Montreal, QU

A holiday in Montréal is a journey through rich realms of imagination, fertile grounds of fantasy, and dream worlds where shapes shift and colours change to alter your perception of reality. Stroll through a myriad of art galleries strewn all around the city to sample the edgy art scene of Montréal. The Museum of Fine Arts beckons with a humongous collection of paintings, drawings, sculpture, photographs, prints, furniture, and sundry forms of decorative arts. The array includes classics by European masters, works by Canadian artists, and a rare collection of Aboriginal and Inuit artefacts. Montréal lives and breathes music. If you are a musicophile, holidays to Montréal promise endless melodious journeys. Immerse yourself in the beats of jazz at the Montréal International Jazz Festival or get a taste of the vibrant indie music scene at the many clubs of the city where touring artists and DJs stir up a storm of melodies and shake you up with punk beats, rock and pop music, and rhythms from around the world.

A tour in Canada brings you face-to-face with many different gastronomic traditions. A holiday to Montréal is like sitting down to a multi-course meal where every course is a journey through the tasty alleys of all the different cultures that Montréalers have embraced lovingly and enthusiastically. Parisian bistros that serve frothy café au lait and chocolate croissant. Jewish bakeries that make poppy and sesame seed bagels round the clock. Bars that have exoticas like jambalaya and Cajun burgers on their menus. White-tablecloth establishments that give their own spin to staples like burger with fillings of foie gras, Kobe beef, and truffle aioli. Montréal dares you to be adventurous on your gastronomic journey. And of course, there are plenty of eating joints that rustle up traditional French-Canadian fare and authentic Québec dishes like tourtière, poutine, and sugar pie.

The colourful history of Montréal is carefully preserved in its olden quarters. Old Montréal is a visual medley of cobblestone streets, buildings that date back to the 18th century, medieval-style churches, and taverns with stone walls. Head to the Place d’Armes where Montréal’s destiny was carved. Around an open square are Montréal’s first skyscraper, the New York Life Insurance Building, and Canada’s first permanent bank, the Bank of Montréal. The square itself is the site of pitched battles between the First Nation tribes and religious settlers. Old Montréal is atmospheric; the past feels alive and throbbing as you walk down the streets here. More snippets from the past are housed at the Musée d’Archéologie et d’Histoire Pointe-à-Callière. This is the perfect place to visit with your kids and let them gobble up history (and willing too!) presented through multimedia modules and interactive exhibits.

For Montréalers, food is a daily celebration of sensuality. They don’t just eat it, they enjoy and experience it; they’re passionate about everything, from selecting the perfect wine to finding the ideal spot in which to savour it. Not surprisingly, residents of Montreal are passionate about culinary ingenuity, too. They liberally season their dishes with the same creativity that is so incredibly Montréal: innovation, style and originality surge through the menus as freely as fine wine flows from a sommelier’s hand. Choice and lots of it is the theme for Montréal’s gastronomic scene. From five-star restaurants to cozy eateries to hard-and-fast local favourites, Montréal offers one-of-a-kind experiences to tantalise any and all palates.

Montréal is a UNESCO City of Design, an epithet that it takes seriously. You can see evidence everywhere during your Montréal holiday. Here heritage structures like the Notre-Dame Basilica, St. Patrick’s Basilica, and Château Dufresne have been preserved in their pristine states, and present-day designers, architects, and landscape artists enjoy a free rein to think up innovative designs and give form to their ideas. The results are whimsical, fantastical, provocative, and sometimes controversial, but never staid. From the iconic Stade Olympique that houses the world’s tallest inclined tower to the controversial Habitat 67 with its pixelated look, Montréal’s skyline is an intriguing mashup of designs and styles. A stroll through Montréal’s streets feels as if you have gone back in time or have taken a flying leap into the future.

Joie de vivre is the spirit of Montréal. Montréalers know how to make the most of the seasons and have fun. It is no surprise that Montréal holidays pack in festivals and events throughout the year.

Art exhibitions, musical shows, comedy nights, outdoor sports events, film festivals, food and drink parties—Montréalers know how to have a good time and welcome all to their festive merrymaking. Montréal is an all-season destination. The many pubs, night clubs, art galleries, shops, and museums are open throughout the year. Browse art collections or historical exhibits, catch a live jazz or rock performance, explore the culinary culture of the city, or indulge in your retail fantasies whether it is snowing outside or the sun is beating down during the height of summer.

Winter Action, Snow Notwithstanding

The winter stillness in Nature tends to rub off on people, and they wind down their activities. But not the Montréaler. Many touristy destinations close down during winter. But not Montréal. Montréal holidays in winter are action-packed and fun-filled. The Montréal en Lumière warms up the days and lights up nights with music concerts, art exhibitions, and grand fireworks displays. Art lovers can entertain themselves and be enthralled in more ways than one at the Nuit Blanche where music concerts and movie screenings continue through the night and public art installations and exhibitions turn Montréal into one gigantic gallery where amazement awaits you at every turn. The Igloofest is an outdoor dance party where the pulsating beats of electronic music add oomph to the season.

Springtime Soirées

Spring brings warmer and sunnier days, but daytime temperatures are still comfortable for being outdoors and wander on the streets of Montréal. And you will have to be outdoors because the St. Patrick’s Day Parade takes over the city for several days. It is time for pub crawling to gorge on traditional Irish breakfast delights and gulp stout Irish coffee. There is laughter and gaiety in the air and colour on the streets as the parade winds its way through the city.

Summer Cultural Extravaganza

Hedonism is the spirit of the season on your holiday to Montréal in summer. The Montréal International Jazz Festival is the highlight of the season and draws musicophiles from all over the world. During late June and early July, Montréal resonates with the soulful lyrics of jazz, the thumping beats of rock and pop, and a medley of tunes from other corners of the planet. Music lovers also look forward to the Osheaga Festival that pays ode to heavy rock.  At other times during the summer season, the air of Montréal is filled with laughter, giggles, guffaws, and chuckles as North America’s biggest comedy fest, Just for Laughs, gets underway at the various clubs of the city. A Canada holiday has festive delights in store for everyone. In summer, Montréal gears up for dizzying Formula One action at the Grand Prix du Canada. The nights are ablaze every Saturday in July with pyrotechnic displays that make for great photo-ops.

Mellow and Languid Autumn Delights

Autumn is a heavenly time to embark on a holiday to Canada. The days are still sunny while the nights are not yet freezing. Nature decks up in blazing reds, fiery oranges, brilliant yellows, and rich purples; the many parks in Montréal are the best places to sit back, watch the colours change around you, and dream away a hazy autumnal evening. But on the cultural front, the days continue to be busy. Montréal hosts the Montréal World Film Festival and the Festival du Noveau Cinéma de Montréal, much to the delight of movie buffs who turn up in droves to watch the works of upcoming directors and gaze at their favourite stars walk the red carpet. The Black & Blue Festival is one of the largest events for the gay community and showcases Montréal’s permissive culture and attitudes of acceptance and tolerance.