Ulysses Collective - Getaway Montréal

Introduction

Both Latin and Nordic, European and North American, cosmopolitan and metropolitan, the largest French-speaking city in the world after Paris and bilingual hub, Montral is without a doubt an exceptional city. Visitors to the city appreciate it for many different reasons; it succeeds in delighting American tourists with its European charm, while surprising overseas travellers with its freewheeling character.

Dreamstime.com/Mirceax

Even more than its rich architectural heritage, Montrals appeal lies in its unique, engaging atmosphere. And when the time comes to celebrate jazz, film, comedy, francophone singers or Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day, hundreds of thousands of people flood into the streets, transforming major events into warm public gatherings.

Montral is a big city that has managed to keep its human touch; get to know it, and youll discover that it is above all a city of small streets and unique neighbourhoods, each with its own church, businesses, restaurants, and barsin short, its own personality, shaped over the years by people from all corners of the globe.

Elusive and mysterious, the Montral mystique is nevertheless genuine, and has as strong a hold on those who live here as on visitors immersed in it for only a few days.

Place Ville Marie ()

Dreamstime.com/Jean-Franois Dupuis

Notre-Dame Basilica ()

Shutterstock.com/Theodore Littleton

Mount Royal Cross ()

Dreamstime.com/Christian De Grandmaison

Biosphere ()

Dreamstime.com/Yanive Nizard Lafrance

Place des Festivals ()

Mattera Joly/Quartier des spectacles

If you have... a few hours

• A stroll through Old Montral ( )

Travel back in time along narrow cobblestone streets.

• A walk on Mount Royal ( )

Climb up to the Belvdre Kondiaronk and see the whole city at your feet.

• A whirlwind tour of the Montral Museum of Fine Arts ( )

Take in the museums prize collection of Qubec and Canadian art.

iStockphoto.com/Tony Tremblay

...one day

The above, plus

• A visit to Notre-Dame Basilica ( )

A masterpiece of Gothic Revival.

• Exploring Pointe--Callire, the Montral Museum of Archaeology and History ( )

Discover the citys deep roots and long history.

• Window-shopping on Rue Sainte-Catherine ( )

Kilometres of small boutiques and huge department stores, and if the weathers not cooperating, the famous Underground City.

...a long weekend

The above, plus

• A bike ride along the Lachine Canal ( )

Relax, picnic, and watch the boats go past, along this green ribbon in the heart of the city.

• Discovering the Plateau Mont-Royal ( )

Get to know the real Montral, heart and soul.

• Fine dining in one of the citys famous restaurants: Au Pied de Cochon ( ) if youre both.

10 people, places and things that make Montral

1. Alleys

Tucked away between its streets and avenues, Montrals alleys are like the citys backstage. Children play entire Stanley Cup series of street hockey, stray cats rule all they survey, laundry flutters overhead in Italian style, and gardens, vines, and flowers flourish under the care of neighbourhood groups. These tiny, peaceable kingdoms show off the authentic face of the city.

2. Bagels and smoked meat

Join the perpetual line-up in front of Schwartzs or take late-night advantage of the 24/7/365 schedule of Mile Ends classic bagel bakeries, and youll understand how completely these traditional Jewish specialties have fused with Montrals identity. And not by accident: bagel connoisseurs rank the citys typical thin, sweet, crisp bagels even above New Yorks, while the sharp taste of Montral smoked meat, less cloying than that made elsewhere, has made it a culinary icon.

Andrew Gryn

3. Bixi

With its 650km of bike paths and its ubiquitous Bixi bike share stands, Montral is a cyclists paradise. Inaugurated in 2009, Bixi (short for BIcycle and taXI) allows users to borrow a bike for a quick trip at a reasonable price. A North American first, the concept has since spread to Toronto, Boston, New York, Chicago, Washington, and as far as Melbourne, Australia.

4. Festivals

From the Festival international de jazz de Montral (the worlds largest) to Montral en lumire, the FrancoFolies, Just for Laughs and many others, the whole year is a whirl of festivals for every taste and interest. In summer, the aptly named Place des Festivals is the heart of the action.

5. Michel Tremblay

Michel Tremblays Chroniques du Plateau-Mont-Royal series firmly established him as the pre-eminent chronicler of life in Montral, and especially the Plateau. With their dialogue written in authentic joual , the citys common spoken French, his novels and plays about the neighbourhoods deep-rooted working-class families are intimate, colourful and full of life.

6. Montral Canadiens

The National Hockey Leagues legendary Habs, the Montral Canadiens have won 24 Stanley Cups over the teams hundred-year history. On game nights, the Bell Centre shakes with their fans deafening cheers, and so do sports bars and pubs throughout the city.

7. Mount Royal

Named for King Francis I by Jacques Cartier, and just minutes from downtown, the Plateau, and Outremont, Mount Royal is the flourishing green heart of the city. Citizens flock to the mountain year-round for hiking, cross-country skiing, skating, and the Tam-Tams , or just to pass the time and enjoy the magnificent views of the city from its lookouts.