A cultural guide to Montreal
Cobbled streets and grand French-colonial architecture conjure Old World charms, while an edgy arts scene hints at what’s next in Canada’s largest Francophone city
Your essential guide to the best things to see and do in Montreal. Find more travel inspiration for more amazing cities here.
Montreal has long served as Canada’s largest artistic haven: Combining the cultural cachet of Paris and the hip vibes of Brooklyn, it tends to attract indie writers, musicians, artists, and multimedia start-ups. This influx of innovators has transformed the 17th-century city—you only have to stroll through the city’s historic Old Port and mingle with its trend-savvy, fashion-forward locals to see.
Art & architecture
With its continuously expanding gallery, music, and culinary scenes, Québec’s largest city stays exciting because it’s constantly finding and refining itself. But despite all the change, the city retains a few key consistent glories, including the Corinthian-pillared Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal and the regal French Gothic-styled Notre-Dame Basilica (where Québécois Celine Dion got married). An immersive audio-video spectacle is held nightly in the latter, a choral light show amplified by the 7,000-pipe organ.
For fans of more modern architecture, there’s the brutalist, Jenga-like housing complex Habitat 67, and five miles from Downtown, the city’s UFO-like stadium, nicknamed the “Big O”, which has a 540-foot tower leaning over it (you can take a three-minute ride to the top via bilevel cable car).
While you’re there, take a side-trip to the neighboring Botanical Garden, to see the innovative, nature-inspired Frédéric Back Tree Pavilion.
Save a few hours for the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, where you’ll find 20th-century Canadian abstract expressionists (such as Jean Paul Riopelle’s trippy paintings), and a Decorative Arts and Design Pavilion (seek out art nouveau tchotchkes, and art deco lounge chairs).
Expert tips
The essentials
American citizens need a valid U.S. passport, a passport card, enhanced driver’s license, or a NEXUS card to enter Canada. Fly into Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL) at the east end of the city; from there, the 747 bus is an easy and affordable way to get Downtown in 45 minutes. Taxis, rideshare options, and private transfers take about 30 minutes to reach Downtown. The city is currently constructing a train system that will link the airport with Downtown, due to open in 2025.
While most locals speak English, French is the official language, and used on all public signs.
Getting around
The city’s subway is safe and easy to navigate, with stations close to the city’s main attractions. Pay with cash or contactless payment. Explore Montreal on two wheels via the city’s bike-sharing network, with docking stations throughout the city.
Accessibility
The Metro Transit system is fully accessible, as are the majority of sidewalks in tourist areas. Olympic Tower and most of the sports complex is wheelchair accessible. The hilly terrain and massive size of Mont Royal can be a challenge, but its highlights can be explored via accessible van or taxi.
LGBTQ+
Montreal is a progressive, gay-welcoming city. The Gay Village is the heart of the community, with lively clubs, boutiques, and antique shops. The pedestrian-only main drag, Rue Sainte-Catherine East, comes alive in summer with outdoor cafes and bars. Montreal Pride takes place each August.
Family
Montreal is a delight for families—it’s safe, walkable, and offers plenty to do for all ages. Top family activities include visiting animals at the Biodôme, whipping around on the roller-coasters at the waterfront La Ronde amusement park, learning a thing or two at the Montreal Science Centre, or ice-skating year-round at Atrium Le 1000. The city’s many kid-friendly festivals are also worth checking out, including Circus Festival (July) and Snow Festival (January and February).
Food & drink
French Canadian fare is one of the best-kept culinary secrets in the world. Decades before farm-to-table found favor, many of Montreal’s restaurants were sourcing direct from neighboring pastures. One of them was Downtown’s Bar George, housed in a 140-year-old former private club that once hosted the likes of Pierre Trudeau and Princess Margaret. Start with the locally distilled lavender gin, followed by classic plates, such as mushroom confit and butler’s steak.
Barack Obama and Justin Trudeau famously dined at Liverpool House on Montreal’s southwest side; they ordered the lobster spaghetti, in case you were wondering.
If you want a true taste of the city, make for Joe Beef, a local institution famed for its seasonal menu with Québécois classics such as tourtière (an even tastier answer to shepherd’s pie) and poutine. Another essential Montreal dining experience: jazz sets on the terrace of Jardin Nelson, a lively spot for bistro fare in the historic square.
For those who want to go cheap and cheerful, there is a full-on contest for the best Montreal bagels (St-Viateur Bagel Shop’s rosemary and sea salt variety is a contender) and a battle royale going on for the most delicious smoked-meat sandwich in town (current champ: Schwartz’s Deli).
Coffee and pastries in Montreal are just as sacred as its holy street names (hence the nickname “City of Saints”). Order café au lait and a kale, egg, and brie breakfast sandwich at Crew Collective & Café, housed in the ornate former Bank of Canada building; or get a coffee and croissant to go from FousDesserts, then sip your way through Mont Royal Park—the perfect place to burn a few calories, with its 256-step staircase.
Music
While most will point you to the city’s huge festivals (Osheaga for indie bands, MUTEK for electro and the eclectic POP Montréal International Music Festival), there’s so much more going on in smaller venues. Artists including Björk and Iggy Pop have graced the stages of the Phi Centre, a towering presence in Old Montreal that occupies four converted heritage buildings; its acoustically superior space immerses audiences in melt-in-your-ear sound quality. Or, book into one of the city’s oldest performance venues, The Gesù amphitheater, which dates back to 1865 and has a revolving stage, or one of the newest, Ursa—a café/cabaret/music venue opened by Canadian singer-songwriter Martha Wainwright.
The ticket
The Montreal International Jazz Festival, known as the largest in the world, is held each June. It has embraced the greats throughout its 44 years—from Nina Simone and Joni Mitchell to Oscar Peterson and Erykah Badu. And comedy lovers flock to the Just For Laughs Festival in July; save by booking ahead.
A buzzing energy pulsates through this eclectic neighborhood, which serves as a nurturing ground for emerging creatives. Visitors with an appetite for diverse and affordable art, and foodies seeking out multicultural cuisine will have fun exploring it. Save time for the many galleries, including Centre Clark, and stop for lunch at Café Falco, a cozy spot inside a woodworking studio.
Beyond the grande dame of Notre Dame cathedral, take a walk to the piazza-like Place d’Armes to see a bust of the city’s founder Paul de Chomedey, neoclassical courthouse Édifice Ernest-Cormier, and Hotel de Ville (the city’s 1872 City Hall). The prized boutiques on Saint-Paul are also worth a look and include local fashion legends such as Denis Gagnon and chic sustainable hubs like Luc S. If the silver-domed Marché Bonsecours farmers’ market is open, pop in to sample local fruits, pies, cheeses and sapped-with-love Québécois maple syrup.
Shopping is more than a hobby in Montreal and Rue Sainte-Catherine is one of the best places for it. Find something cool for the whole fam at Québécois department store Simons, which mixes affordable finds with haute couture. You’ll also find apparel hubs (Tristan and Club Monaco) and a throng of shopping malls (the Eaton Centre and Complexe Desjardins). If you’re feeling weary from the credit-card workout, take a breather at chef-led foodhall Time Out Market at the Eaton Centre, where happy hour menus reflect the city’s French influence.
Elio Iannacci is an award-winning culture writer whose work has featured regularly in The Globe and Mail. He has also written for Elle, The Hollywood Reporter, Maclean’s and the Toronto Star, as well as more than 80 publications worldwide.
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