In this article, I offer you my little city guide for discovering the city of Montreal in Quebec. I’ve had the chance to visit Montreal several times now, since my first trip there in 2010 (I even wrote an article about it on the blog). Then again in 2013 to visit my blogger friend Green Geekette for two weeks of intense exploration of the city and its surroundings. And finally in 2018 when I went to explore the Explorers’ Route.
During these various trips, I’ve had the opportunity to explore the city inside and out (even if, admittedly, walking distances are huge!) and I offer you a little photographic account of these wanderings to help you soak up the Montreal atmosphere. Don’t hesitate to also take a look at the rest of my trip to Montreal on the blog, with a focus on Quebec gastronomy and a selection of some great addresses in Montreal.
Table of Contents
My cultural tips and sightseeing ideas in Montreal
Below, I suggest a few ideas for visits if you’re passing through Montreal. During my 2013 stay, I also visited the Montreal History Centre (not free, 2013 price: $6 / reduced $4) because it’s a must-see for anyone wanting to discover a little about the city’s history. I believe that, unfortunately, the center has since closed and is announcing a reopening and transformation for 2022.
My first piece of advice is obviously the same as for most cities: walk around to discover all the richness and atmosphere of a city. This is also true for Montreal, even if distances are very long, just like in American cities, so don’t be fooled! I also found the city very rich in street art, as you can see below.
_
Visit the Canadian Centre for Architecture
The Canadian Centre for Architecture is a very interesting place to visit if you’re an architecture fan, as the exhibitions are a bit specialized, let’s say. However, the building itself can also be worth a look.
Canadian Centre for Architecture
1920 Rue Baile, Montreal
The tip: free every Thursday from 5:30 PM to 9 PM
_
Visit the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
I recommend heading to the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts to discover the permanent collections, which are free at all times.
The museum includes 4 pavilions spread across 3 different buildings, but they are accessible via an underground gallery from the museum entrance. I particularly advise you to take a close look at the Quebec and Canadian Art pavilion, as it would be a shame to have traveled all this way just to admire European art, which is easy to see quietly back in France. Note, however, that the museum is very vast, with several buildings making up the collections, so plan for quite a bit of time for your visit.
1380 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal
_
Visit the McCord Museum
The McCord Museum is a very beautiful museum about the history of the city of Montreal and about the First Nations, an essential detour during your visit in my opinion.
690 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QC H3A 1E9,
The tip: free every Wednesday from 5 PM
_
Visit Mother d’Youville’s House
A visit off the beaten path, but one that I highly recommend, is the house of Mother d’Youville, one of the oldest in the city. One of the sisters from the congregation of the Grey Nuns of Charity of Montreal will give you a free tour of the house built at the end of the 17th century by the Charon Brothers, where Quebec’s first saint, Marguerite d’Youville, lived. I highly recommend this visit to discover the kindness of the sisters and to listen to them tell their story with love and conviction.
138 Saint-Pierre Street
Guided tour by reservation (or not) at 514 842 9411
_
Visit the Contemporary Art Museum
The Montreal Museum of Contemporary Art opens its doors for free every Wednesday from 5 PM to 9 PM. The museum is worth the detour for the impressive building that stands on the Place des Arts and for the temporary exhibitions that rotate regularly.
Montreal Museum of Contemporary Art
185 Sainte-Catherine Street West, Montreal
_
Admire the view from the top of Mount Royal
Go to the very top of Mount Royal to have one of the most beautiful views of the city on the Belvedere esplanade. You can take a bus to save yourself some fatigue, then walk along the hiking trails of Mount Royal Park (named as such by Jacques Cartier in 1535). A very nice little walk to do and one that I recommend.
_
Go to Saint Helen’s Island to see the Biosphere
Another nice visit: you can go to Saint Helen’s Island. In addition to being able to take a nice walk on this island which is almost entirely covered in vegetation, you can also go see the Biosphere, whose architecture is worth admiring up close.
The tip: Free shuttle to get to the Casino located on the island (former French pavilion of the 1967 World’s Fair, which left many traces in the city) from mid-June to the end of September.
Take a quick trip to Vermont (USA)
To cross the border into the United States and take a little getaway to the USA, you can go to the nearby state of Vermont (a sort of American version of Switzerland in terms of scenery). I started with a short visit to the very student-friendly city of Burlington, which is located on the eastern shore of Lake Champlain. You can make a short detour through the pretty town of Stowe. At the time of my visit, Halloween decorations were already starting to pop up here and there in the city.
Once there, you can go to the Trapp Family Lodge, a huge estate belonging to the family that inspired the film “The Sound of Music”. If you’re a fan of the film, I advise you to go take a quick walk to the central building, it feels like being in Austria, and enjoy a little tea on the terrace when the weather is nice.
Go hiking in La Mauricie National Park
A short (or long) hike in one of the Quebec national parks is another mandatory step of your trip. I’ll let you admire the autumn colors in the magnificent La Mauricie National Park, not far from the city of Trois-Rivières.
A little piece of information: unlike France, entrance to national parks is not free, so please be sure to pay the entrance fee before venturing into the park! In any case, I hope I’ve made you want to take a little trip to visit our Quebec cousins to discover their magnificent landscapes and hospitality.
Find all my articles on Quebec below
(3 trips in 2010, 2013, and 2018):
⇒ All my articles on Quebec
GENERAL INFORMATION ON QUEBEC
⇒ Quebec: practical info, how to get there, general information on Montreal
MY STOPS IN QUEBEC
⇒ The Gaspé Peninsula
⇒ Montreal
⇒ Quebec City
⇒ The Laurentians
⇒ Abitibi-Témiscamingue
⇒ The Outaouais
Photo credits: Mademoiselle Bon Plan Photos are not royalty-free, photographer authorization required before any use
