Montreal, Canada
*All work including photos and writing on this page is my own, except the link to the Expedia video, freely available on Youtube.
Montreal gets it's name from the words Mount Royal, the peak which is situated in the centre of the city. The city sits on an island in the St Lawrence river. It was awarded UNESCO city of Design status in 2006. It is home to commerce and aerospace industries such as IATA, the HQ of CAA, Canadian Space Agency, World anti doping agency and many Finance companies. It was voted the best city in the world to be a University student.
Montreal has seen claims by the French and English during it's lifetime. In 1535 the first French explorers arrived and by 1685 there were over 600 colonists engaged in the fur trade.
Montreal gets it's name from the words Mount Royal, the peak which is situated in the centre of the city. The city sits on an island in the St Lawrence river. It was awarded UNESCO city of Design status in 2006. It is home to commerce and aerospace industries such as IATA, the HQ of CAA, Canadian Space Agency, World anti doping agency and many Finance companies. It was voted the best city in the world to be a University student.
Montreal has seen claims by the French and English during it's lifetime. In 1535 the first French explorers arrived and by 1685 there were over 600 colonists engaged in the fur trade.
The weather
Ask anyone about Montreal and people will say something about the freezing cold weather. Whilst it is true winter temperatures can drop to -30c, the summer weather is gorgeous. In the summer May-Sep the average temperature is 27c. It can be hot and humid though. I visited in August 2018 and it was hot then, but pleasant to explore the city.
Places to visit in Montreal
Notre Dame Basilica. This is beautiful inside and well worth a visit. The cover photo on this page was taken inside there.
Parliament Hill Rideau Canal Historical Site and nearby shopping Mall and Falls, The Glebe neighbourhood The Montreal museum of Fine Art Mile End Boutiques neighbourhood
Rue St Catherine Biosphere Place Du Canada Take a river cruise. Take an Old Montreal walking tour Montreal Zipline and the other attractions at the Old Port of Montreal St Helen's Island Botanical Garden Old Port of Montreal Crime Montreal is one of the safest cities in North America. I certainly felt safe there, but obviously in any city just be careful, especially at night. Where to stay The best place to stay is in the Old city, however we got an Airbnb on the Plateau near Mile End and it was easy to get around from there with the car we had or on public transport and this was cheaper than staying in the Old Town. It also felt more authentic and the locals there had such strong French accents!! It was good to catch a glimpse of that side of the city too. |
The Food
My favourite thing about Montreal was the food!! If you like French food, you will love Montreal. There are Bistros and Creperies everywhere. We had a delicious Crepe in the Maison Bagatelle, 80 Rue Notre dame Ouest (very near the Notre Dame) and were laughing at some of the foreign guests who were complaining about the slow service. Very French in my opinion and just added to the French atmosphere.
The most famous food in Montreal includes the following: Poutine (Chips, topped with cheese and gravy) Canadian fast food! Bagels Maple syrup biscuits, pies, donuts etc Baked beans Roast chicken Smoked Meat The supermarkets sold high quality fresh local products and delicious cheese. There are many markets worth visiting too, such as the famous Jean Talon and Atwater markets. Try some local food at these places too! Popular Restaurants
Bistro 1843, French/Canadian
Le Nouveau Duluth, Canadian Fenetre Sur Kaboul, Middle Eastern/Afghan Damas Restaurant, Mediterranean La Campagnola, Italian/steakhouse Kyo Bar Japonais, Japanese. Restaurant L'Avenue, American/Canadian Day trips from Montreal
Quebec City. UNESCO world heritage site. We all loved this beautiful city!! It just radiates French Culture. Here you do need to make an effort to speak French. They will reply then in English. It really is worth the 3 hour drive for a great day out!!! Below is a photo I took there from the observatory.
Ottawa Canada's capital city. A 2 1/2 drive away.
Wine Tasting tour. There are many. This region is famous for it's sweet Ice wine. Laurentian Mountains. Burlington, Vermont, U.S Just a two hour drive plus any queue at the US border. Don't forget your passport! This is a cute town for a day trip and a meal. See photo below.
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For more information go to this Montreal Tourism site.