Travel Reviews: Montreal

Travel Reviews: Montreal

Fortunately, last summer I had the chance to visit Montreal, the largest and most populated city in the French province of Canada, Quebec. Montreal is a beautiful, cosmopolitan and bilingual city with a lot to offer; from a gazillion art galleries and museums, to fine dining and a booming nightlife. Suburbs include Laval, Longueuil and Brossard.

While certainly not devoid of upscale shopping malls, the avid high fashion shopper might prefer New York to fill their designer brand needs, with only one retailer (Holt Renfrew) carrying the coveted red soles. However, the city certainly impresses by its panoply of festivals, from the famous Jazz Fest to Just for Laughs and international movie venues. Many shows are public and free, held outside, downtown, for example on Place-des-Arts.

Notre Dame de Montreal Cathedral (Our Lady of Montreal). Photo by Elena

Montreal seems to be a very liberal city, which adds to its blend of European and North American charm. Walking trough the somewhat crowded streets of the centre-ville, a blushing tourist notices many adverts for adult entertainment, such as sex shops, strip clubs and even erotic massage parlors. However, beautiful Montreal girls may be less willing to go topless than their Toronto counterparts, the Ontario city in which a woman famously went to court for the right to bare her breasts in public…

On a more practical, and completely unrelated note, public transportation is easily available and getting around is pretty simple, due to the city’s straightforward design. Perhaps the most impressive architecture is found in the Old Port, which reminds one of Europe, and maybe somewhat of Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Hôtel de ville de Montréal, façade latérale. Montreal City Hall. Image: Elena