North America’s largest French-speaking city, Montréal sits on an island in the St. Lawrence and Ottawa rivers. It was named for the volcanic hill, Mont Royal, at its centre which was itself named by French explorer Jacques Cartier in 1535. Considered Canada’s art city, Montréal is a place that loves festivals, the arts, good food and hanging out in parks and on terraces; packed with joie de vivre, it is not only fun and quirky to discover, but to simply be and enjoy. Bearing that in mind, it’ll come as no surprise to hear that Montréal was once known as North America’s Sin City. In the 1920s and 30s you would come here to gamble, drink and party, far from the Prohibition rules of the USA.
At the heart of the city is Old Montréal and the Old Port. It is here that you’ll find historic buildings, charming cobble streets and winding staircase that invite exploration and famous landmarks like Basilique Notre-Dame and Place Jacques-Cartier. Around this old core are many charming neighbourhoods where you can best experience local life and the Montrealers fun-loving spirit – head to Mile End for independent bookstores and vintage boutiques and Little Italy & Villeray for markets and bakeries. The museums are also world-class – the Musée des Beaux-Arts, home to a huge, international art collection, Musée McCord Stewart, displays indigenous art, maps and fashion, and Pointe-à-Callière, for local history and archaeology – should be on any itinerary.
One can’t talk about Montréal without mentioning the food. The city boasts one of North America’s most dynamic food cultures with a blend of French culinary heritage and bold Québécois flavours with a vast array of immigrant influences, as well as the highest number of restaurants per capita in Canada. Don’t miss Montreal-stye bagels, smoked meal sandwiches and the local take on piri piri chicken.
