JC. Princen Montreal is Canada’s second largest city, and is geographically as close to the European coast as to Vancouver.
The look of this city in appearance and feeling is a combination of the two continents. You would be surprised to know that this is also the second largest French speaking metropolis after Paris. Though there were troubles between the English and the French groups, but the city has undergone resurgence, becoming the driving force behind the high-tech industry that’s transforming Canada’s economy in today’s world.
Owing much to the French speaking population and some of the English speaking people, this place is a real cultural combination of two civilizations and the city is rich with its historical monuments that stand as the proof of its past richness.
People who like such diversity in one place come to here and enjoy the trip best to their heart’s contentment and due to increased popularity; this place is fast becoming a major tourist spot of Canada.
Geography of Montreal
Montreal was basically founded by the French in 1642, and is one of the oldest cities in North America. Montreal has a northern climate; with an average yearly snowfall of 214 cm, winter snowdrifts can become deep, and popular winter activities are skating, skiing, and ice hockey. You would surely enjoy the trip here.
Montreal is located on Montreal Island in the Hochelaga Archipelago, where the Ottawa River flows into the St. Lawrence River.
The archipelago has more than 320 islands and about one-third of it is occupied by the city proper, which covers 177 Sq. Km.
The street structure of this city is set into a grid pattern. The heart of the city of Montreal lies between the mountain and the St. Lawrence River. The original site was along the river in an area now called Old Montreal. And not surprisingly, this is the main tourist attraction of the city, containing numerous landmark buildings of historical values.
Climate of Montreal
Most of the parts of this city experience extreme condition of weather and the winters in the central region are very chilly! Winter can vary from five months in the south to eight months in the north, averaging between 14 and -13 degree Fahrenheit of the temperature.
During the summer, the temperature rises but you can still enjoy the atmosphere a lot. Due to lot of snowfall, you can enjoy the climate by skiing and ice skating, which is one of the most sought after activities of this city!
Montreal Transportation
Coming to this beautiful place almost from all over the world is easy and you can choose a number of ways to arrive here if you are coming from some other provinces of Canada and America.
By Air
The city has an International airport and there are regular flights from all over the world and you can come here from any part of the world! There are taxi services and omnibus services that can drop you anywhere from here and you can have a very pleasant stay in the city!
By Bus
Montreal has bus connections to other cities, in the rest of Canada and in the United States. You can enjoy the travel in these buses as they are clean and you will face no hassle to come to the city, if you choose to come on a bus.
By Train
Train service for Toronto is good and you can reserve the tickets and can collect it from your travel agent! There are two major downtown train stations, Central Station and Windsor Station. Both are connected to the Bonaventure Metro station and are thus connected to the underground city. You can easily arrive here using the trains!
Places of Interest in Montreal
There are many places in Montreal that you can enjoy to visit owing much to its cultural, social, and historical richness of the city!
Tourists have a large number of places to choose and you can find something-particular liking to you and visit the place.
The hilly and plane areas of Montreal offers a wide variety of recreational spots and there are large numbers of museums and historical monuments that you can choose to visit. The following below are major attractions in Montreal:
Montreal Bell Amphitheatre
This is an indoor skating rink. If you like the sport, you can bring your skates at any time of year and skate away in a 5 million-dollar skating rink. A very popular spot for young people who like to have fun and frolic in the winter season! A must visit place for the people who like adventure and enjoyment!
McGill University
It is one of Canada’s largest and most prestigious Universities and is a great place to walk around and see a functional campus in use. The Arts building is the focal point of the campus and I heard it is a must visit. It can be viewed in its majestic splendor from the Roddick gates entrance and is a good departure point to venture to the different corners of the University.
Mount Royal and a trek up the mountain
This hill is very popular and some call it a mountain with extensive parkland and trails. Built by the famous Olmstead who also designed Central Park and Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, you can find a playground for city dwellers and visitors. If you like to walk, hike, sunbathe, relax, you should visit this place for sure.
Old Montreal
This is the area, which has the most number of historic buildings of any city in North America. The whole area has been preserved and is definitely reminiscent of Old World charm of the Montreal culture.
Olympic Stadium
The Montreal Olympic Statdium stadium was built for the 1974 Olympic Games and still is a good visiting place. If you are in sports, you would love to see the large leaning tower of this ground and admire the beauty.
Oratoire St Joseph
This is one of the largest religious shrines in North America. This place was built by Brother Andre. It is surrounded by some pretty imposing structures-truly an interesting place to visit!
Square St Louis
This is one of the prettiest squares in Montreal and it can be accessible by walking along the pedestrian part of Rue Prince Arthur. On all sides of the square are homes built in the 19th century architectural style and many have painted roofs and original detailing as well as interesting color schemes, which adds an artistic element to the area.
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