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Sightseeing
Guide to Sightseeing in Montreal
Montreal has an excellent
combination of internationally renowned museums and imaginative
local attractions. Art lovers will be delighted with the range of
the collections on display at the Museums of Fine Art and
Contemporary Art. Meanwhile, those interested in Canadian history,
or just looking to be entertained will find a city that is proud of
its cultural heritage and which devotes large amounts of public
money into providing interesting, challenging exhibits that attract
as many locals as visitors.
If you are planning to visit several museums, it might be worth
investing in the Montreal Museum Pass, which offers access to 30
museums and attractions plus free travel on public transport over a
three-day period for CAD39. Passes can be purchased at participating
museums. In the listings below it is mentioned if the attraction
takes part in this scheme.
 Vieux Montreal
The narrow cobbled streets of the old town are a picturesque
reminder of Montreal's history as a thriving trading post. Quaint
cafés and stylish boutiques are attractively located in historic
buildings whose interiors have been stripped down to reveal the
ancient brick. Horse-drawn carriages, called calèches, are a popular
way to soak up the atmosphere of the old town. They can be found
waiting outside the two architectural highlights of the district,
the stunning Cathedral of Notre-Dame and the gleaming dome of
Bonsecours Market.
The cost of CAD60 for an hour's calèche tour is quite reasonable if
you split it between the maximum five people, although in winter
couples might prefer the romance of a horse-drawn sleigh ride, when
massive travelling rugs are provided to keep passengers warm.
Vieux Port
 Nestling on the riverbank, the Old Port is the heart of the old
town. Here Montreal's wealth and prestige were founded as furs and
pelts were loaded onto ships heading for Europe, while European
goods and luxuries were brought ashore to furnish the houses of the
young city.
Today, the warehouses and port offices can still be seen and
passenger ships still disembark their visitors at the dockside.
Recently a 2.5km area of the old port was converted into a
recreational park. Visitors in summer can stroll along the riverside
watching the many outdoor performers who gather here. Winter sees an
outdoor skating rink here, while the Science Centre and the IMAX
Cinema offer family entertainment year round whatever the weather.
Science Centre: King-Edward Pier, Old Port, Corner of Saint-Laurent
Blvd and de la Commune Street.
Metro: Champ-de-Mars.
Admission: CAD10-22 (depending on activity).
Included in the Museum Pass.
Pointe-A-Calliere
- Montreal Museum Of Archaeology And History
 This award-winning museum complex is built on one of the earliest
settlements in Montreal. The museum is divided into several
different sections that an audio guide allows you to tour by
yourself. Visitors follow a suggested route and staff members are on
hand to give further explanations of the exhibits should you need
them.
The first section is L'Eperon, an architecturally striking building
opened in 1992. Within is a range of historical artefacts tracing
six centuries of human settlement in the city region. In the
basement can be found a 17th and 18th-century crypt, containing the
graves of the first French settlers, and the foundations of the
earliest buildings to stand here. The two other sections are the
British-built Custom House of 1836 and the Youville Pumping Station
of 1915, bringing the history of Montreal up to date.
350 Place Royale.
Metro : Place d'Armes.
Open: Mon-Fri 10h00-18h00, Sat-Sun 11h00-18h00 (Closed on Mondays,
and at 17h00 in winter).
Admission: CAD11, adults; CAD4, children; CAD23, family.
Notre Dame
Basilica
 You could be forgiven for thinking you were looking at an ancient
European cathedral when you gaze at Notre Dame for the first time.
In fact, the basilica was constructed as recently as 1824, in Gothic
revival style. The real beauty of the building is in its magnificent
interior. The ceiling is a striking blue, adorned with gold stars.
The stained glass is as good as any found in Europe and the
religious artwork takes its inspiration from the Renaissance. Of
particular note is the stunning altarpiece.
In season a spectacular Sound and Light show (Tickets: CAD10,
adults) shows the cathedral off to stunning effect, although few
noises can compete with the deep voice of the Gros Bourdon, the West
Tower's single bell. The scale and beauty of the cathedral is a
testimony to the Catholic devotion of the people of Quebec, and it
has deservedly become famous throughout North America as one of the
defining places of worship for the faith. Pope John Paul gave mass
here in 1984, and the State Funeral of Canadian Prime Minister
Pierre Elliot Trudeau was held here in 2000.
110 Rue Notre-Dame Ouest.
Metro: Place D'Armes.
Open: daily 08h00-16h30.
Admission: CAD4, adults; CAD2, children.
The Main and
the Plateau
Dividing the French speakers to the East and the English speakers to
the West, Boulevard St Laurent, known universally as the Main, is a
designated Canadian heritage site and a microcosm of Montreal life.
A walk from downtown up to the Plateau Saint Denis takes you on a
journey through Montreal's ethnic communities, past Slovenian delis,
Hungarian charcuteries and Portuguese cafés and restaurants to name
just a few.
A combination of the bohemian and the chic, the eclectic and the
classical, the Plateau is home to artisans and immigrants alike and
is the heartland of Quebecois language and culture. The essence of
Plateau life can be taken in strolling down Avenue Mont Royal,
admiring the renowned Victorian architecture. The brightly painted
houses display a feature unique to Montreal, the external iron
staircases that lead to first and second floor apartments.
Among the fine period buildings can be found Montreal's second
largest park, Parc la Fontaine, a beautiful leafy retreat from the
summer heat and a lively winter outdoor sports centre, with its lake
transformed into an outdoor skating rink.
Metro: Mont-Royal Main St / Ave de Mont-royal / Rue St Denis / Parc
La Fontaine.
Bonsecours
Market
 Crowned by a 100ft-silver dome, this heritage building has been a
Montreal landmark since its construction by the British in 1844. It
is built on the remains of a succession of previous buildings,
notably the home of the last French Intendent of Canada, and a
19th-century theatre that once hosted a performance by Charles
Dickens in person.
During its lifespan the current building has served as city hall,
and even briefly as Canada's Parliament, before being converted
solely into a public marketplace. Today it primarily caters to
tourists offering a range of souvenir stalls, art shops and pleasant
café/restaurants. It's a popular spot to pick up presents for those
back home.
350 Rue Saint Paul.
Metro: Champ-de-Mars.
Admission: free.
 Mount Royal
Park
This is Montreal's largest park, lying on and around the "mountain"
that gave the city its name. The highlight of the park for visitors
is the spectacular viewpoint - perched near the summit - that offers
an unparalleled view over downtown Montreal. It's the best photo
opportunity in town.
Nearby, you will be able to visit the 30-metre-high cross marking
the place where Jacques Cartier placed a cross to found the city as
a French, Catholic colony. The rest of the park consists of
cross-country trails for walking and skiing and is primarily of use
to Montrealers, affording a country escape from the city.
Metro: Mont-Royal.
Admission: free.
The Biodome
The Biodome is one of Montreal's most unusual attractions, but
continues to prove one of the city's most popular. Housed
 under the
roof of the former Olympic Velodrome, the Biodome houses four
ecosystems native to the American continent. Visitors walk straight
into the heart of the Amazon rainforest, complete with howling
monkeys, exotic birds, alligators and an ever-elusive sloth. The
next room recreates the deciduous Laurentian forest, native to
Quebec with an enormous beaver dam centrepiece.
The following gallery offers an insight into the underwater world of
the mighty St Lawrence River before sending you shivering into the
Arctic to watch the playful antics of the resident penguin colony.
The Biodome is popular with adults and children alike. Try to avoid,
if possible, weekends, when hundreds of local families come to
visit.
4777 Pierre-de-Coubertin Avenue.
Metro: Viau. Open: Tue-Sun 09h00-17h00 (Open Mondays and until 18h00
in summer months).
Admission: CAD11.75, adults; CAD6, children. Combined ticket
available.
McCord Museum
of Canadian History
Located opposite the leafy McGill campus in the heart of downtown,
you will find the most important collection of Canadian, Quebecois
and Montreal history in Canada. Notable exhibits include the history
of Canadian costumes and textiles, whose display presents native
feathered costumes, original furs, and Mountie uniforms.
The Notman photographic archives displayed here contain some of the
rarest and earliest recorded photographs of Canadian life. A visit
is essential for anyone with an interest in the origins of Canada.
690 Rue Sherbrooke Ouest.
Metro: McGill.
Open: Tue-Fri 10h00-18h00; Sat-Sun 10h00-17h00.
Admission: CAD10, adults; CAD3, children.
Olympic Park
Home to the 1976 Summer Olympic Games, the Olympic complex hosts
several imaginative attractions as well as the infamous Olympic
Stadium. The stadium is known locally as the "Big O(we)" for the
size both of the structure and of the millions of dollars of debt
incurred by the city in hosting the event. The crumbling edifice is
today host to rock concerts and home to the Montreal Expos baseball
team.
The distinctive landmark of the Olympic Park, designed by French
architect Taillibert, the Olympic Tower supports the retractable
roof to the stadium (albeit not very well, as a segment of the roof
actually fell on to the playing arena during a football game). At
least it is the largest inclined tower in the world. Visitors ascend
in a cable car 266 metres to the viewing gallery, which offers
spectacular views over the St Lawrence River and downtown Montreal.
4141 Avenue Pierre de Coubertin.
Metro: Viau.
Open: Mon-Sun 09h00-17h00.
Admission: CAD10, adults; CAD5, children.
Combined tickets with other Olympic Park attractions available.
Botanical
Garden
Founded in 1931 these gardens contain the second largest collection
of plant life in the world.
 Some 22,000 species are found in over 30
exterior gardens and ten greenhouses. Highlights include the First
Nation's Garden displaying how effectively native Amero-Indians
managed the local environment. The Far East is represented with a
large formal Chinese garden and a Japanese tea garden.
The connected Insectarium comprises an enormous collection of
creepy-crawlies of all colours and, frighteningly, of all sizes. In
winter this is host to one of the city's most unusual events. The
Croque-Insectes Festival invites top chefs to cook the surplus
insects for the public to sample. Certainly the resident spiders
would be delighted with such gourmet fare. A visit to the gallery of
the eight-legged will no doubt excite the children while their
arachnophobic parents cower behind them.
Botanical Garden and Insectarium: Rue Sherbrooke Est.
Metro : Viau or Pie IX.
Open: Tue-Sun 09h00-17h00 (Nov-Jun); Mon-Sun 09h00-18h00 (Jun-Sep);
Tue-Sun 09h00-21h00 (Sep-Oct).
Admission: CAD8.75 (low season)/CAD11.75 (peak season), adults;
CAD6.75 (low season)/CAD9 (peak season), children.
The Biodome, Insectarium, and Botanical Gardens entrance can be
purchased on one ticket, which offers a discount on the individual
prices. Cost: CAD19, adults; CAD9.50, children.
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