Montreal

Vieux-Port

Old Port

The Old Port is a large waterfront green space with attractions such as Cirque du Soleil, the Montreal Science Center, the Labyrinth, the Clock Tower, and a large outdoor audio-visual stage which is the site for the Canada Day fireworks.

6AM-Midnight

Château Ramezay Museum

18th century Governor's residence and gardens full of historical artifacts from daily life.

Jun-Oct 10:00-18:00 daily · $4 child, $5 student, $8 adults, $6 senior, $16.50 families

Canadian Centre for Architecture

Centre canadien d'architecture

Architecture museum and research institute that incorporates the Shaughnessy House, an 1876 Second Empire-style manison. Across boulevard René-Lévesque from the CCA is a sculpture garden with works designed around the theme of architecture. Guided tours available.

Wed Fri 11:00-18:00, Thu 11:00-21:00, Sat Sun 11:00-17:00 · $10 adults, $7 seniors, free for students and children · Wheelchair accessible

St. Joseph's Oratory

Oratoire Saint-Joseph

The largest church in Canada, it has an impressive neo-Renaissance exterior and a contemporary bell tower. The Basilica has a beautiful, restrained, somewhat stark Art Deco interior, complete with unusual, elongated wooden statues of saints, and combined with the great height of its ceiling, it may seem somewhat forbidding, but it also has a more traditionally expressive series of statues of the Stations of the Cross and Crucifix at the altar and a pretty series of mosaics behind the altar. It is a favourite pilgrimage for devotees of Brother André, who was reputed to have healed the sick and handicapped. Includes a remarkable collection of crutches and canes from the healed. In good weather, it is also possible to stroll through the beautiful garden next to the Oratory which features the Stations of the Cross in marble sculptures. The garden is peaceful and beautifully maintained. The views from both the Oratory and the garden are magnificent and well-worth the climb. Watch for the faithful climbing on their knees to the top.

Wheelchair accessible

Carré Saint-Louis

Square Saint-Louis

A smaller park, Carré Saint-Louis is at the east end of the Prince Arthur pedestrian mall, next to rue Saint-Denis. Though a fraction of the size of either Parc LaFontaine or Parc du Mont-Royal, it is a popular and scenic local destination. Two fountains, bike paths, and easy access to a number of restaurants and shops provide a comforting background and a relaxing setting. On a side note, many of the gags on the television show Just For Laughs are performed in this park. The park is also notable for the colourful Victorian rowhouses that surround it.

Wi-Fi

Grande Bibliothèque du Québec

The inviting, super-modern home to the Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec, a massive library housing four million works. The building itself is a contemporary style building integrating art and architecture including a glass mural, a kinetic luminous mural, a sculpture garden, and varying museum-style displays in the lower-level gallery. The tiles that cover the outside of the building are made to resemble a closed book. Architectural tours are offered.

Tue-Fri 9AM-9PM, Sat-Sun 9AM-5PM · free · Wi-Fi · Wheelchair accessible

Parc Jeanne-Mance

Located in the western part of the Plateau, adjacent to Parc du Mont-Royal. At the corner of Mont-Royal and Parc is an art deco fountain dedicated in honour of Louis Rubenstein, the father of Canadian figure skating.

Mo-Su 06:00-00:00

Mount Royal Park

Has an artificial lake, many paths through the wood, and the best view on the city of Montreal.

Théâtre de Verdure

3000-seat outdoor theater open for a summer program of dance, music, movies, and theater. Plan to line up early for the popular symphonies in the park series or just join the crowd of picnickers on the grass around the lake.

30 Jun-17 Aug, Wed-Sun 19:30 · Free-$30 depending on the show

La Ronde

An amusement park that is a member of the Six Flags chain.

Discounts are readily available: a Coca-Cola tin is worth an $8 discount on any rides ticket · Limited wheelchair access

Le Jardin Nelson

Fancy and filling crepes are the main draw to this historic restaurant and garden courtyard. Offering outdoor jazz and other live music in the summer, it loses some of its charm in the winter when things move inside.

Daily 11:30-22:00 · Vegetarian options

Centre St-Ambroise

Terrasse St-Ambroise

Hidden along an unlikely strip of shipping yards, this outdoors microbrewery (part of the McAuslan Brewery complex) takes advantage of its remote location to host everything from outdoor movies to folk concerts of all-night DJ events.

Open May-Sep

Pub St-Paul

Big space, popular with tours. Offers pub grub and a view of the river during the day and live music (Th-Sa 22:00). Cheap (for Old Montreal) and casual.

Daily 11:00-15:00

Dante Park

Small park popular for its bocce court.

Santropol

This favorite Montreal spot serves a great selection of creative, gigantic sandwiches, soups, coffees, teas, and breads to appeal to any veggie palate. With a funky decor, a great outdoor garden in the back in the summer, bookshelves stocked with used books, and a food service for the needy, this casual restaurant is a veritable Montreal institution. Casual. Popular among students.

11:30-22:30 daily · $10-20, cash only · Wi-Fi · Vegetarian options

Parc du Mont-Royal

North of avenue des Pins, between avenue du Parc and chemin de la Côte-des-Neiges. This beautiful, immense urban park tops the "mountain" (at 232 m, it's more like a hill) that overlooks all of Montreal and lends the city its name. Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, creator of Central Park and Prospect Park in New York, the park is elegant and accessible, and has hundreds of nooks and crannies to explore. A broad and gradual 8-km (5-mile) bike and pedestrian path begins at the Monument Georges-Étienne Cartier (on Avenue du Parc, opposite the western end of rue Rachel, where the bike path continues), winding its way around the mountain and culminating at the Belvédère (lookout) and Chalet Mont-Royal, with incredible views of downtown, the St. Lawrence river, and the Eastern Townships. The Belevedere and Chalet are also accessible from downtown by the newly restored staircase, access via the path at the top of rue Peel. Many smaller paths and trails crisscross the park. For lazy visitors, or those with limited mobility, you can enjoy a wonderful view from the mountain by taking bus route 11, which stops at the lookout on Chemin Remembrance, and at Beaver Lake. Every Sunday during the summer, thousands of people get together at the monument on Avenue du Parc to enjoy the big tam-tam jam.

The Underground City

Montréal souterrain

Throughout the downtown area. This network of underground malls and passageways is a very convenient way to walk around during the winter months. It encompasses six metro stations on the green and orange lines and all of the major downtown shopping malls, including food courts, cinemas, innumerable boutiques, and services.

H2O Adventures

Lachine Canal Nautical Centre

Offers kayak, pedal boat, and canoe rentals, plus beginner kayaking lessons, along the Lachine Canal; it's just across the canal from the Atwater Market.

May: Mon-Fri 12:00-20:00, Sat Sun 09:00-20:00; Jun-Aug: 09:00-20:00 daily; Sep: Mon-Fri 12:00-19:30, Sat Sun 10:00-19:30. Kayaking courses offered Wed 18:30-20:30 and Sun 11:00-15:00, other times available upon demand · Kayaking lessons $39 M-F, $45 Sa Su. Rental prices vary based on type of boat and amount of time

Dance lessons near the river

During the summer, drop in the municipal greenhouse any evening for salsa, tango, country or line dancing. Check website for hours and details.

May to August · Free

Il Galateo

You could easily walk by without noticing this subterranean Italian restaurant, but you'd be missing out on a secret gem. Standard pasta, meat, and seafood plus a few surprises like dandelion salad.

Open Mon-Fri 11:30-23:00, Sat 17:30-23:30 · $15-20

Jardin botanique de Montréal

Montreal Botanical Garden

Huge and stunning botanical garden. Its themed gardens include a First Nations (Indigenous) garden, and Japanese, Chinese and Alpine gardens. Home to the annual Chinese lantern festival every autumn. During winter only the greenhouses are open to visitors.

Mid May-early Sep: 09:00-18:00 daily; early Sep-Oct: 09:00-21:00 daily; Nov-mid May: Tue-Sun 09:00-17:00 · Adult $21.50, senior $19.25, student $15.50, child 5-17 $10.75, family $59

Morgan Arboretum

A 245-hectare forest reserve on McGill University's Macdonald campus.

Daily 09:00-16:00

Maison Nivard-De Saint-Dizier

A 300-year-old house, next to the river, with a museum open from May to October. It is the most extensive prehistoric archeological site on the Island of Montreal.

Free

Parc-nature du Cap-Saint-Jacques

Go to the makeshift beach at Cap Saint-Jacques in the summertime. The park also offers hiking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing trails.

Adult admission: $4.50, parking: $7.00

Lac des Castors

Beaver Lake

Man-made lake in a former marsh. Paddleboats are rented out in summer; in winter the lake becomes an ice skating rink.

Parc Lafontaine

Located in the eastern part of the Plateau, the park is well-manicured and includes an artificial lake, bike paths, sporting facilities, and an outdoor amphitheater. Very popular during summer.

Beach park

Clean water and sand attracts families to this small, man-made beach at the south tip of Ile Notre Dame. Activities include a playground, volleyball, and watercraft rentals. There are bathrooms, changing rooms, and a snack bar.

20 Jun-24 Aug: daily 10:00-19:00 · Ages 14 and up $8, 6-13 $4, 65+ $7, family $20. Season passes available

Parc Maisonneuve and Jardin Botanique de Montreal

The Jardin Botanique is one of the largest botanical gardens in the world and features the First Nations Garden, the Insectarium, the Tree House, and 16 different themed gardens and greenhouses.

Shakespeare-in-the-Park

During the summer in parks around Montreal, Repercussion Theatre puts on outdoor performances of Shakespeare plays free of charge.

Mount Royal

Mount Royal is a mountain in the city of Montreal, immediately west of Downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The city's name is derived from its name. The mountain is part of the Monteregian Hills situated between the Laurentians and the Appalachian Mountains.

233 m high