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Downtown
Old Montreal and Old Port
Parc Jean-Drapeau
Mount Royal and Outremont
Plateau-Mont-Royal and Mile End
Olympic District and Hochelaga-Maisonneuve
The Village
Little Italy and Villeray
Les Quartiers du Canal
Pôle de Rapides
East, West and the North of the Islan
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Mount Royal and Outremont
Every stay in Montréal should include a stroll on Mount Royal, a jewel of greenery in the heart of the city.
Mount Royal owes its name to Jacques Cartier who christened it in 1535. The mountain is the meeting place for nature lovers, amateur ornithologists and sports enthusiasts of all ages. Crisscrossed by trails and topped with lookouts, which offer breathtaking views of the city, its slopes accommodate the campuses of two universities, two immense cemeteries and Saint Joseph’s Oratory. And down below, two upscale neighbourhoods, Outremont and Westmount, with lush green streets, opulent houses, and beautiful boutiques.
Mount Royal Park
From East, via Camillien-Houde Parkway | From West, via Remembrance Road | Mont-Royal 11 514 843-8240 | lemontroyal.qc.ca
Inaugurated in 1876, the Mount Royal Park was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the highly skilled designer behind New York’s Central Park. It is an ideal site for admiring a wide variety of plants and birds or for enjoying outdoor activities. Les amis de la montagne offer a variety of services and activities that provide wonderful opportunities to discover the beauty and wealth of resources that the park has to offer, including a permanent exhibition at Smith House. Mount Royal Chalet was inaugurated in 1932. The walls of its spacious interior are decorated with pictures tracing the history of Montréal, including many painted by famous artists. The Kondiaronk scenic lookout in front of the Chalet offers a striking view of the downtown area and the St. Lawrence River. Erected in 1924, the cross atop Mount Royal commemorates January 6, 1643, when Maisonneuve, Montréal’s founder, kept his promise to carry a wooden cross to the summit of Mount Royal if the young colony survived flooding. Today, the cross stands 30 metres (98 feet) high and when lit, can be seen from miles away.
Smith House
1260 Remembrance Road | Mount Royal Park Mont-Royal West | 514 843-8240 lemontroyal.qc.ca
Built in 1858, this example of neoclassical rural architecture was once the home of a wealthy merchant and businessman. At the time, Mount Royal was indeed an oasis of freshness and tranquility sought by the bourgeois who wanted to get away from the polluted and overcrowded St. Lawrence bank. Today, in addition to offering welcome services, such as visitor information, a café, a gift shop and a permanent exhibition that highlights the history of this iconic natural landmark, Smith House is home to Les amis de la montagne, a non-profit organization that protects, improves and promotes the sustainability of Montréal’s Mount Royal. Mount Royal Cemetery 123 Map p. 88 1297 de la Forêt Road | Ç Mont-Royal + ¨ 11 514 279-7358 | mountroyalcem.com T U ( A 5 Founded in 1852, the Mount Royal Cemetery is one of the oldest rural cemeteries in North America. Visitors can observe some 145 species of birds and century-old trees along trails or amid gardens and terraces. Historical guided tours recall the life of famous figures who are buried here.
Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery
4601 de la Côte-des-Neiges Road | Côte-des-Neiges 514 735-1361 | cimetierenddn.org
A celebration of Montréal’s religious, cultural, historical, architectural and environmental heritage, the Notre-Damedes-Neiges Cemetery is Canada’s largest Catholic cemetery: since 1854, more than 900,000 people have been buried there. Situated on the magnificent Mount Royal, this tranquil testament to a people and its country has, over the years, become not only a natural haven for local flora and fauna but a home to rare tree species.
Université de Montréal
2900 Édouard-Montpetit Blvd. Université-de-Montréal | 514 343-6030 umontreal.ca
Founded in 1878, the Université de Montréal now counts 13 faculties. Together with its two affiliated schools, it represents one of North America’s largest educational centres, ranking first in Québec and second in Canada for higher education and research. Its main Art Deco-style building, designed by Ernest Cormier, was completed in 1943.
Centre d’exposition de l’Université de Montréal
2940 Côte Sainte-Catherine Road | Pavillon de la Faculté de l’Aménagement | Room 0056 | Université-deMontréal | 514 343-6111 | expo.umontreal.ca
The Centre presents exhibitions that address a variety of fields, including the humanities, arts, and sciences. It also promotes interdisciplinary communication through shows and activities, stimulating both imagination and thought. Its permanent exhibition, Art pour tous, featuring 41 public artworks, is presented on the campus and on the Web.
Côte-des-Neiges Streets 1
Côte-des-Neiges | sdc-cotedesneiges.ca
On the western slope of Mount Royal, the Côte-des-Neiges district is renowned for its ties to knowledge, spirituality and multiculturalism. This beautiful verdant neighbourhood is home to some 80 cultural communities as well as a large student population, many of whom attend the Université de Montréal. To this, add other high-profile institutions such as major hospital centers and colleges, and HEC university school of administration, and it’s not surprising that immigrants from around the world as well as families choose to settle in this lively neighbourhood. The district is teeming with multicultural shops, pubs, cafés and restaurants serving authentic world cuisine, but you’ll find poutine as well! In summer, the public market is open 24 hours a day. Magnificent Saint Joseph’s Oratory perches high above with the Placette Côte-des-Neiges below, a lively pedestrian street where you’ll love to take a break!
Museum and Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal
3800 Queen-Mary Road | Côte-des-Neiges 514 733-8211 | saint-joseph.org
It is one of the world’s most visited centres of pilgrimage. Its founder, Saint Brother André began construction in 1904. The shrine includes a majestic building whose dome reaches 97 metres (second only in height to Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome), the small original chapel, a votive chapel, a crypt, gardens of the way of the cross, a basilica that can accommodate close to 2,000 worshippers. Its magnificent organs and its carillon composed of 56 bells give audible testament to the world’s great composers. The Oratory Museum is dedicated mainly to sacred art. Renowned for its exceptional collection of crèches of the world, the museum displays works of religious, historical, and artistic heritage from Québec and abroad.
Montreal Holocaust Museum
5151 Côte-Sainte-Catherine Road Côte-Sainte-Catherine | 514 345-2605 museeholocauste.ca
The Museum tells the story of Jewish communities before, during, and after the Holocaust. Through the life stories of Montréal survivors, visitors are invited to reflect on the destruction engendered by prejudice, racism and antisemitism.
Outremont Streets
Outremont
Bernard Avenue, located in a charming residential and business area of Outremont, hosts turn-of-the-century architecture housing restaurants and design boutiques. Du Parc Avenue, since the 1950s, has been the home of Montréal’s Greek community, its restaurants and pastry shops. Known for its gourmet tables and lively terraces, Laurier Avenue West is also known as a high-end destination for independent businesses as well as local creators and designers who offer, among other things, exclusive clothing, original home accessories and uniquely designed furniture. Alongside du Parc Avenue lies Jeanne-Mance Park, named in honour of the founder of Montréal’s first hospital, Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal. Just across from Jeanne-Mance Park, on the slopes of Mount Royal, is the site of the tam-tam concerts, held every Sunday in the summertime.
Rialto Theatre
5723 du Parc Avenue | Place-des-Arts North 514 770-7773 | rialtotheatre.ca
Built in 1923-24 to plans by Montréal architect Joseph-Raoul Gariepy, the Rialto is inspired by Le Palais Garnier (Opéra de Paris). The building comprises several rooms and activities include concerts, theatre, cinema, dance performances, exhibitions, galas, cocktail parties and others, all in a lush environment that boasts marble staircases, painted ceilings, gilded mouldings, and a Tiffany stained-glass dome. The Rialto is one of the jewels of Montréal’s heritage.
