Overview to Montreal: Travel Guide and Tourist Information
Sitting handsomely on the St. Lawrence River, Montreal is renowned as one of the most culturally vibrant and historic metropolises, not just in Canada, but in the whole of North America. It may not be overflowing with sights but, for charm and atmosphere, few cities can beat it.
Montreal’s heritage as an important fur-trading post is still evident in many parts of the Old City. Here, and in the nearby Old Port, attractive colonial buildings line the cobbled streets. The city’s past, however, dovetails neatly with a thriving present in its modern Downtown area.
More French is spoken in Montreal than any other city outside Paris. And, naturally, there’s a fair bit of ‘French’ (or Quebecoise) culture, too, like the oh-so-French Jean-Talon Public Market, where all manner of delicious produce can be bought.
For more alternative boutiques, Avenue Mont-Royal is the place to head for. Yet Montreal also boasts an altogether more unusual shopping experience; its underground shopping mall (known as the Reso) makes an important bolt hole when the mercury starts to drop.
Above ground, January is seen in with the Festival of Snow, a fantastic event featuring ice sculpting, skating and other snow-related activities. Another (less chilly) highpoint of the city’s calendar is Québec's national holiday – the Fête Nationale on June 24th.
In terms of nightlife, Canada’s second largest city has more than enough to satisfy even the most hedonistic of travelers. There's a great jazz scene (the Montreal Jazz Festival is internationally-renowned) and, elsewhere, live bands frequently play in the Plateau Mont-Royal and Mile End quarters.
The city is also a major gay travel destination with dozens of bars and clubs in its large Gay Village on (and around) Rues de Lormier and Berri. And this, essentially, represents yet another of Montreal’s great strengths; its tolerant and liberal values.
