Mont Royal
Mont-Royal rises 233 meters above the city. The most important thing is it is the green lung near the city center. A stroll through this lovely park enables the visitor to see monuments to Jacques Cartier and King George VI, to spend some time by Lac-aux-Castors, and to have a look at the cemeteries on the western slope where the city's different ethnic groups have rested in peace together for centuries. From the summit, or rather from a platform below the cross, marvellous panorama is unfolding forward to the whole of the 51-kilometer length of the Île de Montréal and the St. Lawrence. On clear days, the view extends to the Adirondack Mountains in the United States of America.
Old Montreal
Old Montreal
Old Montréal is a remarkable concentration of buildings dating back from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. The district has the delightful feel and pleasure with featuring a Parisian-style quarter, situated as it is between the waterfront and the business hub. To be explored many historic sites, streets, and landmarks is on foot. Those not to miss include the twin towers of Notre-Dame Basilica, the quays of the revitalized Old Port, and the open-air gathering space of Place Jacques-Cartier.
Parc Jean Drapeau
Parc Jean Drapeau
Île Sainte-Hélène (named after the wife of Samuel de Champlain) and the artificial island of Notre-Dame were the site of Expo '67. They are now known as Parc Jean Drapeau and have many friendly and family-minded attractions. A remnant of the 1967 world fair, the biosphere is now a museum devoted to ecosystem issues. The building is designed in the shape of a sphere and is the largest such structure in the world. Other tourist attractions on the islands include the rides and games of La Ronde Amusement Park, the historic 1820 British arsenal at the Stewart Museum, Bassin Olympique and race course Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Parc Maisonneuve establishes the wonderfully and imaginative botanical garden. At Jardin Botanique, visitors are stoled their mind to the particular Japanese and Chinese Gardens, exceptional glasshouses, and displays of orchids and bonsai. There is an interesting Insectarium and huge arboretum on the grounds, as well as ponds supporting a variety of birds.
Rue Sherbrooke
Rue Sherbrooke
Named after Sir John Sherbrooke, Governor General of Canada from 1816 to 1818, Rue Sherbrooke is probably the city's most elegant thoroughfare. It is the main of the city and the location of many major museums and institutions. On Rue Sherbrooke, the McCord Museum of Canadian History has an outstanding collection of exhibits on Canada's social history, especially native peoples such as the Inuit and Pacific Coast First Nations. The Musée des Beaux Arts is the oldest museum in Canada and houses vast collections of painting, sculpture, and new media. Not far from the museum is the extensive campus of McGill University.
Notre-Dame Basilica
Notre-Dame Basilica
Founded in 1656, Montréal's oldest church, Notre-Dame Basilica, stands in a far grander incarnation and rebirth than the original. The twin towers of the neo-Gothic façade face Place d'Armes. An intricate and shining interior is the work of Victor Bourgeau. Throughout the year, an evening light and sound show retells the story of Montréal's founding.
Olympic Park
Olympic Park
Montréal's Olympic Park was the site of the 1976 Summer Olympics. With the seashell-shaped Olympic Stadium at its heart, the park is a major recreation destination. Other sites within the park include the covered botanic-zoological Biodôme garden, the creative botanical garden, and collections of creepy-crawlies at the Insectarium.
St. Joseph's Oratory
St. Joseph's Oratory
The Oratoire Saint-Joseph in Montréal, near the western exit from Mount Royal Park, is devoted to Canada's patron saint. It is a mecca for pilgrims, with its huge Renaissance-style domed basilica dating to 1924. Brother André of the Congrégation de Sainte-Croix had already built a small chapel here in 1904, where he performed miraculous acts of healing for which he was canonized in 1982. His tomb is in one part of the holy places in the original chapel. Votive gifts are displayed in a second chapel. A cloister behind the church leads up to Mont-Royal. There is a good northwest view from the observatory over Montréal and Lac Saint-Louis.
