Check out our list of the top 20 best things to do in Montreal
Montreal is one of the most important and most populous cities in Canada. It is believed to be named after Mount Royal, though that is debated by some. It was originally the commercial capital of Canada, but surpassed by Toronto a few years ago. However, it is still a centre of commerce, aerospace, finance, technology, design, education, culture, tourism, gaming, film and world affairs. It also hosts numerous international events, like the 1967 Olypmic Games, and many other sport and cultural events. It’s a wonderful city is all respect, so coming here is highly advised if you are planning to come to Canada. To make things easier, we have made a list of the top 20 best things to do in Montreal for you.
- Old Montreal
Old Montreal is the oldest part of the city, a very distinct neighbourhood. While the other parts of the city developed, this part remained mostly the same, with horse-drawn carriages traversing the cobblestone streets while passing by many historical and important buildings and attractions. Street performers entertain the people while they try one of the local cafés and restaurants, but shopping is also a popular activity here. Even if you don’t plan on spending money, coming here is one of the best things to do in Montreal, since even just taking a stroll here and sightseeing is quite wonderful.
2. Notre-Dame Basilica
The Notre-Dame Basilica is a magnificent church located in Old Montreal, built in a Gothic Revival style and adorned with intricate statues and tranquil chapels. The vaults are coloured deep blue and decorated with golden stars, and the rest of the sanctuary is decorated in varous colours of blues, azures, reds, purples, silver, and gold. It also has a large pipe organ, which produces spectacular sounds.
3. Old Port
The Old Port is located in Old Montreal, and it stretches for over two kilometres along the St-Lawrence River. It has been in use for around 400 years since French fur traders used it as a trading post. Today it is more of a recreational and historical area, but ships still come to the port. Some attractions can be found here which make it even more beautiful, but going to the urban beach or trying fishing are also popular choices.
4. Bonsecours Market
The Bonsecours Market is a large public market hall in Old Montreal which served as the main market space of Montreal for 100 years. Today the two-story building is used both by outdoor cafés, restaurants and boutiques, and has halls and banquet rooms which can be rented for events, festivals and so on.
5. Montreal Botanical Gardens
The Montreal Botanical Gardens is a huge garden with at least 22 thousand species of flora in 10 large greenhouses and with a large open space. Among these themed parts are a Japanese Zen garden, a Chinese Garden centered around the principles of yin and yang, a very popular toxic-plant garden and so on. If you love nature even just a little, then coming here is one of the best things to do in Montreal for you. You wander around all day and still find something new and beautiful, especially the ever-popular plant sculptures, which are truly one of a kind.
6. Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts is the largest museum of the city and holds a collection of around 42 thousand works. It has paintings and works of art from famous artists like Rembrandt, El Greco, Renoir, Cézanne and Picasso, but has other works as well, including porcelain from the 18th century England, and artifacts from World War I.
7. Mount Royal Park
Just like its name suggests, the Mount Royal Park is located on the volcanic hill of Mount Royal. It provides people with numerous recreation activities like jogging, taking a stroll, renting a bicycle or just having a picnic. You can rent a boat to see the lake on the hill, or just take in the in incredible view of the city.
8. Jean-Talon Market
Jean-Talon Market is a highly popular farmers’ market in Montreal and it’s also the largest public market in all of North America. Grilled sausages, Quebecois cheeses, mounds of fresh produce, home-grown spices and handmade chocolates await visitors, not to mention all the food stalls where you can try out some local food. Even if you are not planning on shopping here, it’s worth taking a stroll among the stalls at least due to the atmosphere.
9. Saint Joseph’s Oratory
Saint Joseph’s Oratory is the largest church in Canada and it’s also very high as it sits on Mount Royal. The inside of the basilica is decorated with intricately carved murals and thousands of candles leading to the crypt, giving it all a magnificent look. It’s worth seeing even if you are not religious, as it is quite unique.
10. Montreal Biodome
The Montreal Biodome gives home to four distinct ecosystems: a polar environment; a tropical rainforest, a Laurentian forest and the St. Lawrence marine setting. The biodome itself is located in the Olympic bicycle-racing stadium, which gives it an even more unique feel as you stroll around the dome and its different environments, seeing all the animals and plants.
11. Museum of Archaeology and History
The Museum of Archaeology and History may seem too modern from the outside, but inside it hides archaeological dig underground, which revealed the foundations of the city’s original settlement, established in the 17th century. As you go up to the higher levels, the museum showcases the history of the city and its multicultural style. It’s a great place for both children and adults if you want to learn more about Montreal.
12. La Ronde
The La Ronde is an amusement park in Montreal. Stomach-churning roller coasters and even a toddler-friendly carousel await visitors in the second largest amusement park in Canada. New rides are being built all the time, so it is even worth visiting twice if you happen to come to Montreal more than once. Other events include a bi-weekly fireworks competition, where representatives from countries from around the world compete.
13. Montreal Biosphère
The Montreal Biosphère was built for the 1967 World Fair. This 20-story-tall dome’s steel skeleton was fitted with a clear acrylic covering, making the icosahedron look like a massive, glittering jewel. Unfortunately, during a routine welding maintenance the covering caught fire, engulfing the entire sphere in a ball of fire with flames that burned for 30 minutes. It was closed, but reopened a few years later, now without covering, standing as a museum for the environment.
14. Habitat 67
Habitat 67 is a model community and housing complex in Montreal which was built for the 1967 World Fair. The design is an experiment in modular architecture meant to imitate an organic growth, bringing together nature and geometric patterns. The gardens of the apartments are on top of the apartments below, making it all look like a piece of art. Unfortunately, these turned out to cost a lot, making it somewhat a failure as the avarage citizen couldn’t afford it.
15. Redpath Museum
The Redpath Museum aims to create a place for carefully curated natural history from every field, from geology to anthropology. Colorful stuffed birds, fossils encased in stone, huge dinosaur bones, glass marine life models and many others await visitors. The most notable object is probably the massive albertosaurus skeleton.
16. McPherson and Rutherford Physics Collections
The McPherson and Rutherford Physics Collections are two collections next to each other with both of them centered around physical instruments and apparatus used by Ernest Rutherford. These were used both for studying and researching, as well as teaching. Those interested in physics should definitely check it out, as it can be quite interesting. They may not seem beautiful, but they are tools after all.
17. Gibeau Orange Julep
Yes, the Gibeau Orange Julep does look like a huge orange. It’s a roadside attraction and a three-story-high fast food restaurant. The main drink and namesake of the place is a basic orange juice with a twist, as it is a creamier and heartier version thanks to the secret ingredient being powdered egg. Apart from the drink, the restaurants serves the usual, but delicious cheeseburgers, french fries, veggie dogs and Canada’s signature dish, the poutine.
18. Emile Berliner Museum of Sound
The Emile Berliner Museum of Sound aims to preserve the history of the audio industry by collecting and displaying various audio antiques. The small museum also collects acoustical and architectural plans and other documents related to sites important in the audio industry, as well as old televisions, rusted bell phonographs, children’s record players, and much more.
19. Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre and Museum
The Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre and Museum is a sad but memorable place, standing as a memorial to those who died in the holocaust. It invites visitors to reflect on the destruction caused by prejudice, racism and antisemitism, and to teach them why these should be abolished.
20. Olympic Stadium
Built for the 1976 Olympic Games, the Olympic Stadium of Montreal, the stadium suffers from a bad reputation, as in addition to the delayed completion and malfunctioning design of the roof from which pieces might even fall down, the prolonged construction budget grew so high that the city could only fully pay it after 30 years of its unveiling. Nevertheless, people can still see how spectacular it could have been, were it not for these problems.
