Visit the flourishing historic city of Montreal and discover a culture lying at the crossroads between the French and English of Canada. From the exquisite 19th-century Museum of Fine Arts and the greenery of its central mountain, Mont Royal, to buzzing nightclubs on the Plateau, Montreal truly has something to offer everyone.
Once inhabited by Iroquois native Canadians, Montreal lies on a hilly island in the St Lawrence River. With a simple grid layout, it's a great city to explore no matter what the season. Bundle up in winter for a frosty walk along the Old Port, which creates the southern edge of the city. Jutting north you'll find Boulevard St Laurent, which divides the city between east and west, and changes from Chinatown to the Plateau along the way. Go west to explore Westmount, with upscale residential areas, shops and restaurants. Head east to Saint-Denis, a relatively Francophone area, with lively bistros, bars and fashion boutiques. In the centre of it all is Mont Royal, the small mountain from which Montreal gets its name.
Hike up to the top of 233-metre-high Mont Royal and revel in the city's mix of 17th-century churches and modern-day architecture. Explore the history of this, Canada's second largest city, at the Centre d'histoire de Montréal. After all that, enjoy a melt-in-your-mouth smoked meat sandwich for lunch at one of the city's famed Jewish delis. Dance the night away at a Plateau after-hours club boasting some of the best sound systems in North America, then relax the next day at a spa on Westmount's well-to-do high street.
Coming back to Montreal for more? Venture up to the Jean Talon area to check out the bustling marketplace of Little Italy. Or learn about Montreal's working-class history at the Écomusée du fier monde museum, which is housed in a stunning Art Deco former public bath house. Try your luck at Casino de Montreal and then spend your winnings in the boutiques of the Saint-Denis area.
Canada's third-busiest airport, Montreal-Trudeau (officially Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport) transports 12 million passengers a year. From the airport it takes 30-45 minutes to travel downtown, depending on traffic.
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