Montreal abounds in tourist attractions. While wandering the streets of Montreal, you will find many examples of impressive architecture, great eats, local culture, trendy bars, and so much more. Here are Skyscanner’s top 8 reasons why you should visit Montreal on your next trip.
8 Reasons Why You Should Visit Montreal: The Architecture
No visit to Montreal is complete without spending some time in Old Montreal, which is famous for its historic architecture, narrow cobblestone streets, and Parisian style. This well-preserved section is filled with upscale cafés and interesting boutiques. Don’t miss Place d’Armes, a beautiful public square surrounded by important buildings, including the Notre-Dame Basilica. After Old Montreal, consider venturing to one of the many neighbourhoods throughout the city to admire the charm, architecture and local life.
8 Reasons Why You Should Visit Montreal: The Markets
Jean Talon Market in Montreal’s Little Italy is a fascinating old public market that’s open year-round, where you can buy a variety of produce, cheeses, meat, fish, baked goods, and more.
Atwater Market is located by the Lachine Canal and is an ideal place to browse and buy fresh local veggies and fruits from local Quebec farmers. There are also food stands around the market.
8 Reasons Why You Should Visit Montreal: The Parks
Montreal has a fantastic park in Parc du Mont-Royal, which is situated high atop the city, offering breathtaking views, trails for jogging and walking, wildlife, and lush greenery.
Outdoor enthusiasts and adventure travellers have plenty of sporting venues to choose from in Montreal. One of the best places to get your exercise is Parc du Mont-Royal. The 84-acre Parc La Fontaine in the Plateau is a jewel, with ponds and waterfalls, soccer and baseball fields, a dog park, picnic areas and playgrounds, wading pools, and much more.
8 Reasons Why You Should Visit Montreal: Winter Fun
During the winter months, many parks offer cross-country skiing, including Parc-nature de l’Île-de-la-Visitation, Parc du Mont-Royal, and Parc Maisonneuve. During the summer, water sports are popular, including river surfing on the St-Lawrence River and kayaking in Lasalle on the Lachine Rapids. You can ice skate all year at 1000 de la Gauchetière, an indoor rink in one of the city’s tallest buildings.
8 Reasons Why You Should Visit Montreal: All the Food
The cuisine found in Montreal is extremely diverse, with something to suit most people’s palates. Its main influences are French and Irish cuisine, along with Canadian aboriginal cuisine. Poutine, which is found on most local menus, is a hearty pile of fries, gravy, and cheese curds and is considered Quebec’s signature dish. With other dishes including tourtières (meat pies), pâté chinois, pea soup, baked beans, cretons, ham dishes, and maple desserts, Montreal is a foodie’s dream!
From fine dining at establishments such as Restaurant Chasse-Galerie, which serves French-Quebecois cuisine to cheap eats from places such as Arepera, a Venezuelan restaurant, Montreal has a restaurant suitable for everyone’s taste and wallet. There are a host of places serving international cuisine, from Chinese to Italian and everything in between.
Plateau Mont-Royal is considered one of the trendiest areas in all of Canada, and it has its own share of great restaurants. Some interesting places to check out are Schwartz’s, an unassuming Jewish deli famous for its smoked meat, and Lola Rosa Milton, a mecca for vegetarians and vegans.
8 Reasons Why You Should Visit Montreal: The Nightlife
The legal drinking age in Montreal is 18. Despite this, some pubs and clubs will not admit people under 21 years of age. Montreal has a reputation for being one of the liveliest cities in North America, so if you are looking for a place that comes alive once the sun goes down, Montreal is a great choice.
With numerous bars, pubs, and clubs throughout the city, there is something for everyone, from those who enjoy locally produced beers from one of the city’s micro-breweries to those who love to dance the night away. If the latter is your cup of tea, be sure to visit one of Montreal’s bigger clubs. Most of them attract world-famous DJ’s.
8 Reasons Why You Should Visit Montreal: The Festivals
Montreal is also home to a number of annual festivals, including the Montreal World Film Festival. The Festival International de Jazz de Montreal (Montreal International Jazz Festival) is currently the largest jazz festival in the world. Every year, there are festivals for almost every genre of music you can imagine, from electronic to reggae.
8 Reasons Why You Should Visit Montreal: Marijuana Legalization
That’s right. Canada legalized the recreational use of cannabis in October of 2018. While the laws and regulations will differ province by province, we have a guide for you with the latest information and the use of marijuana throughout Canada. While there are some limits to where people can smoke in Montreal, there are plenty of places throughout the city to purchase and consume cannabis.
Montreal Travel Guide: Transportation
Montreal has well-developed air, road, rail, and maritime links to the rest of Canada, the United States, and the world. VIA Rail operates trains between Montreal and other Canadian cities, with Amtrak operating between Montreal and New York. Montreal also has the Metro, which is the main form of public transport in the city. If you do choose to rent a car, it’s important to remember that like many major cities, Montreal has a problem with traffic congestion, and its roads are routinely under construction.
Climate
Montreal has a four-season continental climate, which means hot, sunny summers and cold, snowy winters. Therefore, pack your suitcases and plan your activities accordingly, depending on when you’re visiting the city.
Flying to Montreal
Montreal is served by three airports. These are Montreal/Saint-Hubert, Montreal Mirabel, and Montreal–Pierre Elliott Trudeau, which is the busiest airport in Quebec and the third-busiest in Canada. It is located 20 kilometres from downtown Montreal. With cheap direct flights from the U.K. and the U.S., among others countries, Montreal is easily accessible.
