Lonely Planet Montreal & Quebec City , livre ebook

Montréal & Québec City

Contents

Plan Your Trip

Welcome to Montréal & Québec City
Montréal’s Top 10
What’s New
Need to Know
Top Itineraries
If You Like...
Month By Month
Travel with Kids
Visiting Québec City
Eating
Drinking & Nightlife
Entertainment
Shopping

Explore Montréal & Québec City

Neighborhoods at a Glance
Old Montréal
Sights
Eating
Drinking & Nightlife
Entertainment
Shopping
Sports & Activities
Parc Jean-Drapeau
Sights
Eating
Entertainment
Sports & Activities
Downtown
Sights
Eating
Drinking & Nightlife
Entertainment
Shopping
Sports & Activities
Rue St-Denis & the Village
Sights
Eating
Drinking & Nightlife
Entertainment
Shopping
Montréal Across the Seasons
Plateau Mont-Royal & the Northeast
Sights
Eating
Drinking & Nightlife
Entertainment
Shopping
Sports & Activities
Little Italy, Mile End & Outremont
Sights
Eating
Drinking & Nightlife
Entertainment
Shopping
Sports & Activities
Montréal’s Markets
Lachine Canal, Little Burgundy & the Southwest
Sights
Eating
Drinking & Nightlife
Entertainment
Shopping
Sports & Activities
Day Trips from Montréal
Trois-Rivières
The Laurentians
The Eastern Townships
Sleeping
Québec City
Sights
Eating
Drinking & Nightlife
Entertainment
Shopping
Sports & Activities
Sleeping
Day Trips from Québec City

Understand Montréal & Québec City

History
People & Culture
Music & the Arts
Architecture
Québec City’s History & Culture

Survival Guide

Transportation
Arriving in Montréal
Arriving in Québec City
Getting Around Montréal & Québec City
Directory A–Z
Accessible Travel
Customs Regulations
Discount Cards
Emergency
Health
Internet Access
Electricity
Legal Matters
LGBTIQ+ Travelers
Medical Services
Money
Opening Hours
Post
Public Holidays
Safe Travel
Telephone
Time
Toilets
Tourist Information
Visas
Language

Table of Contents

Behind the Scenes
Montréal Maps
Old Montréal
Downtown
Rue St-Denis & the Village
Parc Jean-Drapeau
Plateau Mont-Royal
Little Italy, Mile End & Outremont
Lachine Canal, Little Burgundy & the Southwest
Our Writers
Welcome to Montréal & Québec City

Witness a French-infused city that’s in love with festivals, the arts, good food, living well and enjoying life to the hilt.

Cuisine Capital
Blessed with one of the most exciting food scenes in North America, Montréal brims with temples dedicated to Kamouraska lamb, Arctic char and, of course, poutine (fries smothered in cheese curds and gravy). You’ll find irresistible patisseries, English pubs, 80-plus-year-old Jewish delis and magnificent food markets. There are hipster bars with tiny bowling alleys, vegetarian options galore and innumerable cafes in which to while away a lazy afternoon. And there are late-night eateries where you can linger over wondrous combinations of food and drink that you’ll find nowhere else on earth.

Festivals Galore
Toronto may be Canada’s economic capital, but Montréal remains the country’s cultural juggernaut. The city, standard bearer of an entire linguistic-cultural identity – francophone Canada – simply lives for public celebration of the arts. There are some 250 theater and dance companies, more than 90 festivals and a fascinating medley of neighborhoods where artists, writers and musicians have helped cement the city’s reputation as a great arts center. The Festival International de Jazz de Montréal is the headline event, followed by parties dedicated to world cinema, comedy and gay pride.

City of Design
Montréal is a slice of old Europe in a pie of contemporary design. A day’s wander might take in the photogenic 18th-century facades of Old Montréal before a cycling tour of the lovely Canal de Lachine, or a wander through the glittering shops and restaurants of downtown before ending at the inviting terraced cafes of Plateau Mont-Royal. The architectural sweep of the city takes in a wealth of heritage churches such as the breathtaking Basilique Notre-Dame, as well as 20th-century icons like the Stade Olympique and Habitat 67. Montréal’s hotels and museums additionally push the edges of contemporary interior design.

Winter Wonderland
The Québécois love their summers and autumnal colors, but it is the winter that defines much of their lives, which slow down and become more insular in the grip of those long, dark months. With that said, the passion for life that animates Canadian francophones does not truly dim in the cold, but is rather celebrated around cozy fireplaces, in friendly pubs, at steaming sugar shacks, and, of course, on the slopes of local mountains via skis, snowboards and toboggans.

Downtown Montréal | JON ARNOLD IMAGES LTD / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO ©

Why I Love Montréal
By Phillip Tang, Writer
The Frenchness of Montréal is no whisper. I’m always taken by the grungy francophone beat mixed into its music and film festivals. I love their thoughtful European appreciation of everything from theater and comedy, to pastries and bagels. I could linger hours in cafes and terraces in the wings of golden buildings, or stroll the entire city seeking street murals. Locals have enlightened me to Montréal’s winter pleasures – its coziness, outdoor thrills and apple ice cider. And this city that’s mastered winter also knows how to go nuts in summer.
For more, see Our Writers
Montréal’s Top 10

Old Montréal
1 The old city is where Montréal began and where its heart still lies. Stroll the old-world cobblestoned streets and grand plazas, and learn about local history in the museums. The neighborhood also has fine churches, 19th-century (and earlier) buildings juxtaposed with contemporary constructions, excellent shops and boutiques, numerous art galleries and cafes for your inner bohemian, and some of Montréal’s finest dining and lodging options. Old Montréal is like traveling in time without leaving the best of modernity behind.

PLACE JACQUES-CARTIER | PERRY MASTROVITO/GETTY IMAGES ©

Montréal’s Top 10
Parc du Mont-Royal
2 The lungs of Montréal, Parc du Mont-Royal is the large green space covering much of Mont-Royal, the mountain at the heart of the city. Montréalers grow up spending their winters sledding down its slopes and skating on its ponds. The rest of the year is perfect for looking out over the city from its belvederes, jogging, cycling or simply walking its forested paths. An abundance of fauna and flora make it a big draw for nature lovers.

MARC BRUXELLE/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Montréal’s Top 10
Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal
3 This ever-expanding gem in the heart of downtown Montréal is one of the best museums in the country. The striking Bourgie Pavilion is in a gorgeous 19th-century church adjacent to the original neoclassical building, while the modern Desmarais Pavilion across the street reflects its engagement with contemporary art. Among the museum’s treasures is a beautifully displayed collection of Inuit art, along with some magnificent works by Québécois artists. Temporary exhibitions range from iconic paintings from Moorish Spain to Jean Paul Gaultier retrospectives.

GUYLAIN DOYLE/GETTY IMAGES ©

Montréal’s Top 10
Old Port
4 There’s always something fun happening at Montréal’s Old Port, whatever your pleasure. Take in a circus at Cirque du Soleil, bring the kids to a science museum, hop on a boat cruise to the Lachine Rapids, pamper yourself in a floating spa or simply park yourself in a cafe along Rue de la Commune and do some serious people-watching. There’s even a Plage de l’Horloge , an artificial beach on the riverfront where you can dig your heels in the sand and gaze out over the mighty St Lawrence (no swimming).

MARCDUF/GETTY IMAGES ©

Montréal’s Top 10
Basilique Notre-Dame
5 The pride of Montréal and one of the most beautiful churches on the continent, the Basilique Notre-Dame is a 19th-century Gothic Revival masterpiece with spectacular craftsmanship. Originally it was a humble building dating from 1683; it was rebuilt in 1829. Everything, from the great bell (12 tonnes) in the western tower to the 1891 organ with its 7000 pipes and the stained-glass windows depicting the city’s history, speaks of the strong faith of the congregations of yesteryear.

S. GREG PANOSIAN/GETTY IMAGES ©

Montréal’s Top 10
Rue St-Denis
6 Let’s be fair: Rue St-Denis in the Quartier Latin isn’t as down-and-out bohemian as it makes out, but it’s still wonderful. On the blocks below Rue Sherbrooke Est, students from the nearby Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) sip beer in brasseries, artists hobnob in cafes and everyone else seems to just watch the world go by. No wonder it was at the heart of the student protest movement that erupted in the city in recent years. It’s also home to some excellent theaters, cinemas, street art, cafes and restaurants.

IAN DAGNALL/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO ©

Montréal’s Top 10
Canal de Lachine
7 This old industrial waterway that powered Canada’s industrialization has been cleaned, spruced up and made ready to welcome thousands of cyclists, joggers and amateur sailors every summer. The best way to enjoy it is to rent a bike and pedal from Old Montréal to the Marché Atwater, where you can browse farm produce, artisanal cheeses and freshly baked goods. The canal’s banks are a perfect spot for picnicking with your purchases.

PAMELAJOEMCFARLANE/GETTY IMAGES ©

Montréal’s Top 10
Musical Montréal
8 Montréalers are justly proud of their passion for cultivating and appreciating good music. What else would you expect from a city that has turned out everything from Leonard Cohen to Arcade Fire? That’s part of the reason why thousands gather Downtown every summer for the sizzling sounds of the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal , the city’s main party. Free outdoor shows, star performers and a wide variety of genres make it one of th