Montreal Travel Guide
For details of what to do and see in Montreal check out our Montreal guide to car hire in Montreal
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The largest city in the French speaking Quebec Province of Canada, Montreal occupies a large island at the point where the Ottawa and Saint Lawrence Rivers converge. A bustling modern city that still has one eye focussed on its rich history, Montreal is a rewarding city to visit as part of any holiday in Canada, and offers plenty of fascinating attractions to see during your stay.
Surrounded by picturesque countryside at the foot of Mount Royal - an extinct volcano, Montreal is a city that is recognised as one of Canada's most important cultural centres, having several world-class museums and galleries as well as beautiful parks to enjoy on hot summers days.
Much of downtown Montreal is beneath the ground so that the mole like inhabitants of Montreal, with their propensity for tunnelling have created a network of shopping malls, underground galleries and the city's rail network well below the streets in order to maintain a normal life during the ice cold winter months.
Of course, one of the events for which the city is most famous is the annual Canadian Formula One Grand Prix, when the worlds best racing drivers tear through a circuit through a beautiful island park in order to win a trophy, and people travel from all over the world in the hopes that one day, someone might overtake at some point during the race.
Montreal's Museum of Fine Art is one of the best in the world, but also of interest are The Museum of Decorative Art, the Canadian Centre of Architecture, and of course the Just For Laughs Comedy Museum which describes the rich humour heritage that has seen Canada produce luminaries such as Mike Myers and Jim Carrey amongst many others.
Old Montreal (Vieux Montreal according to the signs) is the most historic area of the city, where you will find the city's magnificent cathedral, The Basilica of Notre Dame - which can host some 5000 people for services, and also the Place Royale, which hosts a market several days a week.
Parc Mont Royal is a great place to go at any time of day during spring and summer, and the views over Montreal from the top of the volcano are nothing short of spectacular, particularly in the evening as the city begins to light up, and every visitor should pay at least one visit to the park during their stay.
