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Montréal

Travoley
Montréal
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Montréal Travel Guide

  • About Montreal
With its alluring fusion of cobblestone streets, flashy skyscrapers, European chic and North American swagger, Montreal is unlike any other city on the continent.Canada’s largest French-speaking city is happy to dish out a dose of old-world charm amid its grand heritage buildings and 18th- and 19th-century narrow lanes. But it’s a progressive city too: a creative hub, where swanky boutique hotels radiate contemporary cool, and a slew of flashy new skyscrapers are competing to make their mark on the skyline. This is a sophisticated riverside metropolis, crammed with cosmopolitan eateries, hyper-cool shops and a cornucopia of festivals.When it comes to sightseeing, there’s plenty to gawp at. Enjoy a horse-drawn carriage ride (calèche) along the St Laurence River in Old Montreal and amble down to the buzzing harbour front. Stroll to Plateau Mont-Royal, where wrought-iron staircases, designer fashion boutiques, a thriving arts scene and snazzy nightspots pepper its funky streets. Pop over to Mile End, home to Jewish, Greek and Italian communities, and a hipster magnet thanks to its quirky restaurants, cafés, shops and bars.Le Village Gai is one of North America’s largest gay districts, where you can dine alfresco in the summer when rue Sainte-Catherine becomes pedestrianised. Sip a cappuccino in Little Italy, home to the Jean-Talon Market, or escape from the urban hustle to Pôle des Rapides, a 21km (12-mile) park where you can enjoy a lazy cruise along the Lachine Canal.Foodies go bananas for Montreal’s finger-licking cuisine. The city claims to have the largest number of eateries per capita in North America, and its markets are something to truly savour – tuck into delicious specialities like crepes and fried squid and ubiquitous maple syrup products. The food truck phenomenon has taken Montreal by storm too, with an eclectic mix of vendors dishing up everything from dim sum to schnitzel.Up for a party? Montreal’s festival vibe is second-to-none, from world-class jamming at the International Jazz Festival to chuckles by the bucket load at the Just for Laughs Festival. And don’t miss the crazily chilly line-up of outdoor shows at winter festival Montréal en Lumière.
  • Montreal History
Montreal has ridden a rollercoaster up to the heady heights of being Canada’s commercial hub, plunging into economic gloom, then soaring back up to become a buzzing 21st-century success story.First Nations people occupied the island of Montreal as early as 4,000 years ago, eventually building fortified villages.One such place was the Iroquois village of Hochelaga at the foot of Mount Royal, ‘discovered’ by French explorer Jacques Cartier in 1535.But when another French explorer Samuel de Champlain arrived 70 years later, the settlement had gone.In 1642, Paul de Chomedey, sieur de Maisonneuve, created the first building blocks of modern Montreal.The French ruled the colony until 1760, when it was surrendered to the British.By 1832, Montreal had become a city. The opening of the Lachine Canal permitted ships to navigate the treacherous Lachine Rapids, while the construction of the Victoria Bridge established Montreal as a major railway hub.The city enjoyed a brief five-year spell as the capital of Canada. By 1860, Montreal was the largest city in British North America.In the early 20th century, the city’s fortunes waxed and waned; it became an alcoholic bolthole for Americans during Prohibition but the Great Depression led to mass unemployment.After WWII, Montreal’s population exceeded 1 million, the metro system was developed, and towering skyscrapers and motorways were built.Far-reaching social and political changes were ushered in during the 1960s and 1970s as a result of growing unease among the French-speaking population about the preservation of their language and culture.The 1976 election of the Parti Quebecois resulted in the migration of businesses and people from the city. Montreal was surpassed by Toronto as Canada’s commercial centre.The 1980s and 1990s were grim years, but the 21st century has seen a revival in Montreal’s fortunes as new industries have taken off.
  • Did you know?
John Lennon wrote ‘Give peace a chance’ during his ‘bed-in’ at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in 1969. It took Montreal 30 years to pay off the cost of hosting the 1976 Olympic Games. Montreal became a UNESCO City of Design in 2006.Weather in MontrealThe best time to visit Montreal is the summer, when the nights can be sultry and the whole city seems to be partying (notably during Festival International de Jazz de Montréal). Temperatures average 22°C (72°F) but can exceed 30°C (86°F). Conversely, cold fronts bring crisp, windy weather in the early and later parts of summer. Cooler autumns are a great time to visit the forested Laurentians or hills of the eastern townships. Even the cold and snowy winters are enjoyable – the city authorities maintain more than 150 skating rinks in the region as daily averages drop to -10°C (14°F).

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