Montreal

When to visit Montreal

June to September is the liveliest period, with days of 24C to 28C, terraces open and the jazz festival, Just for Laughs and Osheaga following one another; hotels are expensive and full in July. Late September to mid October brings the red maples, cool air and quiet streets. November to March is a long winter, with January days at minus 5C to minus 10C, plenty of snow and the Montreal en Lumiere light festival in February; the underground city and the metro make these months manageable. April is a muddy transition and May is spring.

Things to do in Montreal

Notre-Dame Basilica

The basilica on Place d'Armes in Old Montreal was completed in 1829 in the Gothic Revival style; plain outside, inside it is one of the most ornate church interiors in North America, with gold stars on a deep blue vault, carved walnut and gilded statues. The 7,000 pipe Casavant organ and the stained glass telling the history of Quebec stand out. In the evening the Aura light and sound show turns the interior into a stage, and Celine Dion's wedding was held here in 1994. Entry is ticketed.

Mount Royal Park

The 233 metre hill that gives the city its name was turned into a park to Olmsted's plan of 1876, the designer of Central Park, and rises just north of downtown. The Kondiaronk lookout faces downtown, the river and, in clear weather, the mountains on the US border; the stairs from Peel Street reach the terrace in half an hour. The illuminated 30 metre cross on the summit is visible from everywhere at night. On summer Sundays the Tam-Tams drum gathering fills the eastern foot of the hill, and in winter there is skiing and skating at Beaver Lake.

Old Port

The two kilometre quayside of Old Montreal along the river has been a park and leisure area since the 1990s: a 60 metre observation wheel, a science centre, jet boat rides on the river in summer and a skating rink in winter. The 192 steps of the Clock Tower overlook the quays and the Jacques Cartier Bridge; the silver dome of Bonsecours Market and the Bonsecours Chapel stand just behind. Galleries and restaurants line cobbled Saint-Paul Street. Lit up at night, it is the most walked part of the city.

Jean-Talon Market

The open market held in Little Italy since 1933 is one of the largest open air food markets in North America and stays open all year. Quebec farmers sell maple syrup, cheese, apples and summer fruit, with tastings at the stalls. The Italian delicatessens and coffee bars in the surrounding streets make up the rest of the quarter. It is five minutes from Jean-Talon metro station; Saturday morning is the busiest time and weekdays the most relaxed. Montreal's bagel bakeries and smoked meat restaurants are also near this district.

Olympic Stadium and Montreal Tower

Rising above the stadium built for the 1976 Olympics, the 165 metre Montreal Tower is the tallest inclined tower in the world at 45 degrees; a glass funicular reaches the observation deck in two minutes with 80 kilometres of visibility in clear weather. In the same park the Biodome, filling the old velodrome, presents five ecosystems with live animals, and with the Botanical Garden and Insectarium opposite it takes a full day. From September to November a lantern festival lights the Chinese and Japanese gardens. It is a walk from Pie-IX metro station.

Underground City

The network officially called RESO links shopping centres, metro stations, universities, hotels and concert halls beneath downtown through 32 kilometres of tunnels and passages; it began under Place Ville Marie in 1962 and half a million people use it a day in winter. Place des Arts, the Eaton Centre and Central Station are stops reached underground. Follow the arrow signs, as losing your way is easy. When it is minus 20C outside, people walk here without a coat.

Flights from Turkey to Montreal

Direct flights to Montreal from Turkey leave Istanbul Airport on Turkish Airlines; the route runs year round with three to four flights a week, takes about 10 hours 40 minutes and arrives the same evening after an afternoon departure. Montreal-Trudeau Airport lies 20 kilometres west of downtown; the 747 express bus runs around the clock and reaches the centre in 45 to 60 minutes, while a taxi on the flat fare takes 40 minutes. French and English are used equally at the airport.

Montreal FAQ