Basilique Notre-Dame
The neo-Gothic Basilique
Notre-Dame boasts a heavenly
gilt and sky-blue interior,
Limoges stained glass and
hand-carved wooden prophets;
it even inspired its
Protestant architect to
convert to Catholicism.
The Vieux-Port
Strap on a pair of
rollerblades and cruise
along the pedestrian-only
promenade embracing the St
Lawrence River. The Vieux-Port
is admittedly touristy, but
the views of cobblestoned
Vieux-Montreal are simply
spectacular.
Musée des Beaux Arts
Feast your eyes on the high-calibre
temporary art exhibits
hosted by Canada's oldest
art museum, the worthy Musée
des Beaux Arts, then check
out the contemporary art
chambers in the basement -
especially the radical
canvases conceived by
Automatiste Québec painter
Paul-Émile Borduas.
Schwartz's Montreal Delicatessen
Sink your teeth into a Schwartz's
smoked meat sandwich
(available lean, medium or
extra fatty) - an unmissable
Montreal original that will
get you through the winter.
Château Ramezay
Get your Montreal history
fix at one of the oldest
buildings in North America,
the Château Ramezay, where
Benjamin Franklin almost
persuaded the city to become
the fourteenth state in the
Colonies and which now holds
copious art and artefacts.
L'Express
Pick up some of the local joual
at the posh L'Express,
a Parisian style brasserie
on trendy rue St-Denis, by
eavesdropping on your
neighbours' boisterous
conversation while tucking
into a deliciously rich confit
canard.
Nightlife
Though the boulevard can be
gritty at spots, the Main (aka
Boulevard St-Laurent) is at
its best after sundown when
the manifold bars and clubs
that open onto the street
keep patrons grooving and
boozing well into the wee
hours.
Mont Royal
Take a break and flake out
on the wooded slopes of Mont
Royal, the trail-laced
mountain that gave the city
its name, then hike up to
the lookout point for an
unparalleled view of
downtown.
Biodôme
Cool off during the humid
summer months by hanging
with the penguins in the
Biodôme's bone-chilling and
snow-capped Polar Zone, one
of four distinct ecosystems
living under its domed roof.
You can bask in the hot and
sultry tropical rainforest
section during the colder
months.
Cours Mont-Royal
Break the bank by shopping
at the swanky Cours
Mont-Royal, its four floors
of streetwear and designer
boutiques lit by ornate
chandeliers preserved from
the building's heyday as the
largest hotel in the British
Commonwealth.
