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Montreal - City on the St. Lawrence
Located at the confluence of the Saint Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers, Montreal is
the largest city in the Canadian province of Quebec and the second-largest
city in Canada. It was the largest city in Canada until the 1970s, when it was
surpassed in size by Toronto. Originally called Ville-Marie 'City of Mary',
Montreal takes its present name from Mount Royal, the three-headed hill at the
heart of the city, whose name was also initially given to the island on which
the city was built.
Montreal is largest French-speaking city in North America. It is one of the
five largest French-speaking cities in the world, second only to Paris.
The port of Montreal lies at one end of the Saint Lawrence Seaway, which is
the river gateway that stretches from the Great Lakes into the Atlantic Ocean.
One of the main attractions for visitors are the stunning views of the city of
Montreal from the top of Mount Royal itself. But there's much more to this
city on the St. Lawrence River than natural wonders, as abundant as those are.
In addition to the museums, galleries and many cultural attractions on offer,
Montreal is home to a couple of world class churches for those who enjoy
religious and sacred sites.
St. Joseph's Oratory atop Mont Royal has the second largest dome in the
world, following only St. Peter's in Rome. This unusual work of devotion by
Brother Andre was constructed at his urging and holds his very heart,
preserved in a glass case inside.
Montreal also is home to a church named Notre-Dame, but unlike many of
that name around the world, it is a respectable rival for its more famous
cousin in Paris. Filled with amazing wood and marble carvings, and offering a
stellar view from the balcony inside, it should be on your must-see travel
sights list.
But this French-origin city offers more worldly pursuits as well. The
Casino de Montreal offers a fine alternative to Atlantic City in New Jersey.
The building sparkles inside and out, a true competitor to and combination of
Monte Carlo and Las Vegas. With over 3,000 slots, 120 gaming tables and filled
with running brooks, ponds and fountains - inside the casino - gamblers and
gawkers alike will not be disappointed.
Montreal is also home to a Museum of Archaeology and History that will give
visitors a literal in-depth look at the artifacts of the city's past. Housed
partly underground, tourists can see many of the objects unearthed and
displayed in the exact locations they were found. For more modern objects of
interest, spend some time at the Museum of Fine Arts (Musée de Beaux Arts).
It contains a diverse and beautiful colllection of 18th
and 19th century European paintings and decorative arts. It also offers an
array of symbolic and utilitarian items from the native populations across
Canada.
For a leisurely stroll among the fine flora of Quebec, one could do no
better than the Jardin de Botanique, the city's botanical gardens. Full of an
amazing scope and variety of plants, it is one of the most peaceful sites in
the area. But to see something buzzing with activity, wend your way over to
the Insectarium and see the transparent beehives and anthills. Offering
numerous displays of mounted butterflies, along with hundreds of live spiders
and other insects you never knew existed, it's a delight for kid and adult
alike. The Ornamental Black and White Tarantula and the Tailess Whip Scorpion
await you.
Then learn all about the human animal and its products by visiting iSci,
Le Centre des Sciences de Montréal. Full of fascinating interactive displays,
you could spend a day exploring all it has to offer. Fully exposed muscled
skeletons show how the body works in action, while computers in the
Information Studio show you the latest tools for learning.
Take a peak at raw nature in the Biodome. A series of ecosystems from
around the world, it covers the extremes. From the Polar World of the Arctic
and the Antarctic, to the Tropical Forest of South America, you'll see a
glimpse of what life is like without the technology displayed in iSci.
Then visit the Canadian Center for Architecture and see some of the
finest creations humans have made out of those raw materials. The library
holds 165,000 volumes containing sketches and more. Ongoing exhibits provide
in-depth coverage of great builders of the past and present. The two buildings
of the museum itself offer visitors a look at two. One is an 1874 mansion, the
other a modern U-shaped structure embracing it.
Montreal has a wider range of unusual and interesting sights to see and
things to do than almost any other major city. Not usually on the top ten list
of cities for tourists, it should be.
Montreal's Underground City
No vacation in Montreal would be complete without a visit to the Underground City... so far ahead of its time 40 years ago it seemed like science fiction. This network of tunnels under the streets of Montreal houses one of the most unusual shopping areas in the world and protects tourists and locals alike from the extremes of summer heat and winter cold common in Montreal.
The underground city first began when the Place Ville-Marie, a Bauhaus skyscraper in downtown Montreal, incorporated an underground shopping mall. Built in 1962 to cover railway tracks near Central Station, it linked the train to the Queen Elizabeth Hotel. With the opening of the Montreal Metro in 1966, the web of passages blossomed
Today, with over 30 kilometers (18 miles) of tunnels, the world's largest underground network provides shopping for half a million visitors every day. There are over 1,600 boutiques and an equal number of apartments.
Entertainment is provided by the 34 cinemas dotting the 'landscape'. Meals are available at any of 200 different restaurants. One could live and shop in Montreal and never go outdoors. And with 120 access points to the surface, it isn't difficult to find.
The section downtown, part of a complex called RÉSO (after the French, réseau or network) provides a nexus for anyone who wanted to catch the train to other parts. Spread over 60 residential and commercial venues, the buildings above ground contain 80% of all the office space in the city.
Shopping centers near the Peel and McGill metro stations will be of more interest to tourists, however. Wedged between Mont Royal in the north and the St. Lawrence river in the south, shoppers can find items from Hudson Bay Company or Simon's. The clothing ranges from trendy designers to rugged outdoor gear and everything in between.
Try a Quebec specialty - french fries, brown gravy and cheese curd. Then dash off for some more shopping at Promenades Cathedrale. Beneath the tallest building in Montreal at 1000 de La Gauchetière you can take a few turns at the indoor skating rink, open year round.
Window shop in the natural light provided by the hundreds of skylights that line the ceiling of the underground complex. At the same time the atriums give pedestrians a feeling of space that eliminates any gloom from being underground.
The weather in Montreal can be scorching hot in the summer, snowy cold in the winter. But in the Underground City, visitors can shop in comfort as they wend their way among the hundreds of different possibilities.
Several of Montreal's major shopping plazas are easy to reach via Underground City. Visit the Complexe Les Ailes, the Centre Eaton, Les Cours Mont-Royal or Place Montréal.
Then, just when you really feel the need to go above ground again, go way above. Visit the bar at Altitude 737, named for its elevation above street level and take in the panoramic view of Montreal.
Old Port
Known officially as the Quai du Vieux-Port, this section of Old Montreal (Vieux Montréal) was once just a run-down wharf, used since 1611 as a trading post by French fur trappers and Scottish merchants. Vieux-Port sits on the edge of Old Montreal, the section that formed the original city founded in 1642. Today, the Old Port area along the St. Lawrence River has undergone a complete transformation and is, paradoxically, one of the most happening spots in the city. Old Port is now one of Montreal's major attractions for tourists and locals alike. Whether it's the invigorating, sea breeze or just the 'coastal attitude', the Old Port is buzzing and you won't want to miss it.
There are cruises galore. Bateau-Mouche (www.bateaumouche.ca) offers an evening dinner cruise or an all day trip. Le Petit Navier (www.lepetitnavire.ca) takes you on the first electrically propelled commercial boat in Canada for an historical tour on the water. Or, you can board a jet boat (www.jetboatingmontreal.com) and brave the white water of Lachine Rapids.
Cirque du Soleil, that dazzling combination of circus and theater, has a touring show it brings to Montreal. Like nothing you've ever seen, their shows have to be experienced. Montrealers are long familiar with the troupe, since the city is Cirque's original home.
When the weather is warm, as it often is in Montreal in the spring and summer seasons, you'll see skateboarders, cyclists and pedestrians aplenty. But if the crowds get to be too much, just hop aboard the Ferry to the park on Île Ste-Hélène. Or, anytime of the year, enjoy the iSci, Montreal's science center at King Edward Pier.
For a grand view, climb the 192 steps to the top of The Clock Tower (La Tour de l'Horloge) and take in the waterfront and surrounding islands. Montreal itself is one of the larger islands. Built in 1922 in memory of the merchant mariners killed during WWI, the tower offers a lovely view.
Take a horse and carriage ride and let the driver tell you all about some of the 300-plus year-old houses that dot the area. Many of them are still in use!
Over seven million travelers per year visit Montreal's Old Port, and if you put it on your Canadian vacation itinerary, you'll see why.
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