Montreal, in the province of Quebec in Canada, is one of the most beautiful cities in the country, and possibly the whole of North America. Its culture has been hugely influenced by the French, be it language or architecture. In fact, Montreal is the second-largest city in the world where French is the primary language, after Paris. This should be enough to show the impact that the French have had on this city, and that influence is evident today as well. There are a number of beautiful destinations for people to take in during a visit to Montreal, and we’ve tried to talk about some of the best ones here.
Old Port of Montreal
This is one of the most historically-steeped places in the city – while the port in its current guise was opened in 1830, itself almost 200 years ago, there are indications that the area was used as a trading post by French fur traders as long ago as 1611. It is no longer Montreal’s primary port, with the Port of Montreal in the eastern part of the city serving that purpose, and so now it is used for recreational and tourist activities. The port area includes the Montreal Science Centre, which has an IMAX theatre as well, and the historic and beautiful Montreal Clock Tower. Being on the riverfront, people have picturesque views in front of them as they walk, cycle, or even roller-blade, with the port being found at the eastern end of the Lachine Canal, which was itself refurbished to make it a popular destination for cycling and roller-blading. There are boats available to go out into the canal as well, while the port area also hosts cultural events such as the Igloofest, the Matsuri Japon festival and the Festival Montreal en lumiere. The port area has the tallest ferris wheel in Canada, while there is also an urban beach next to the clock tower. With all of these attractions, it is no wonder that the Old Port is one of the most popular destinations in the city.
Montreal Casino
The casino, found on the Notre Dame Island in Montreal, is one of the biggest attractions for tourists and residents alike in the city. It is the largest real money casino in the entire country, and is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is a huge structure, consisting of three interconnected buildings, while the gaming floor clocks in at over 12 acres, or 526,000 square feet. That is certainly a lot of room for a variety of casino games, and it is no surprise that the numbers make for staggering reading: more than 3,200 slot machines, over 115 gaming tables, and even more speed lotteries and virtual gaming machines can be found on the casino floor. As with any top-notch casino, there are also other entertainment facilities available on site, with the Montreal casino having three bars, four restaurants, banquet facilities, meeting rooms and a cabaret as well. It is extremely well-connected in terms of transport links, and thus this is an experience which every visitor, and resident of Montreal, should have at least once.
Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
The city also boasts the largest art museum in Canada, with the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts being the largest such museum in the country by gallery space. It is located on the iconic Golden Square Mile stretch of Sherbrooke Street, one of the most recognizable and famous areas of the city. The MMFA has over 140,000 square feet of exhibition space, with a total area of over 570,000 square feet. It is also the oldest museum in the country, being established in 1860. With some exceptional and exclusive collections available for art aficionados to admire, the MMFA is surely a must-visit destination for anybody in Montreal with even a passing interest in art.
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