonjourquebec.com

Phone: +1 514 873 2015/ +1 877 266 5687