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MONTREAL

| Canada

300C FEATURE DESTINATION: Montreal, Quebec, Canada

MONTRÉAL , Canada’s second-largest city, is geographically as close to the European coast as to Vancouver, and in look and feel it combines some of the finest aspects of the two continents. Its North American skyline of glass and concrete rises above churches and monuments in a melange of European styles as varied as Montréal’s social mix. This is also the second-largest French-speaking metropolis after Paris, but only two-thirds of the city’s three and a half million people are of French extraction, the other third being a cosmopolitan mishmash of les autres – including British, Eastern Europeans, Chinese, Italians, Greeks, Jews, South Americans and West Indians. The result is a truly multidimensional city, with a global variety of eateries, bars and clubs, matched by a calendar of festivals that makes this the most vibrant place in Canada.

Montréal has always played a major role in advancing Québec separatism , as it’s here that the two main linguistic groups come into greatest contact with one another. The tension between English and French culminated in the terrorist campaign that the Front de Libération du Québec focused on the city in the late 1960s, and the consequent political changes affected Montréal more than anywhere else in the province. In the wake of the “francization” of Québec, English-Canadians hit Hwy 401 in droves, tipping the nation’s economic supremacy from Montréal to Toronto. Though written off by Canada’s English-speaking majority, the city did not sink into oblivion. Instead, the city has undergone a resurgence, becoming the driving force behind the high-tech industry that’s transforming Canada’s economy.

Everywhere you look there are the signs of civic pride and prosperity. In the historic quarter of Vieux-Montréal , on the banks of the St Lawrence River, the streets and squares are flanked by well-tended buildings, from the mammoth Basilique de Notre-Dame and steepled Chapelle de Notre-Dame-de-Bonsecours , to sleek and stately commercial buildings. Old houses have been converted into lively restaurants and shops, abandoned warehouses into condos and the disused Vieux-Port into a summer playground with landscaped parklands facing onto the St Lawrence. Beneath the forested rise of Mont Royal, downtown ’s boulevards and leafy squares are alive from the morning rush hour right through to the wee hours, when revellers return from the clubs that pulsate along rue Ste-Catherine and the more intimate bars and lounges of the Plateau and Quartier Latin . Below ground, the walkways of the Underground City and the outstanding Métro system link the nodal points of the city, while towards the eastern outskirts, the Stade Olympique ’s leaning tower overshadows the vast Jardin Botanique , second in international status only to London’s Kew Gardens.

In addition, the city boasts some excellent museums. The Centre Canadien d’Architecture has one of the continent’s most impressive specialist collections, the Musée d’Art Contemporain is Canada’s only museum devoted entirely to contemporary art, and the Musée des Beaux Arts is the oldest fine-arts museum in the country. Equally fine are the museums devoted to Montréal and Canadian history; of these, the Musée McCord has a mint collection of native artefacts, while the Musée d’Archéologie et d’Histoire de Montréal delivers a state-of-the-art presentation of archeological findings at the site of Montréal’s founding in 1642.

Beyond the city limits, Montréalers are blessed with superb holiday regions, most within an hour or two of the metropolis. To the west, the forested region of the Outaouais makes for great outdoor activities, while to the north the fertile banks of the St Lawrence and the lake-sprinkled mountains of the Laurentians offer a reprieve from muggy summer temperatures and an escape from the winter blues. To the east, the charm of the Cantons-de-l’Est (Eastern Townships) lies in the acres of farmlands, orchards, maple woods and lakeshore hamlets popular among antique collectors. En route to Québec City, the Mauricie valley, the province’s smallest national park, has a web of waterways and lakes amidst a landscape of mountainous forest.

THE CITY

Though Montréal island is a large 51km by 16km, the heart of the city is very manageable, and is divided into Vieux-Montréal – along the St Lawrence River – a downtown high-rise business core, on the south side of the hill of Mont Royal, and the lively Plateau and Quartier Latin neighbourhoods to the east. Sherbrooke, de Maisonneuve, Ste-Catherine and René-Lévesque are the main east-west arteries, divided into east ( est ) and west ( ouest ) sections by the north-south boulevard St-Laurent, known locally as “The Main”. Street numbers begin from St-Laurent and increase the further east or west you travel: thus 200 rue Sherbrooke ouest is about three blocks west of the Main and 1000 boul René-Lévesque est is about ten blocks east of the Main. North-south street numbers increase north from the St Lawrence River.

You’re most likely to start by sampling the old-world charm of Vieux-Montréal . The narrow cobblestoned streets, alleys and squares are perfect for strolling, and every corner reveals an architectural gem, from monumental public edifices to the city’s first steep-roofed homes. Close by, the Vieux-Port holds the new iSci centre and is a departure point for getting out on the water. To the north, in the compact downtown area, the glass frontages of the office blocks reflect Victorian terraces and the spires of numerous churches, clustered within the shadow of the city’s landmark, Mont Royal , which the residents simply call “The Mountain”. Meanwhile, the mountain’s eastern plateau is the spot where the city’s pulse beats fastest as the eateries and bars of The Main throng with people day and night. On the city’s outskirts the enormous Stade Olympique complex and the vast green of the Jardin Botanique are the main pull. Beneath street level the passages of the Underground City link hotels, shopping centres and offices with the Métro.

HISTORY

The island of Montréal was first occupied by the St Lawrence Iroquois , whose small village of Hochelaga (“Place of the Beaver”) was situated at the base of Mont Royal. European presence began in October 1535 when Jacques-Cartier was led here while searching for a northwest route to Asia. However, even after the arrival of Samuel de Champlain, the French settlement was little more than a small garrison, and it wasn’t until 1642 that the colony of Ville-Marie was founded by the soldiers of Paul de Chomedey , Sieur de Maisonneuve. They were on orders from Paris to “bring about the Glory of God and the salvation of the Indians”, a mission that predictably enough found little response from the aboriginal peoples. Bloody conflict with the Iroquois, fanned by the European fur-trade alliances with the Algonquins and Hurons, was constant until a treaty signed in 1701 prompted the growth of Ville-Marie into the main embarkation point for the fur and lumber trade.

When Québec City fell to the British in 1759, Montréal briefly served as the capital of New France, until the Marquis de Vaudreuil was forced to surrender to General Amherst the following year. The ensuing British occupation suffered a seven-month interruption in 1775, when the Americans took over, but after this hiatus a flood of Irish and Scottish immigrants soon made Montréal North America’s second-largest city. It was not a harmonious expansion, however, and in 1837 the French Patriotes led by Louis-Joseph Papineau rebelled against the British ruling class. Their insurgency failed and was followed by hangings and exiles.

With the creation of the Dominion of Canada in 1867, Montréal emerged as the new nation’s premier port, railroad nexus, banking centre and industrial producer. Its population reached half a million in 1911 and doubled in the next two decades with an influx of émigrés from Europe. It was also during this period that Montréal acquired its reputation as Canada’s “sin city”. During Prohibition in the US, Québec became the main alcohol supplier to the entire continent: the Molsons and their ilk made their fortunes here, while prostitution and gambling thrived under the protection of the authorities. Only in the wake of World War II and the subsequent economic boom did a major anti-corruption operation begin, a campaign that was followed by rapid architectural growth, starting in 1962 with Place Ville Marie and the beginnings of the Underground City complex. The most glamorous episode in the city’s face-lift came in 1967, when land reclaimed from the St Lawrence was used as the site of Expo ‘67 , the World Fair that attracted fifty million visitors to Montréal in the course of the year. However, it was Montréal’s anglophones who were benefiting from the prosperity, and beneath the smooth surface francophone frustrations were reaching dangerous levels.

The crisis peaked in October 1970, when the radical Front de Libération du Québec (FLQ) kidnapped the British trade commissioner, James Cross, and then a Québec cabinet minister, Pierre Laporte. As ransom, the FLQ demanded the publication of the FLQ manifesto, the transportation to Cuba of 25 FLQ prisoners awaiting trial for acts of violence, and $500,000 in gold bullion. Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau responded with the War Measures Act, suspending civil liberties and putting troops on the streets of Montréal. The following day, Laporte’s body was found in the boot of a car. By December, the so-called October Crisis was over, Cross was released, and his captors and Laporte’s murderers arrested. But the reverberations shook the nation.

At last recognizing the need to redress the country’s social imbalances, the federal government poured money into countrywide schemes to promote French-Canadian culture. Francophone discontent was further alleviated by the provincial election of René Lévesque and his Parti Québécois in 1976, the year the Olympic Games were held in Montréal. The consequent language laws (Bill 101) made French a compulsory part of the school curriculum and banned English signs on business premises; only allowing them inside establishments provided the signs were bilingual and the French was printed twice as large as the English. Businesses that fail to comply are at the mercy of the “language police”, inspectors of the Office de la Langue Française (OLF) who can go to extraordinary lengths – such as measuring signs and checking Web sites and business cards – to ensure that French is the dominant form of communication. For many anglophones, the threat of sovereignty, combined with language measures they took to be pettily vindictive, prompted an exodus in the tens of thousands from Montréal; plenty of companies left too, moving west to Toronto.

For a while it seemed that Montréal’s heyday was over as the changes and political uncertainty that dominated the last two decades of the twentieth century, combined with a Canada-wide economic recession in the mid-1990s, saw Québec lag behind the rest of the country in economic growth. But the turning point came after the 1995 referendum, when a tacit truce was made on the issue of separation. The communal bonds between anglophone and francophone Québécois were further rejuvenated by the ice storm of 1998, which plunged pockets of the province into darkness for days after 100mm of icy rain downed power lines, and left 1.4 million people without electricity – some for weeks on end. The ice storm’s impact on Montréal’s green spaces was enormous, and most pronounced on the mountain, where some 80,000 trees were damaged.

The city’s face has changed visibly in other ways recently. The boarded-up shops that lined rue Ste-Catherine in the mid-1990s have reopened and do bustling business nowadays. Derelict pockets on the edges of downtown and Vieux-Montréal have been renovated to house the booming multimedia industry. And with the rising employment and economic prosperity, popular residential areas like the Plateau are being gentrified and apartment developments abound. Even the city’s nightlife scene is changing, as full-time workers opt for the cinq àsept cocktail hour during the week rather than going out late into the evening. But perhaps the most enduring change is that the gaps left by departing anglophones have been filled by young bilingual francophones who at last feel in charge of their own culture and economy. At the same time, the anglophones that stayed have also become bilingual, and these days it’s perfectly normal to hear the two languages intermingling with one another wherever you may be.

ARRIVAL, INFORMATION AND CITY TRANSPORT

The two international airports serving Montréal are operated by Aéroports de Montréal (tel 394-7377 or 1-800/465-1213, www.admtl.com ). The main one, Aéroport de Dorval , 22km southwest of the city, is the arrival point for international and Canadian flights. Passengers departing from Dorval must pay an Airport Improvement Fee (AIF) of $10, to be handed over in cash to an attendant or by credit card at one of the machines at the entrance to the security checkpoint. The Aérobus airport shuttle service (tel 931-9002) runs every 20 minutes from 7am to 1am daily, linking Dorval Airport with the Station Centrale d’Autobus Montréal and the Gare de l’Aéroport, adjacent to the train station (35-45 min; $11 one-way, $19.75 return). Passengers can take the complimentary shuttle service to major downtown hotels from the latter; some hotels also have vans that pick up guests directly from the airport – ask on making a reservation. Several local buses also connect Dorval to downtown but they take ages. A taxi downtown is $28.50, plus tip.

Montréal’s second airport, Aéroport de Mirabel , 55km northwest of the city, is used solely for charter flights. From Mirabel to the same locations downtown takes just over an hour by bus, although the service is irregular, based on flight arrival times (tel 931-9002; $18 one-way, $25 return). The taxi fare is around $72, including tip.

Montréal’s main train station , Gare Centrale, is below the Queen Elizabeth Hotel on the corner of boul René-Lévesque and rue Mansfield, and is entered at 895 rue de la Gauchetière ouest. The station is the major terminus for Canada’s VIA Rail trains from Halifax, Toronto, Ottawa, Québec and the Gaspé as well as US Amtrak trains from Washington and New York. The Bonaventure Métro station links it with the rest of the city. An international student card (ISIC) gets 40 percent off regular train fares; but even if you don’t have one you can still get a discount by booking six days in advance to get 30 percent off return-trip fares and 20 percent off one-way tickets.

Long-distance buses arrive and depart from Station Centrale d’Autobus Montréal at 505 boul de Maisonneuve est. The Berri-UQAM Métro is right below the station. Orléans Express (tel 842-2281, www.orleansexpress.com ) is the province’s main coach company. Students and senior citizens receive a 25 percent discount with proper identification.

INFORMATION

Montréal’s main information centre, Infotouriste (daily: June to early Sept 7am-8pm; May & early Sept-Oct 7.30am-6pm; Nov-April 9am-6pm; tel 873-2015 or 1-877/266-5687, www.bonjourquebec.com ), is at 1001 rue du Square-Dorchester on the corner of rue Metcalfe. The nearest Métro is Peel – go south on rue Peel past rue Ste-Catherine. In addition to masses of useful free information on the province and Montréal, it offers an accommodation service, which will make any number of free calls to find vacancies for you. Otherwise, the Tourist Information Centre of Old Montréal , 174 rue Notre-Dame est (mid-April to late June daily 9am-5pm; late June to early Oct daily 9am-7pm; early Oct to mid-April Thurs-Sun 9am-5pm; www.tourism-montreal.org ) provides information on the city of Montréal only.

TRANSPORT

The public transport system is one of the city’s greatest assets, linking the 65-station Métro to 150 bus routes. The clean, speedy, convenient, reliable and cheap Métro system has four colour-coded lines, the major interconnecting stations being Berri-UQAM (which links the orange, green and yellow lines), Lionel-Groulx (green and orange), Snowdon and Jean-Talon (blue and orange). Coloured signs indicate the direction of each line by showing the name of the terminus; maps of the system can be picked up at stations and information centres.

A correspondance , available from machines beyond the turnstiles at the Métro stations, allows you to complete your journey by bus at no extra cost, but you must get one at the beginning of your journey, not as you get off the Métro. The transfer system also works in reverse, from buses to Métro – ask the driver for one as you board. Most buses stop running at 12.30am, shortly before the Métro, though some run all through the night and cover different routes; they have the same fare system as the Métro, but exact change is required.

One-way fares are a flat $2, and a book of six tickets – a carnet – costs $8.25. Better suited to visitors, the STCUM tourist pass allows unlimited travel on the Métro and bus routes: it costs $7 a day or $14 for three consecutive days and is available from the information centres, Berri-UQAM Métro station and, from April to October, at all downtown Métro stations.

It is rarely necessary to take a taxi , and they’re not that expensive if you’re in a group; they cost $2.80 plus $1.13 per kilometre and an additional ten to fifteen percent tip is normal. Taxis can be boarded at ranks outside hotels and transport terminals, and by simply flagging them down. They can also be ordered by phone: Taxi Diamond (tel 273-6331) and Taxi Co-op (tel 725-9885) are two reliable services.

EATING

Montréalers conduct much of their business and their social lives in the city’s eating places , and Montréal food is as varied as its population, ranging from the rich meat dishes of typical Québécois cuisine to bagels bursting with cream cheese. Masses of restaurants line the area around rue Ste-Catherine downtown, though American fast-food chains seem to be taking over, while Vieux-Montréal has an ever-expanding number of places to eat, though here most are touristy and slightly overpriced. The best for food, and upbeat atmosphere, is in the more French area of the metropolis, around the Plateau and Quartier Latin . Montréal comes a close second to New York as the bagel capital of the world, and they are sold everywhere from grimy outlets to stylish cafés – particularly delicious when fresh, warm and crammed with cream cheese and lox (smoked salmon).

For those on a tight budget the delis, diners and cafés are perfect, and if you’re really broke the so-called pizza war downtown has got slices of pizza down to 99¢. Apportez votre vin establishments, of which there are many on rue Prince Arthur and ave Duluth, are the cheaper restaurant alternatives.

Snacks and cafés

Ambiance , 1874 rue Notre Dame ouest. Old French tearoom and antique shop.

Bagel Etc. , 4320 boul St-Laurent. Trendy New York-type diner. Excellent bagels from the simple cream cheese to caviar and extravagant breakfasts. Daily 8am-5pm.

Beauty’s , 93 ave du Mont-Royal ouest. A brunch institution with wonderful 1950s decor. Be prepared to get up early on the weekend to avoid the lineup.

Ben’s Delicatessen , 1475 rue Metcalfe. Lithuanian Ben Kravitz opened his deli in 1908 and his sons and grandsons still run this Montréal institution. Its gaudy 1930s interior still draws a few people in the wee hours for delicious smoked meat and diner fare, but the wall of fame attests to happier days.

La Binerie Mont-Royal , 367 ave du Mont-Royal est. Four tables and a chrome counter seat the hundreds of people who visit this well-known café daily. The menu consists of beans, beans and more beans with ketchup, vinegar or maple syrup. Also served is pork, beef, tourtière (a minced porkpie) and pouding chômeur – “unemployed pudding” – a variation on bread pudding.

Briskets , 705 rue Ste-Catherine ouest and 1073 Beaver Hall. Plain decor with wooden tables, popular with students. Smoked meat to eat in or take away. Closed Sun.

Café Ciné-Lumière , 5163 boul t-Laurent. Antique Parisian decor, cheap French food and a wide selection of mussels. Black-and-white films are regularly projected onto the back wall.

Café El Dorado , 921 ave du Mont-Royal est. Coffees from all over the world, and fine desserts.

Café Laika , 4040 boul St-Laurent. The sleek interior draws urbane hipsters from the Plateau for daily specials and cafés au lait .

Café Santropol , 3990 rue St-Urbain. Mostly vegetarian café on the corner of Duluth. Spectacular during the summer when its flowered and fountained back terrace is a welcome oasis from the busy streets, Santropol still retains its charm in winter thanks to its cozy atrium. Huge sandwiches, quiches and salads are offered as well as various herbal teas and coffees.

Fairmount Bagel Bakery , 74 ave Fairmount ouest. Possibly the best bagel outlet in Montréal, offering a huge variety of bagels. There is nowhere to sit, but arm yourself with a bag of bagels, a pot of cream cheese and some smoked salmon (lox), sit on the nearest curb and you’ll soon be in bagel heaven. Open daily 24hr.

Faubourg Ste-Catherine , 1616 rue Ste-Catherine ouest. A gigantic restored building on the corner of Guy. Downstairs is a wealth of food stalls from cookies to fresh veg; upstairs a fast-food mall to surpass all others – everything from fresh salmon to crepes and cookies.

Kilo , 5206 boul St-Laurent. Creating the most divine cakes, particularly the cheesecake, this patisserie is expensive but worth every cent. Open late on weekends.

Reuben’s Deli , 892 and 1116 rue Ste-Catherine ouest. An excellent deli with great jars of pimentos in the window and a wealth of smoked meats. Frantic atmosphere and friendly service. A favourite with local business types, and thus packed at lunchtime.

Schwartz’s Montréal Hebrew Delicatessen , 3895 boul St-Laurent. Schwartz’s is a Montréal institution: a small, narrow deli serving up colossal smoked-meat sandwiches, with surly service thrown in as part of the package. Line-up out the door on weekends.

Wilensky’s Light Lunch , 34 ave Fairmount ouest. Used for countless filmsets because the decor hasn’t changed since 1932 and that includes the till, the grill and the drinks machine. The Wilensky Special includes four types of salami and costs around $4. Closed weekends.

Restaurants

Montréal’s ethnic diversity is amply displayed by the variety of cuisines available and Montréalers try to outdo each other by indulging in exotic fare from Japanese rotis to earthy Portuguese grub. The city has its own Chinatown just north of Vieux-Montréal, a Little Italy around Jean-Talon Métro, a Greek community whose cheaper restaurants are concentrated along Prince Arthur – but for more traditional Greek cuisine head further north along avenue du Parc where a number of Greek-Canadians live. Most prominent of the ethnic eateries are the Eastern European establishments dotted around the city. Opened by immigrants who came to work in the garment factories, their speciality is smoked meat , which has become a Montréal obsession, served between huge chunks of rye bread with pickles on the side.

ENTERTAINMENT

Bars and Nighltife

Montréal’s nightlife keeps going into the small hours of the morning, and its bars and clubs cater for everyone – from the students of the Quartier Latin and the punks who hang out on the corner of Ste-Catherine and St-Denis, to the anglophone yuppies of rue Crescent. The places listed here are the best of the bunch and are open until 3am unless stated otherwise. Always tip the bar staff – the perks constitute the main whack of their wages. Many bars have regular music nights, with jazz being especially popular. Other than the bars, there are numerous venues in the city, with top-name touring bands playing at the new Centre Molson and the Olympic Stadium.

For up-to-date information , the Mirror ( www.montrealmirror.com ) and Hour ( www.afterhour.com ) are free English weekly newspapers with excellent listings sections. The English-language daily The Montreal Gazette also carries comprehensive listings – the Friday weekend guide is particularly good. Montréal Scope , available in tourist information offices and the better hotels, is primarily for mainstream tourists.

Performing Arts and Cinema

Montréal’s most prestigious centre for the performing arts is the Place des Arts, 175 rue Ste-Catherine ouest (information tel 285-4200, tickets tel 842-2112, www.pdarts.com ), a five-hall complex with a comprehensive year-round programme of dance, music and theatre. The Théâtre de Verdure in Parc Lafontaine is an outdoor theatre with a summer-long programme of free plays, ballets and concerts. Another eclectic venue is the Théâtre St-Denis, 1594 St-Denis (tel 849-4211), which presents blockbuster musicals and other shows. The Saidye Bronfman Centre, 5170 chemin de la Côte Ste-Catherine (tel 739-2301), contains an exhibition centre and a three-hundred-seater venue for English (or Yiddish) music, dance, film and theatre.

The city’s foremost French-language theatre is the Théâtre du Rideau Vert, 4664 St-Denis (tel 845-0267), which gives prominence to Québec playwrights, while the Théâtre du Nouveau Monde, 84 Ste-Catherine est (tel 866-8667), presents a mix of contemporary and classic plays in French. Montréal’s main English-language theatre is the Centaur Theatre, housed in the former stock exchange at 453 St-François-Xavier (tel 288-3161).

Montréal has more than ten excellent dance troupes from the internationally acclaimed Les Grandes Ballets Canadiens (tel 849-8681) and Ballets Classiques de Montréal to the avant-garde LaLaLa Human Steps and Tangente, who perform at various times at the Place des Arts, Théâtre de Verdue and during the festivals. The continent’s premier contemporary dance festival is the Festival International de Nouvelle Danse , held at various city locations on odd-numbered years from late September to early October.

There are two well-known orchestras based in the city, the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal (tel 842-9951) and the Orchestre Métropolitain (tel 598-0870), each of whom holds regular concerts at Place des Arts and the Basilique Notre-Dame. The city also has a programme of free summer concerts in various city parks (information tel 842-3402). L’Opéra de Montréal (tel 985-2258) produces five bilingually subtitled productions a year at Place des Arts.

Films in English, usually the latest releases from the US, can be caught at most cinemas. Central ones include Centre Eaton, 705 rue Ste-Catherine ouest; the ornate Egyptian, 1455 rue Peel; the subterranean Faubourg, 1616 rue Ste-Catherine ouest; and the wide-screened and armchaired Paramount, 977 rue Ste-Catherine ouest. The city’s only English rep cinema is the Cinema du Parc, 3575 ave du Parc (tel 281-1900 for listings). For Québécois film-makers, check out the Cinémathèque Québécoise, 335 boul de Maisonneuve est (Tues-Sun 11am-9pm), which has screening and exhibition programmes that bring together the history, events and future of cinema, TV and new media; Ex-Centris, 3536 boul St-Laurent has a penchant for alternative French film. Call 849-FILM for films and times or check the weeklies – make sure to verify that the English film you want to see is playing in v.o. (version originale), not v.f. (version français); the latter means it’s dubbed.

CAFES AND RESTAURANTS

Most of the restaurants and hangouts in The Village cater to a lesbian, bisexual and gay crowd, but are more mixed during the day.

L’Amorican , 1550 rue Fullum. Excellent French eatery.

Bato Thai , 1310 rue Ste-Catherine est. An excellent Thai restaurant with slow service – but the boys wearing sarongs make up for it.

La Paryse , 302 rue Ontario est. Extraordinary and exotic range of burger fillings.

Piccolo Diavolo , 1336 rue Ste-Catherine est. Hip place to eat Italian.

Saloon , 1333 rue Ste-Catherine est. Pizzas, burgers, salads and brunch. Mixed crowd of young and old, gay and straight.

BARS, CLUBS AND DISCOS

Aigle Noir , 1315 rue Ste-Catherine est. Trashy leather bar.

Cabaret l’Entre Peau , 1115 rue Ste-Catherine est. The best (and outrageously worst) of Montréal’s drag shows, with a mixed fun-loving clientele.

Drugstore , 1360 rue Ste-Catherine est. Multilevel bar complex that’s busiest before 11pm. Rooftop terrace.

Sisters , 1333 rue Ste-Catherine est. Upstairs from Saloon , this is a swanky joint allowing mainly women, though men accompanied by women are welcome.

Sky , 1474 rue Ste-Catherine est. Two dance floors (one retro, the other more technofied), pool tables and a bar/restaurant on the ground floor, attracting the beautiful-people set. Sunday afternoon happy hour in the pub has two-for-one deals.

La Track , 1584 rue Ste-Catherine est. Men-only gay bar and disco. Cruisey male leather crowd. Very cheap on Wednesdays and Sundays.

Unity , 1400 ave Montcalm. The only real competition Sky ’s had in years, Unity has become extremely popular, with two dance floors (one playing techno, the other retro Eighties hits), a huge rooftop terrace in summer and ground floor bar.

BEST OF MONTREAL

Basilique Notre-Dame
The neo-Gothic Basilique Notre-Dame boasts a heavenly gilt and sky-blue interior, Limoges stained glass and hand-carved wooden prophets; it even inspired its Protestant architect to convert to Catholicism.

The Vieux-Port
Strap on a pair of rollerblades and cruise along the pedestrian-only promenade embracing the St Lawrence River. The Vieux-Port is admittedly touristy, but the views of cobblestoned Vieux-Montréal are simply spectacular.

Musée des Beaux Arts
Feast your eyes on the high-calibre temporary art exhibits hosted by Canada’s oldest art museum, the worthy Musée des Beaux Arts, then check out the contemporary art chambers in the basement – especially the radical canvases conceived by Automatiste Québec painter Paul-Émile Borduas.

Schwartz’s Montréal Delicatessen
Sink your teeth into a Schwartz’s smoked meat sandwich (available lean, medium or extra fatty) – an unmissable Montréal original that will get you through the winter.

Château Ramezay
Get your Montréal history fix at one of the oldest buildings in North America, the Château Ramezay, where Benjamin Franklin almost persuaded the city to become the fourteenth state in the Colonies and which now holds copious art and artefacts.

L’Express
Pick up some of the local joual at the posh L’Express, a Parisian style brasserie on trendy rue St-Denis, by eavesdropping on your neighbours’ boisterous conversation while tucking into a deliciously rich confit canard.

Nightlife
Though the boulevard can be gritty at spots, the Main (aka Boulevard St-Laurent) is at its best after sundown when the manifold bars and clubs that open onto the street keep patrons grooving and boozing well into the wee hours.

Mont Royal
Take a break and flake out on the wooded slopes of Mont Royal, the trail-laced mountain that gave the city its name, then hike up to the lookout point for an unparalleled view of downtown.

Biodôme
Cool off during the humid summer months by hanging with the penguins in the Biodôme’s bone-chilling and snow-capped Polar Zone, one of four distinct ecosystems living under its domed roof. You can bask in the hot and sultry tropical rainforest section during the colder months.

Cours Mont-Royal
Break the bank by shopping at the swanky Cours Mont-Royal, its four floors of streetwear and designer boutiques lit by ornate chandeliers preserved from the building’s heyday as the largest hotel in the British Commonwealth.

FESTIVALS AND OTHER EVENTS

Montréal has a different festival every week throughout the summer months (check www.festivals.qc.ca for a comprehensive list). Of these, the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal ( www.montrealjazzfest.com ) is North America’s largest, with more than 400 shows, most of them free. From late June to early July, more than 2000 internationally-renowned musicians descend on the city; past years have drawn the likes of B.B. King, Etta James, Al Jarreau, Dave Brubeck, Ben E. King and Branford Marsalis. Continuing the superlatives, there’s the mid-July Juste pour Rire (“Just For Laughs”), which is the world’s largest comedy festival, with past headliners including Tim Allen, Rowan Atkinson, Jim Carrey, John Candy, Lily Tomlin and David Hyde Pierce. Theatres host 650 comedians from 14 countries performing in more than 1000 shows ( www.hahaha.com ). Hot on the heels of the Comedy Fest, the Francofolies ( www.francofolies.com ) brings French musicians from around the world to various downtown stages.

The most visually spectacular of the city’s shindigs is the International Fireworks Competition , whose participants are competing to get contracts for the July 4 celebrations in the US. Held from June to July, the music-coordinated pyrotechnics are a breathtaking sight. The action takes place at La Ronde and tickets are around $20, but across the water and on the Jacques-Cartier Bridge the spectacle is free, and the music for the displays is broadcast live on local radio.

There are also a number of food-tasting events and, in some cases, boozy ones, like the June Beer Mundial event in the Vieux-Port, which offers the opportunity to get legless on more than 250 brands of beer from around the world. In August, the Fêtes Gourmandes Internationales takes over Île Notre-Dame for mouthwatering taste-tests. Come late-January, the islands host ice-sculpting and general carousing with the Fête des Neiges de Montréal ( www.pdi-montreal.com ).

Montréal has film festivals practically every month, some thematic, some devoted to individuals. The most notable is the Montréal World Film Festival in late August, the city’s answer to Cannes, Berlin, Venice and Toronto ( www.ffm-montreal.org ), but the Vues d’Afrique ( www.vuesdafrique.org ) is gaining prominence for bringing African and Caribbean films to Montréal.

Finally, the Cirque du Soleil (tel 522-2324, www.cirquedusoleil.com ) is a fantastic circus company that travels all over the world; every other year it has a big-top season in its home city. Refusing to exploit animals, the circus’s acrobats, trapeze artists, clowns, jugglers and contortionists present an incredible show, with original music scores, extravagant costumes and mind-blowing stunts.

Most event tickets can be purchased through Admission (tel 790-1245 or 1-800/678-5440, www.admission.com ).

LISTINGS

Airlines Air Canada, Air Alliance, Air Nova and Air Ontario, 2020 boul Université (Canada and US tel 393-3333); Air France, 2000 rue Mansfield (tel 847-1106); British Airways, 1501 ave McGill College (tel 287-9282); Swissair, 1253 ave McGill College (tel 879-9154).

Airport enquiries Dorval tel 394-7377; Mirabel tel 394-7377; both airports tel 1-800/465-1213.

Baseball The Montréal Expos’ home ground is the Olympic Stadium, 4141 ave Pierre-de-Coubertin (Métro Pie-IX). Tickets cost $8-36 (tel 253-3434 or 1-800/GO-EXPOS, www.montrealexpos.com ).

Bike rental Bicycletterie JR, 151 rue Rachel est (tel 843-6989), rents from $20 per day, with credit card needed as deposit; The Maison des Cyclistes, 1251 rue Rachel (tel 521-8356, www.velo.qc.ca ) charges $8 per hour, $25 per day and is an excellent resource for cycling information and organized tours. La Cordée, 2159 rue Ste-Catherine est rents bikes from $35 a day (tel 524-1106); Vélo Aventure, Quai King Edward, Vieux-Port (tel 847-0666) charges bikes out at $20 a day and rollerblades from $8.50 an hour.

Bookshops English books can be bought from most major bookshops. Paragraphe Books and Café, 2220 ave McGill College, is the best independent bookstore in town. Double Hook, 1235a ave Greene, specializes in English-Canadian authors. Chapters, 1171 Ste-Catherine ouest, is huge, as is Indigo, 1500 ave McGill College. Androgyne, 3636 St-Laurent, is Montréal’s definitive gay bookstore. Travel books in English and French are available at Ulysses Travel Bookshop, 4176 rue St-Denis, 560 ave du President-Kennedy and 1307 Ste-Catherine ouest.

Bus information Local transportation: tel 288-6287; long-distance travel: Orléans Express tel 842-2281; Adirondack Trailways (to New York) tel 914/339-4230.

Camping equipment You can hire or buy all you need for the outdoors at Altitude, 1472 Peel (tel 288-8010).

Canadian football The Montreal Alouettes (tel 871-2255, www.alouettes.net ) represent the city in the Canadian Football League. Home games are at McGill University’s Percival-Molson Stadium, and tickets range $15-50.

Car rental Avis, 1225 rue Metcalfe (tel 866-7906); Budget, 1240 Guy (tel 938-1000); Discount, 607 boul de Maisonneuve ouest (tel 286-1554); Hertz Canada, 1073 rue Drummond (tel 938-1717); Thrifty, 800 boul de Maisonneuve est (tel 845-5954); and Via Route, 1255 rue Mackay (tel 871-1166), which charges a bit less than the majors.

Consulates Belgium, 999 boul de Maisonneuve ouest (tel 849-7394); Denmark, 1 Place Ville-Marie (tel 877-3060); Germany, 1250 boul René-Lévesque ouest (tel 931-2277); Greece, 1170 Place du Frère-André (tel 875-2119); Italy, 3489 rue Drummond (tel 849-8351); Japan, 600 rue de la Gauchetière ouest (tel 866-3429); Netherlands, 1002 rue Sherbrooke ouest (tel 849-4247); Norway, 1155 boul René-Lévesque ouest (tel 874-9087); Spain, 1 Westmount Square (tel 935-5235); Sweden, 8400 boul Decarie (tel 345-2727); Switzerland, 1572 ave Docteur-Penfield (tel 932-7181); UK, 1000 rue de la Gauchetière ouest (tel 866-5863); US, 1155 rue St-Alexandre (tel 398-9695).

Dental emergencies 24hr dental clinic, 3546 rue Van-Horne (tel 342-4444); Walk-in Clinic, Montréal General Hospital, 1650 ave Cedar (tel 934-8397; Mon-Fri 8.30am-4.30pm; after-hour emergencies call 934-8075).

Exchange Agence Worldwide Maison de Change, 1411 rue Peel; American Express, 1141 boul de Maisonneuve ouest (tel 284-3300); Bureau de Change de Vieux-Montréal, 230 rue St-Jacques; Downtown Currency Exchange, 2000 ave McGill College; Thomas Cook, 777 rue de la Gauchetière ouest. You can also withdraw money at ATMs throughout the city, so long as your card is Cirrus or Plus compatible.

Hospital Montréal General Hospital, 1650 ave Cedar (tel 937-6011); Royal Victoria Hospital, 687 ave des Pins ouest (tel 842-1231).

Ice hockey The Montréal Canadiens play at the Centre Molson, 1250 rue de la Gauchetière ouest (tel 989-2841, www.canadiens.com ). Métro: Lucien L’Allier or Bonaventure.

Internet cafés Le Café Électronique , 1425 boul René-Lévesque ouest (tel 871-0307), has forty online computers and French food to boot, $5.50/30min; Cyberground Café Internet , 3672 boul St-Laurent (tel 842-1726) provides access for $8/hr, as does Network Café , 5120 Queen Mary (tel 344-0959) where you can lunch on bagels, sandwiches and muffins at the same time. Online access also at many photocopy shops.

Laundry Net-Net, 310 ave Duluth, will wash, dry and fold your clothes in neat bags for you within 24 hours for 69¢/pound; doing it yourself works out to $7. Nettoyeur Daoust, 3654 rue St-Denis, does both dry cleaning and washing; $6.50 gets a load washed, dried and folded.

Left luggage There are $2 lockers at the Gare Central and Station Centrale d’Autobus de Montréal.

Métro General information (tel 280-5666); timetable information (tel 288-6287); lost and found (tel 280-4637). If you tire of being on hold, get your info online at www.stcum.qc.ca . Commuter rail and off-island bus services are co-ordinated by the Agence métropolitaine de transport ( www.amt.qc.ca ).

Museum passes The Montréal Museums Pass (tel 845-6873 or 1-800/363-7777) allows visitors free admission to 20 museums in the city on any two of three consecutive days at a significant discount; $20 at both tourist offices and participating museums. The Get an Eyeful package ($22.50) is valid for 30 days and includes admission to the Olympic Tower, Botanical Garden, Insectarium and Biodôme, none of which are covered by the Museums Pass.

Pharmacy Pharmaprix, 5122 chemin de la Côte des Neiges, open 24hr (tel 738-8464). Most downtown outlets are open 8am-midnight.

Post offices The main post office downtown is Station B, 1250 rue Université (Mon-Fri 8am-5.45pm, Sat 8am-noon). The city’s poste restante is at Station A, 285 rue St-Antoine ouest (Mon-Fri 8am-5.45pm, Sat 8am-noon).

Ridesharing Allô-Stop, 4317 rue St-Denis (tel 985-3032 or 985-3044, www.allo-stop.com ). A carpool service matching drivers with passengers for destinations within Québec and the Maritime Provinces only. Membership costs $6 per year plus your share of petrol. Drivers pay $7 per year but receive about sixty percent of passenger fees. Typical prices are: Québec $15, Gaspé $42 and Rimouski $30. But plan ahead for Gaspé trips, as they’re not common. Most cars stop in Rimouski.

Sexual Assault Centre Bilingual crisis line (tel 934-4504) or McGill University’s hotline (tel 398-2700 day or tel 398-8500 eve).

Taxis Co-op (tel 725-9885); Diamond (tel 273-6331). $2.80 minimum fare, then 1.13¢ per kilometre.

Telephones Bell-Canada, Bureau Public, 700 rue de la Gauchetière ouest on the corner of Université (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm). 25¢ pays for unlimited local calls at a payphone; dial 411 for information, zero to reach an operator.

Train information Amtrak (tel 1-800/835-8725, www.amtrak.com ); Via Rail (tel 989-2626 or 1-888/842-7245, www.viarail.ca )

Travel agencies Tourisme Jeunesse Boutique, 4008 St-Denis (tel 844-0287) and Tourbec, 595 de Maisonneuve ouest (tel 288-4455) are both excellent sources for budget travellers. Voyages Campus, 1455 de Maisonneuve ouest (tel 288-1130), 3480 McTavish (tel 398-0647), 225 du President Kennedy (tel 281-6662) and 1613 St-Denis (tel 843-8511) does bookings primarily for students with an International Student Identification Card (ISIC).

Weather and road information tel 283-3010 or 1-900/565-MÉTÉO.

White-water rafting The Rivière Rouge offers the best white-water rafting in the Montréal vicinity. Adventures en Eau Vive, 120 chemin de la Rivière Rouge, Calumet (tel 242-6084 or 1-800/567-6881), runs rafting trips for $69/person during the summer, including two meals, taxes and five hours on the river.

EXPLORE MONTREAL

Around Montreal

The lake-dotted countryside around Montréal offers a range of recuperative pleasures for the city-dweller, starting with the largely wilderness stretch of the Outaouais to the west, 135km northwest of Montréal and extending along the north side of the Ottawa River. Once the domain of Algonquin tribes, the region was not developed until the 1800s, when it became an important centre for the lumber industry. While the bulk of the activities in the region are of an outdoorsy nature – hiking, canoeing, snowmobiling, cycling and cross-country skiing – Montebello and the lush farmland of the Cantons-de-l’Est (Eastern Townships), east towards the US border, are worth visiting for their atmosphere and historical heritage. Even Hull , formerly Ottawa’s dull cousin, is now a draw thanks to the Musée Canadien des Civilisations , Québec’s finest museum.

Extending along the north side of the St Lawrence from the Ottawa River to the Saguenay are the Laurentians – one of the world’s oldest ranges – where five hundred million years of erosion have moulded it into a rippling landscape of undulating hills and valleys. Immediately north of Montréal, the more accessible Lower Laurentians are dotted with whitewashed farm cottages and manor houses, but settlement in the Upper Laurentians did not begin until the 1830s, when the construction of the P’tit Train du Nord railway tracks let in the mining and lumber industries. When the decline in both industries left the area in a depression, salvation came in the form of the recreational demands of the growing populace of Montréal. The region is now one of North America’s largest ski areas, with the number of resorts increasing annually.

Information

The areas to the north, west and east of Montréal are served by the following tourist organizations, each of which can provide a free tourist guide that includes basic maps of the region.

Outaouais: tel 819/778-2222 or 1-800/265-7822, www.western-quebec-tourism.org

Laurentides: tel 450/436-8532 or 1-800/561-6673, www.laurentides.com

Eastern Townships: tel 819/566-4445 or 1-800/455-5527, www.tourisme-cantons.qc.ca

Eastern Townships

Beginning about 80km southeast of Montréal and extending to the US border, the Eastern Townships were once Québec’s best-kept secret, but the nineteenth-century villages are fast becoming no more than shopping arcades fringed with apartment complexes for Montréal commuters. A growing ski industry – concentrated around Mont Sutton, just north of the Vermont border – is making its mark on the land too. However, the region’s agricultural roots are still evident, especially in spring, when the maple trees are tapped for syrup. At this time of year, remote cabanes àsucre offer sleigh rides and Québécois fare such as maple taffy – strips of maple syrup frozen in the snow.

The land, once the domain of scattered groups of aboriginal peoples, was first cultivated by United Empire Loyalists hounded out of the United States after the American Revolution. Their loyalty to the crown resulted in land grants from the British, and townships with very English names like Sherbrooke and Granby were founded. In the mid-nineteenth century the townships opened up to industry, which attracted an influx of French-Canadians seeking work: today, 95 percent of the 400,000 population are francophone. Even so, the attempt to rechristen the area as L’Estrie was abandoned for the name Cantons-de-l’Est, a direct translation of the area’s original English name of the Eastern Townships.

You can reach the Cantons-de-l’Est from Montréal by the Autoroute des Cantons-de-l’Est (Hwy 10), which has a useful information centre for the whole region at exit 68 (daily: Mon-Fri & Sun 8.30am-5pm, Sat 8.30am-6pm; tel 1-800/263-1068). Hwy 112, which wends through small villages and past forests and lakes, is picturesque but requires more time. Most towns are served by Sherbus buses from Montréal (tel 514/842-2281) that stop in Granby, Magog and Sherbrooke.

Lower Laurentians

Once the domain of various aboriginal groups, the Lower Laurentians were granted by Ville-Marie’s governors to the colony’s first seigneurs who, using a modified version of the feudal land system of the motherland, oversaw the development of the land by their tenants, or habitants . As the St Lawrence was the lifeline of the colony, these tenant farms were laid out perpendicular to the river in long, narrow rectangular seigneuries evoke life under the long regime.

The first town of note in the region is ST-EUSTACHE , about forty-minutes’ drive northwest of Montréal by Hwy 13 or 15 then Hwy 640. Alternatively, take bus #46 from Métro Henri-Bourassa in Montréal ($2.55; 1hr). It was here that the frustrations of the habitants with the British occupancy met a tragic end in the 1837 Rebellion. About thirty buildings survived the battle that put down the rebellious Patriotes led by Louis-Joseph Papineau. These are located along two narrow streets in Vieux St-Eustache. Most are simply marked with heritage signs, and inaccessible to the public, but the church , at 123 rue St-Louis, still bears the scars and offers free guided tours (Thurs-Fri 9.30am-4.30pm). The cross street, rue St-Eustache, has two sights worth visiting, the most impressive being the wedding-cake Manoir Globensky at no. 235 (Tues-Sun 10am-5pm; $3), which doubles as the Musée de St-Eustache et des Patriotes and includes a thorough permanent exhibition on local history. Opposite, the eighteenth-century Moulin Légaré , at no. 236 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm; mid-May to mid-Oct also Sat & Sun 11am-5pm; $2), is the oldest water-powered flour mill in operation in Canada. For something different, drop by the slithery Exotarium , 846 chemin Fresnière, exit 8 Hwy 640 ouest (Feb-June & Sept-Dec Fri, Sat & Sun noon-5pm; July & Aug daily noon-5pm; $5.75), a breeding farm on the outskirts of town featuring cobras, pythons, crocodiles and lizards.

Rebellion of 1837

In the early 1800s, British immigrants to Lower Canada were offered townships ( cantons ) while the francophones were not allowed to expand their holdings, exacerbating the resentment caused by the favouritism extended to English-speaking businesses in Montréal. The situation was worsened by high taxes on British imports and a savage economic depression in 1837. Wearing Canadian-made garments of étoffe du pays as a protest against British imports, the leaders of Lower Canada reform – known as the Patriotes – rallied francophones to rebel in Montréal. As Louis-Joseph Papineau, the Outaouais region seigneur whose speeches in the Assembly had encouraged the rebellions, fled the city, fearful that his presence would incite more rioting, the government sent military detachments to the countryside, the hotbed of the Patriotes . Two hundred Patriotes took refuge in Saint-Eustache’s church, where eighty of them were killed by British troops, who went on to raze much of the town.

Oka

Southwest of St-Eustache, on Hwy 344, lies the small lakeside town of OKA . Although associated with the armed stand-off between the Mohawks and police , there isn’t much to see here, though worth a visit is the Abbaye Cistercienne d’Oka , 1600 chemin d’Oka (daily: 4am-8pm), one of North America’s oldest monasteries. Commanding a spectacular site just outside town, its century-old bell tower rises amidst the hills. The Trappists arrived here from France in 1880, their life in Canada beginning in a miller’s house that’s now overshadowed by the rest of the complex and the landscaped gardens of the abbey. The monastery shop sells organic Trappist products, from maple syrup and chocolates to variations on the delicious Oka cheese. The nearby Calvaire d’Oka with its mid-eighteenth-century chapels is best visited on September 14, when native pilgrims hold the Feast of the Holy Cross along the banks of Lac des Deux Montagnes. The Calvaire is set in the Parc d’Oka , a magnificent park with 45km of hiking trails, and reached by a 5.5km trail up the Colline d’Oka, a hill that gives views of the region. There isn’t much accommodation except camping (tel 450/479-6303 or 1-888/727-2652; $21.50; www.sepaq.com ) in one of the park’s 800 campsites, and La Clos des Lilas , a B&B at 14 rue Ste-Anne (tel 450/479-8214, www.laurentides.com/membres/028f.html ; $40-60). There is no public transportation to Oka.

The Oka Mohawk Stand-Off

In the summer of 1990, Oka became the stage for a confrontation between Mohawk warriors and the provincial government. The crisis began when Oka’s town council decided to expand its golf course onto a sacred burial ground, a provocation to which the Mohawks responded by arming themselves and barricading Kanesatake, a small reserve near Oka. Although the Native Affairs Minister for Québec was close to reaching an agreement with the Mohawks, the mayor of Oka sent in the provincial police to storm the barricades. In the ensuing fracas a policeman was killed – no one knows by whom, but the autopsy established it was not by a police bullet. Hostilities reached a new pitch and the two sides became ever more polarized: as the Mohawks set up barricades across the Mercier Bridge, one of Montréal’s main commuter arteries, groups of white Québécois attacked them with stones, while sympathetic groups of aboriginal people showed solidarity throughout Canada and the USA. The federal government offered to buy the land for the natives on the condition that they surrender, but the stand-off continued as negotiators failed to agree on terms. The crisis lasted 78 days, until the core of fifty Mohawks was encircled by 350 Canadian army soldiers and forced to give up. The fate of the disputed land, along with hundreds of other similar claims, is still being negotiated. However, many believe that the natives went too far at Oka, and the existing distrust between aboriginal Canadians and other Canadians seems to have deepened. As George Erasmus, former national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, said: “Our demands are ignored when we kick up a fuss – but they are also ignored if we do not.”

Montebello

The drive from Montréal to Hull on scenic Hwy 148 takes in a few riverside villages that used to be thriving logging towns. The first stop, about 130km west of Montréal, en route is MONTEBELLO , a picturesque village named after seigneur and Rebellion leader Louis-Joseph Papineau’s estate. Today, the town is the Outaouais’s star attraction thanks to a resort-like atmosphere that includes horseback riding, boating, upscale boutiques and the inimitable Château Montebello , 392 rue Notre Dame (tel 819/423-6341, www.chateaumontebello.com ; $175-240), the world’s largest log building. Built by the Seigneury Club in 1930 in 90 days, the original three buildings are made up of 10,000 red-cedar logs. Today, it’s a five-star hotel; even if you can’t afford to stay, check out the six-hearthed fireplace and tour the photo gallery.

The Château abuts the Site historique national du Manoir Papineau , 500 rue Notre Dame (mid-May to early Sept Wed-Sun 10am-noon & 1-5pm; early Sept to early Oct Sat & Sun 10am-noon & 1-5pm; free), Papineau’s tranquil estate comprising his spectacular manor house, chapel and granary over a sizeable tract of land. The house contains a ground-floor ballroom, a turreted library tower and a gorgeous glass tea-room-cum-gazebo nearby that was formerly a three-storey greenhouse. The Papineau Memorial Chapel , a modest stone building (1855) nestled among tall pines and maple, is especially remarkable for being of Anglican, not Catholic, denomination – Papineau’s son converted to Anglicanism after his father was refused a Catholic burial. Papineau senior and eleven other family members are buried here, and the Patriotes’ flag is on display. Photographs and historical background on the estate and Papineau himself are displayed in the old Granary building.

You won’t find rock-bottom accommodation in Montebello. The most reasonable is Gîte des 3D Chez Dodo , an unremarkable B&B at 493 rue Notre Dame (tel 819/423-5268; $40-60). If you can go slightly higher, Le Clos des Cèdres , 227 rue St-Joseph (tel 819/423-1265; www.bbcanada.com/4148.html ; $40-60) has more character. Otherwise, try Motel Bel-Eau , 600-602 rue Notre Dame (tel 819/423-6504 or 1-888/666-0586; $60-80) or the attractive Motel l’Anse de la Lanterne , at 646 rue Notre Dame (tel 819/423-5280; $60-80), which has a good restaurant for dinner. Most restaurants are on the main drag; Le Pot au Feu , 489 rue Notre Dame, serves Italian and French for under $10; and the equally affordable Le Zouk , at no. 530, has a bistro menu. Information is available at 502 rue Notre Dame (late June to early Sept daily 10am-6pm; early Sept to late June Tues-Sun 9am-4pm). Voyageur buses drop passengers off twice daily down the street at no. 570.

The only other stop of interest between Montréal and Hull is PLAISANCE , 15km onwards from Montebello and 30km east of Hull. Once the region’s main lumber centre, the main draw today is the Réserve Faunique de Plaisance (late April to mid-Oct), a tiny provincial park made up of three presqu’iles covering 27 square kilometres replete with hiking trails, picnic areas and footbridges. A dull interpretive centre in the old presbytery on Hwy 148 tells the town’s history (late June to early Sept daily 10am-6pm; $2.50; tel 819/772-3434). Camping is available at the Réserve Faunique (tel 819/427-6974 or 427-6900; $14.79 for a two-person site).

Montreal to Quebec City

Two autoroutes (highways) cover the 270km between Montréal and Québec City, though plenty of VIA Rail trains and Voyagueur buses also trawl the route: the boring Hwy 20 cuts along the south shore of the St Lawrence, and the even more banal Hwy 40 takes to the north side with very few rest-stops en route, so fill up before leaving Montréal. The slower Hwy 138 also meanders along the north shore but gives a closer look at rural Québec and farms left over from the seigneurial regime, like the Seigneurie de Terrebonne (late June to Aug Tues-Sun 10am-8pm; free), on the ÃŽle des Moulins about thirty minutes northeast of downtown Montréal via Hwy 25 (exit 17 est). A seigneury from 1673 to 1883, the restored nineteenth-century buildings – including the manor house of the area’s last seigneur and Canada’s first francophone millionaire, Joseph Masson – powerfully evoke life under the old regime.

Parc National de la Mauricie

Sixty kilometres north of Trois-Rivières lies the mountainous area of the Saint-Maurice valley – known as the Mauricie – where the best of the landscape is demarcated by the Parc National de la Mauricie (tel 819/533-7272, www.parkscanada.pch.gc.ca ; May-Nov; $3.75). Situated on the southernmost part of the Canadian Shield, the park contains over 500 square kilometres of soft-contoured hills, lakes and rivers, waterfalls and sheer rock faces. The one drawback is the lack of public transport; to get there, take Hwy 55 north of Trois-Rivières to exit 226 and follow the signs to the St-Jean-des-Piles entrance.

The park offers numerous hiking trails of various lengths and abilities, ranging from the Cache Trail, a mere 1km walk leading to the Lac du Fou where a raised platform has a telescope for marine and wildlife watching, to the Laurentian Trail, a 75km trek which takes five to eight days to complete. Information centres at the park’s entrances have excellent maps and booklets about the park’s well-maintained trails, canoe routes and bike paths, and also provide canoe rentals (for $17/day). The park has hundreds of camping places ($14.50-22.50 a pitch) allocated on a first-come, first-served basis and they’re rarely filled to capacity. If you’d rather sleep under a roof, there are also two lodges with dormitory-style accommodation open year-round. The Wabenaki ’s two dormitories sleep up to 26 people each, and Andrew ’s four rooms each sleep four (tel 819/537-4555 for both lodges, info.nature.mauricie@sh.cgocable.ca ; $40-60 for two nights).

Trois Rivieres

The major town between Montréal and Québec City is TROIS-RIVIÈRES , located midway between the two, at the point where the Rivière St-Maurice splits into three channels – hence the name “Three Rivers” – before meeting the St Lawrence. The European settlement dates from 1634, when the town established itself as an embarkation point for the French explorers of the continent and as an iron-ore centre. Lumber followed, and today Trois-Rivières is one of the world’s largest producers of paper, the delta chock-full of logs to be pulped. It’s often dismissed as an industrial city and little else, but its shady streets of historic buildings – neither as twee as Québec City, nor as monumental as Vieux-Montréal – are well worth a wander, and the town is a good starting point for exploring the Mauricie Valley.

Trois-Rivières’ compact downtown core branches off from the small square of Parc du Champlain and extends south down to the waterfront. Facing the park to the east, at 363 rue Bonaventure, the Cathédrale de l’Assomption (Mon-Sat 7-11.30am & 2-5.30pm, Sun 8.30-11.30am & 2-5pm; free), is notable for its Florentine stained-glass windows and massive Gothic Revival style reminiscent of Westminster Abbey. One of the town’s oldest buildings, the pretty Manoir Boucher-de-Niverville , is close by at 168 rue Bonaventure, and it contains a small collection of eighteenth-century Québécois furniture dating from 1730, when it was the home of the local seigneur (late June to early Sept 2-8pm; free). Continue south along rue Bonaventure until the water is in sight, and take a left turn to reach the narrow and ancient rue des Ursulines, the city’s most attractive thoroughfare. The three-storey Manoir de Tonnancour at no. 864 (Tues-Fri 10am-noon & 1.30-5pm, Sat & Sun 1-5pm; free) holds temporary exhibitions on various themes from stamps to sculpture. Local art is on display at the nearby Maison Hertel-de-la-Fresnière at no. 802 (late June to early Sept daily 8am-5.30pm; free), while historical exhibits are the norm at the Musée des Ursulines , whose slender, silver dome dominates the street. A former convent established by a small group of Ursuline nuns who arrived from Québec City in 1697, it includes a chapel with attractive frescoes and gilt sculptures. The nunnery’s treasures are displayed in a little museum in the old hospital quarters (May-Nov Tues-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat & Sun 1.30-5pm; March & April Wed-Sun 2-5pm; Nov-Feb by appointment only; $2.50).

On the nearby, rather characterless waterfront, the Centre d’Exposition sur l’Industrie des Pâtes et Papiers , 800 Parc-Portuaire (June to early Sept daily 9am-6pm; Sept Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat & Sun 11am-5pm; $3), has an informative if unthrilling exhibition on the pulp and paper industry that’s the backbone of the community. Finally, the ruins of Les Forges du Saint-Maurice , 10,000 boul des Forges, (early May to mid-Oct daily 9am-5pm; $4.50) which put the town on the map as a supplier to the farmers and arsenals of Québec and Europe, is now a national historic park, linked to downtown by bus #4 – get on at the bus terminal at the corner of rues Badeaux and St-Antoine.

Practicalities

The information centre at 1457 rue Notre Dame (late June to early Sept daily 9am-5pm; early Sept to late June Mon-Fri 9am-5pm), has pamphlets on all the town’s activities, sights and restaurants. For accommodation , the cheapest option is the clean and comfortable youth hostel , La Flottille , in the heart of downtown at 497 rue Radisson (tel 819/378-8010 or 1-800/461-8585; up to $40). Three attractive B&B s are situated in heritage homes in Vieux Trois-Rivières: the ten-roomed Gîte du Huard , 42 rue St-Louis (tel 819/375-8771; $40-100), has a room with kitchenette; La Campanule , 634 rue des Ursulines, offers three rooms and access to a garden with whirlpool tub (tel 819/373-1133, kg@infoteck.qc.ca ; $40-60); and Le Fleurvil , across the street at no. 635, has three rooms in a low-lying house (tel 819/372-5195; $40-60). Centrally located, modern hotels include the high-rise Delta , 1620 Notre Dame (tel 819/372-5975, www.deltahotels.com ; $125-175), and Hôtel Gouverneur , 975 Hart (tel 819/379-4550 or 1-888/910-1110, www.gouverneur.com ; $80-100).

Most of the city’s restaurants are located in the downtown core, along rue des Forges. Le Bolvert Royal , 1556 rue Royale, is a hearty, affordable breakfast option and Angeline , 313 rue des Forges, has imaginative pasta and pizza choices for under $10. The nearby Gaspard at no. 475 offers steak, fish and chicken, plus some cheap lunch specials. Le Zenob , 171 rue Bonaventure, is a bar with a small terrace that also sells sandwiches; for coffee and a snack, head to Café Morgane , at 100 rue des Forges, a sleek coffee shop with three other outlets around town.

Upper Laurentians

The slopes of the Upper Laurentians , a vast sweep of coniferous forest dotted with hundreds of tranquil lakes and scored with rivers, was once Montréal’s “wilderness back yard”. Nowadays, winter sports have done away with the region’s former tranquillity as thousands of Québécois take to the slopes at more than 25 ski resorts, causing mind-numbing traffic jams. Still, much of the land has remained relatively untouched – like the Parc du Mont Tremblant – and the area is a must when autumn colours take over. The Upper Laurentians really cater to families on a week’s sporty vacation, and much of the accommodation is pricey, as it includes gyms, tennis courts, golf courses and the like. However, a smattering of B&Bs and numerous motels are an alternative to those on a tight budget, as do the youth hostels in Val-David and Mont-Tremblant itself . Check out travel agents in Montréal – weekend packages can be a bargain. Use the free telephone accommodation service for the region (tel 1-800/561-6673, www.laurentides.com ), or pick up information on the resorts at the regional tourist office in Mirabel, 14142 rue de la Chapelle; take exit 39 off Hwy 15 (daily: late June to early Sept 8.30am-8.30pm; early Sept to late June 9am-5pm). During the ski season, snow-condition information can be found on www.skinetcanada.com .

Two roads lead from Montréal to this area of the Laurentians: the Autoroute des Laurentides (Hwy 15) and the slower Hwy 117, which is the way to go if you want to go antique hunting as there are a number of large shops around Piedmont. Limocar Laurentides offers regular service from the Station Centrale d’Autobus de Montréal to most of the towns (tel 514/842-2281). Except for Tremblant – which costs a small fortune – rates for ski passes are around $30 a day in the decent areas, a few dollars more at weekends.

St. Jovite-Mont Tremblant

Situated some 130km north of Montréal, SAINT-JOVITE-MONT-TREMBLANT is the Laurentians’ oldest and most renowned ski area, focused on the range’s highest peak, Mont Tremblant (960m), so called because the native population believed it was the home of spirits that could move the mountain. In 1997, the company that developed B.C.’s Whistler ski-resort pumped some $50 million into Mont-Tremblant, and the resulting European-style ski village has made it a premier ski destination in Canada. The 92 slopes are for all levels, with a maximum vertical drop of more than 640m and the longest ski run in Québec. One-day ski passes cost $49 weekdays and $54 on weekends.

Saint-Jovite is the commercial centre of the area, while Mont-Tremblant (10km north) is a tiny village with only the most basic services. In and around the two are a variety of lodges, including the two most glamorous in the Laurentians: Club Mont-Tremblant , by Lac Tremblant at the base of the mountain (tel 1-800/467-8341; $175-240), and Auberge Gray Rocks , near Saint-Jovite (tel 819/425-2771 or 1-800/567-6767; $125-175). Less pricey rooms are available at Hôtel Mont Tremblant , 1900 rue Principale (tel 819/425-3232; $80-100 including breakfast), and the five-room B&B Le Couvent , 135B rue du Couvent (tel 819/425-8606 or 1-877/425-8606, www.bbcanada.com/3388html ; $60-80). For eating in Saint-Jovite, there’s a cheap pub-style restaurant, Bagatelle Saloon , at 852 rue Ouimet, and a bargain café, Le Brunch Café , at no. 816, in the same complex as La Crémerie du Hameau , a chocolate and sweet-tooth candy store. For dinner, Chez Roger , 444 St-Georges, offers rich French cuisine at slightly elevated prices – the three-course table d’hôte costs around $30. Information is available from the Saint-Jovite/Mont-Tremblant tourist office, 305 chemin Brébeuf in Saint-Jovite (daily: June-Sept 9am-7pm; Oct-May 9am-5pm).

The Parc du Mont Tremblant , a wilderness area of more than one thousand square kilometres spreading northwards from the villages, is a favourite with Québécois. Skiing, snowmobiling and snowshoeing are winter sports; in summer the park attracts campers, canoeists, hunters and hikers – in remote areas you may see bears, deer and moose . The park’s three lakeside campsites must be reserved in advance (tel 819/688-2281 or 1-877/688-2289; $15-16.50). There’s no public transport, but hitching is possible.

St. Sauveur des Monts

The ski resorts start 60km from Montréal and can be done easily as day-trips. The first of these is SAINT-SAUVEUR-DES-MONTS , with 42 pistes in the immediate vicinity and an ever-increasing number of apartment complexes. Its resident population of seven thousand is boosted to a peak-season maximum of thirty thousand, and the main drag, rue Principale, reflects the influx by boasting every type of restaurant imaginable, designer boutiques and craft shops. Come nightfall, skiers take to the numerous flash clubs and discos.

For those with money, Saint-Sauveur is the place to be seen, and hotel prices reflect the fact – the excellent and luxurious Le Relais St-Denis , 61 St-Denis (tel 450/227-4766 or 1-888/997-4766; $125-175), leads the way for class with a pool and beautifully decorated rooms. Cheaper options are the Auberge de la Vallée , 520 rue Principale (tel 450/227-5998; $60-80) or the B&B Auberge aux Petits Oiseaux , at no. 342 (tel 819/227-6116 or 1-877/227-6116; $60-80). Budget travellers will be pretty well limited to the food at Brûlerie des Monts , 197 rue Principale, La Cage aux Sports for burgers and steaks, at 75 rue de la Gare, and Mexicali Rosa’s average Mexican fare on the same street at no. 61. Information on shopping and skiing is available from the Bureau Touristique, 3rd floor, 100 rue Guindon (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm).

Ste. Agathe des Monts

Nearby, on the shores of Lac des Sables, is STE-AGATHE-DES-MONTS , a luxurious resort since the 1850s and the largest town in the Laurentians. Situated 97km from Montréal and almost entirely quashed by commercialism, it’s a good base for exploring the less developed towns and the wildlife reserves further north; there is little to do here.

Ste-Agathe is expensive. The cheapest accommodation is the dull Motel St-Moritz , 1580 rue Principale (tel 819/326-3444 or 1-800/567-6752, www.polyinter.com/st-moritz ; $40-60). Of the three B&Bs , only Au Nid d’Hirondelles , 1235 des Hirondelles (tel 819/326-5413 or 1-888/826-5413; www.nidhirondelles.qc.ca ; $60-80) verges on affordable, and all rooms come with private bath. The pricier Auberge de la Tour-du-Lac , 173 chemin Tour du Lac (tel 819/326-4202 or 1-800/622-1735, www.delatour.qc.ca ; $80-100), is one of the town’s most beautiful historic homes with its pointed roof and wrapround veranda. The nearest campsite is Parc des Campeurs (tel 819/324-0482 or 1-800/561-7360; $24), 15km from town (follow signs for ” Camping Ste Agathe” and take exit 53 off Hwy 15), an enormous place with a beach on Lac des Sables.

Most of Ste-Agathe’s restaurants and bars are on the lakefront, the most attractive part of town: Del Popolo , at 1 Principale est, serves Italian, and Chez Girard , at 18 Principale ouest, has reasonably priced, delicious French cuisine. Sauvagine , 1592 Hwy 329 nord (tel 1-800/787-7172), is a chapel converted into a French restaurant with rooms upstairs ($60-80/$80-100). For information , go to 24 rue St-Paul est (late June to early Sept daily 9am-8pm; early Sept to late June 9am-5pm); the bus stops across the street.

Val-David

Further north along Hwy 117, VAL-DAVID is the bohemian resort of the Laurentians, favoured by artists and craftspeople: the main street, rue de l’Église, has galleries and shops run by the artisans themselves. The town also has some non-ski-related attractions come summertime, the best of which, Les Jardins de Rocailles , 1319 rue Lavoie (mid-June to early Sept daily 10am-5.30pm; autumn and spring weekends only 10am-5.30pm; $4), features more than 450 plant varieties in a secluded rock garden. On a wholly different note, the tackiest attraction in the Laurentians, the Village du Père Noel , 987 rue Morin (early June to early Sept daily 10am-6pm; $8.50), is a Santa’s village “highlighted” by a Wise Goat – his claim to wisdom stems from being able to climb an obstacle course and feed himself from pails suspended on pulleys. Save your money.

Val-David’s excellent youth hostel , Le Chalet Beaumont , 1451 Beaumont (tel 819/322-1972 or 1-800/461-8585; up to $40), is a massive chalet with roaring fires in the winter, and great views all year. A twenty-minute walk from the bus station, the hostel offers a pick-up service. Other accommodation in Val-David is fairly expensive: the most affordable options are B&Bs – Le Temps des Cerises (tel 819/322-1751; $40-60) at 1347 chemin de la Sapinière, has pleasant rooms and chalet-style decor and La Chaumière aux Marguerites (tel 819/322-2043; $60-80), is in a sweet little house at no. 1267. Hotels are costlier – the rooms at Pause Plein Air , 1381 rue de la Sapinière (tel 819/322-2727 or 1-877/422-6880; May-Oct; $40-60) are about as cheap as they come. The swishest ski lodge, La Sapinière , by Mont Alta at 1244 chemin de la Sapinière (tel 819/322-2020 or 1-800/567-6635, www.sapiniere.com ; $240 and up), is built of logs. At the one campsite along Hwy 117 – Camping Laurentien (tel 819/322-2281) pitches start at $18.25. Rue de l’Église has decent, well-priced restaurants , including the friendly Le Grand Pa , at no. 2481, which serves simple French food; and L’Express , a café-bistro at rue de l’Eglise and de la Sapinière. Information is available at the tourist office, 2501 de l’Eglise (daily 9.30am-5pm).

Downtown Montreal

Montréal’s downtown lies roughly between rue Sherbrooke and rue St-Antoine to the north and south, rue St-Denis to the east and rue Peel to the west, though there’s some overlap with the Golden Square Mile, and distinctions are not always clear, to be sure. Of the main streets, rue Ste-Catherine offers the most in the way of shopping, dining and entertainment, while boulevard de Maisonneuve is more business oriented.

Even if you’re not staying in one of the area’s hotels, you’ll spend at least some time in these parts, as it’s here that you’ll probably arrive – either at the southerly train station or the easterly bus station. Though the main sights are the high-rises and shopping complexes, the area is also dotted with old churches, museums and public squares filled with activity from buskers, artists and market vendors .

Rue Sherbrooke

Rue Sherbrooke crosses half of Montréal island, but other than the Stade Olympique far out east, its most interesting part is the few blocks from McGill University to rue Guy, an elite stretch of private galleries, exclusive hotels and boutiques for the likes of Yves Saint-Laurent, Ralph Lauren and Armani. At the corner of Drummond is the Ritz-Carlton Hotel , Montréal’s most ornate hotel – Elizabeth Taylor married Richard Burton here. Inside, the Claude Lafitte Art Gallery (Mon-Fri 10am-6pm, Sat 10am-5pm) is a small gallery with works by Picasso, Miro, Chagall and Canadian artists Riopelle, Fortin, Lemieux, Borduas and Pellan. The hotel remains a symbol of what was once known as the Golden Square Mile , the area between rue Sherbrooke, Côte des Neiges, the mountain and avenue du Parc. From the late nineteenth century to World War II, about seventy percent of Canada’s wealth was owned by a few hundred people who lived here. Known as the Caesars of the Wilderness, the majority were Scottish immigrants who made their fortunes in brewing, fur trading and banking, and who financed the railways and steamships that contributed to Montréal’s industrial growth.

Near the Ritz stands Canada’s oldest museum, the Musée des Beaux Arts , with a pavilion on either side of rue Sherbrooke at nos. 1379 and 1380 (Tues & Thurs-Sun 11am-6pm, Wed 11am-9pm; www.mmfa.qc.ca ; $15 for special exhibits, permanent collection free). The Canadian art collection is one of the country’s most impressive, covering the spectrum from the devotional works of New France, through paintings of the local landscape by, among others, James Wilson Morrice, Maurice Cullen and Clarence Gagnon, to the more radical canvases by the Automatistes – Paul-Émile Borduas and Jean-Paul Riopelle – who transformed Montréal’s art scene in the 1940s. Predictably enough, the Group of Seven get a showing too, but the most accomplished paintings are in the European section, where many of the canvases – by such masters as El Greco, Rembrandt and Memling – were donated by merchants during Montréal’s heyday. Their contributions are supplemented by equally high-class later acquisitions by Rodin, Picasso, Henry Moore and other twentieth-century luminaries.

Adjoined to the museum, but entered from rue Crescent , a lively street filled with boutiques and bars, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs , 2200 rue Crescent (Tues & Thurs-Sun 11am-6pm, Wed 11am-9pm; free permanent exhibit; www.madm.org ), has a decent display of twentieth century design from the likes of Charles and Ray Eames and Arne Jacobsen in a space designed by architect Frank Gehry. East of the Musée des Beaux-Arts, at the intersection of rue Sherbrooke and Redpath, is another reminder of the Scottish roots of this neighbourhood – the Church of St Andrew and St Paul , the regimental church of the Black Watch, the Highland Regiment of Canada. Though the Gothic Revival building is not particularly impressive, Burne-Jones’ stained-glass windows are worth a quick peek.

Further east still is the city’s most prestigious university, entered through a Neoclassical stone gate at the top of avenue McGill College , a principal boulevard with wide pavements adorned with sculptures, most notably Raymond Mason’s Illuminated Crowd , portraying a mass of larger-than-life people – generally faced by an equally large crowd of tourists. The leafy campus of McGill University was founded in 1813 from the bequest of James McGill, a Glaswegian immigrant fur trader, and the university is now world-famous for its medical and engineering schools. The ornate limestone buildings and their modern extensions are perfect for relaxing or for a walk above the street level of downtown. A boulder on the campus near Sherbrooke marks the spot where the original Iroquois village of Hochelaga stood before European penetration.

The university boasts a couple of fine museums. In the middle of the campus is the Musée Redpath (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sun 1-5pm; closed Fri late June to early Sept, Sat year-round; free), the first custom-built Canadian museum, with an eclectic anthropological collection that includes a rare fossil collection, crystals, dinosaur bones and two Egyptian mummies. Better known is the Musée McCord (Tues-Fri 10am-6pm, Sat-Sun 10am-5pm; $8.50; www.musee-mccord.qc.ca ;), 690 rue Sherbrooke ouest, an extensive museum of Canadian history housed in the elegant nineteenth-century McGill Union building which underwent a $20 million expansion programme. The main part of the collection was amassed by the rich and worthy Scots-Irish McCord family over an eighty-year period from the mid-nineteenth century and represents a highly personal vision of the development of Canada, which they saw as a fusion of colonial and declining native elements. The first few rooms are devoted to a permanent exhibition on the McCord family, followed by space for changing displays from the huge collections. The museum is particularly strong on native artefacts, textiles, costumes and photographs, and examples of these are found in the themed exhibits. The First Nation gallery is the most interesting, with high-quality examples of furs, ivory carvings and superb beadwork, whose aboriginal name translates as “little shining berries”.

Square Dorchester

Rue Sherbrooke crosses half of Montréal island, but other than the Stade Olympique far out east, its most interesting part is the few blocks from McGill University to rue Guy, an elite stretch of private galleries, exclusive hotels and boutiques for the likes of Yves Saint-Laurent, Ralph Lauren and Armani. At the corner of Drummond is the Ritz-Carlton Hotel , Montréal’s most ornate hotel – Elizabeth Taylor married Richard Burton here. Inside, the Claude Lafitte Art Gallery (Mon-Fri 10am-6pm, Sat 10am-5pm) is a small gallery with works by Picasso, Miro, Chagall and Canadian artists Riopelle, Fortin, Lemieux, Borduas and Pellan. The hotel remains a symbol of what was once known as the Golden Square Mile , the area between rue Sherbrooke, Côte des Neiges, the mountain and avenue du Parc. From the late nineteenth century to World War II, about seventy percent of Canada’s wealth was owned by a few hundred people who lived here. Known as the Caesars of the Wilderness, the majority were Scottish immigrants who made their fortunes in brewing, fur trading and banking, and who financed the railways and steamships that contributed to Montréal’s industrial growth.

Near the Ritz stands Canada’s oldest museum, the Musée des Beaux Arts , with a pavilion on either side of rue Sherbrooke at nos. 1379 and 1380 (Tues & Thurs-Sun 11am-6pm, Wed 11am-9pm; www.mmfa.qc.ca ; $15 for special exhibits, permanent collection free). The Canadian art collection is one of the country’s most impressive, covering the spectrum from the devotional works of New France, through paintings of the local landscape by, among others, James Wilson Morrice, Maurice Cullen and Clarence Gagnon, to the more radical canvases by the Automatistes – Paul-Émile Borduas and Jean-Paul Riopelle – who transformed Montréal’s art scene in the 1940s. Predictably enough, the Group of Seven get a showing too, but the most accomplished paintings are in the European section, where many of the canvases – by such masters as El Greco, Rembrandt and Memling – were donated by merchants during Montréal’s heyday. Their contributions are supplemented by equally high-class later acquisitions by Rodin, Picasso, Henry Moore and other twentieth-century luminaries.

Adjoined to the museum, but entered from rue Crescent , a lively street filled with boutiques and bars, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs , 2200 rue Crescent (Tues & Thurs-Sun 11am-6pm, Wed 11am-9pm; free permanent exhibit; www.madm.org ), has a decent display of twentieth century design from the likes of Charles and Ray Eames and Arne Jacobsen in a space designed by architect Frank Gehry. East of the Musée des Beaux-Arts, at the intersection of rue Sherbrooke and Redpath, is another reminder of the Scottish roots of this neighbourhood – the Church of St Andrew and St Paul , the regimental church of the Black Watch, the Highland Regiment of Canada. Though the Gothic Revival building is not particularly impressive, Burne-Jones’ stained-glass windows are worth a quick peek.

Further east still is the city’s most prestigious university, entered through a Neoclassical stone gate at the top of avenue McGill College , a principal boulevard with wide pavements adorned with sculptures, most notably Raymond Mason’s Illuminated Crowd , portraying a mass of larger-than-life people – generally faced by an equally large crowd of tourists. The leafy campus of McGill University was founded in 1813 from the bequest of James McGill, a Glaswegian immigrant fur trader, and the university is now world-famous for its medical and engineering schools. The ornate limestone buildings and their modern extensions are perfect for relaxing or for a walk above the street level of downtown. A boulder on the campus near Sherbrooke marks the spot where the original Iroquois village of Hochelaga stood before European penetration.

The university boasts a couple of fine museums. In the middle of the campus is the Musée Redpath (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sun 1-5pm; closed Fri late June to early Sept, Sat year-round; free), the first custom-built Canadian museum, with an eclectic anthropological collection that includes a rare fossil collection, crystals, dinosaur bones and two Egyptian mummies. Better known is the Musée McCord (Tues-Fri 10am-6pm, Sat-Sun 10am-5pm; $8.50; www.musee-mccord.qc.ca ;), 690 rue Sherbrooke ouest, an extensive museum of Canadian history housed in the elegant nineteenth-century McGill Union building which underwent a $20 million expansion programme. The main part of the collection was amassed by the rich and worthy Scots-Irish McCord family over an eighty-year period from the mid-nineteenth century and represents a highly personal vision of the development of Canada, which they saw as a fusion of colonial and declining native elements. The first few rooms are devoted to a permanent exhibition on the McCord family, followed by space for changing displays from the huge collections. The museum is particularly strong on native artefacts, textiles, costumes and photographs, and examples of these are found in the themed exhibits. The First Nation gallery is the most interesting, with high-quality examples of furs, ivory carvings and superb beadwork, whose aboriginal name translates as “little shining berries”.

Ste. Catherine

Proceeding north for two short blocks brings you to rue Ste-Catherine , the city’s main commercial thoroughfare since the early 1900s. The street stretches for 15km across the island of Montréal, with the stretch east of rue Peel serving as the main shopping artery featuring department stores interspersed with exclusive boutiques, souvenir shops and fast-food outlets. For all its consumerist gloss the road still has its seedy bits, with the peepshows and strip clubs enlivening the streetscape. Further along, the street adjoins the Quartier Latin, forms the heart of the gay village, and extends into the working-class neighbourhoods of east Montréal.

From the intersection of Peel and Ste-Catherine (purportedly the busiest in the city) you can see the elegant Cours Mont-Royal . Formerly the largest hotel in the British Commonwealth, it now contains four floors of shops (including those of expensive designers), apartments and offices. Peek inside and gawk up at the fourteen-storey-high atria and chandeliers preserved from the hotel. One of these hangs from the coffered ceiling over a permanent catwalk – a testament to the fashion aspirations of the shopping centre.

Montréal’s Anglican Christ Church Cathedral (daily 8am-6pm; www.montreal.anglican.org/cathedral ), built in 1859, is five blocks east of Peel, at 635 rue Ste-Catherine ouest, cater-cornered to Square Phillips. By 1927 its slender stone spire was threatening to crash through the wooden roof and was replaced with the peculiar aluminium replica. Inside, the soaring Gothic arches are decorated with heads of saints, gargoyles and angels, but the most poignant feature is the Coventry Cross , made from nails salvaged from England’s Coventry Cathedral, which was destroyed by bombing during World War II. With the decline in its congregation, the cathedral authorities’ desperation for money led them to sell off all the land around and beneath the church. For two and a half years, Christ Church was supported on concrete struts while the developers tunnelled out the glitzy Promenades de la Cathédrale , a boutique-lined part of the Underground City. This engineering feat has attracted worldwide interest.

A couple of blocks east of Square Phillips, Ste-Catherine slopes down towards Place des Arts , Montréal’s leading performing-arts centre and the site of major festivals throughout the summer. The layout tends to throw first-time visitors – the entrances to all the performance halls are via an underground concourse. Atop that is a large plaza, with a series of gardens and fountains. The wide steps create a seating area for use during outdoor concerts, and the walls around the fountains are a popular snoozing spot for nearby office workers during the summer.

Occupying the west side of the Place des Arts plaza, the Musée d’Art Contemporain de Montréal (Tues & Thurs-Sun 11am-6pm, Wed 11am-9pm; $6; www.macm.org ) is Canada’s only museum devoted entirely to contemporary art. The city’s foremost showcase for work by Québécois artists, like Paul – Émile Borduas and Jean-Paul Riopelle , the museum also has works by other Canadian and international artists. One wing is devoted to the permanent collection (rotated two or three times a year); the other stages temporary exhibitions. There’s a nice restaurant terrace, often filled with live music, and a small sculpture garden – though difficult to find, it holds a Henry Moore sculpture amidst the greenery.

Underground City

Place Ville-Marie marks the beginning of Montréal’s famous Underground City, planned as a refuge from weather that is outrageously cold in the winter and humid in the summer. The underground network began with the construction of the cruciform Place Ville-Marie in the 1960s. Montréalers flooded into the first climate-controlled shopping arcade, and the Underground City duly spread. Today its 31km of passages provide access to the Métro, major hotels, shopping malls, transport termini, thousands of offices, apartments and restaurants, and a good smattering of cinemas and theatres. Everything underground is well signposted, but you’re still likely to get lost on your first visit, unless you pick up a map of the ever-expanding system from a tourist office.

That said, while the tourist office pamphlets make the Underground City sound somewhat exotic, don’t plan to make a day out of visiting it – the reality is pretty banal and most Montréalers just consider it as a way to get from place to place, anchored by a number of fairly standard shopping malls. If you want cheap and quick food, though, check out the food courts on the lowest floor of any of the malls en route.

Main and East Montreal

MAIN AND EAST MONTRÉAL Boulevard St-Laurent – The Main – leads all the way up from Vieux-Montréal to the northern extremities of the city. North of rue Sherbrooke is the most absorbing episode along the way, a district where Montréal’s cosmopolitan diversity is evident in distinct enclaves of immigrant neighbourhoods. Running parallel to rue St-Denis , the heart of the upbeat studenty Quartier Latin, this zone is where the most fun can be had in Montréal, with a huge array of ethnic food outlets and bars spilling out onto the streets. If the party atmosphere is too much, you can head for the landscaped expanse of Mont Royal or the overwhelming Stade Olympique and the vast Jardin Botanique further east.

Boulevaqrd St. Laurent

Traditionally, boulevard St-Laurent divided the English in the west from the French in the east of the city. Montréal’s immigrants, first Russian Jews, then Greeks, Portuguese, Italians, East Europeans and, more recently, South Americans, settled in the middle and, though many prospered enough to move on, the area around the Main is still a cultural mix where neither of the two official languages dominates. Delis, bars, nightclubs, hardware stores, bookshops and an increasing number of trendy boutiques provide the perfect background to a wonderful jumble of sights, sounds and smells.

Wandering north from downtown will bring you onto one of Montréal’s few pedestrianized streets, rue Prince-Arthur , thronged with buskers and caricaturists in the summer. Its eastern end leads to the beautiful fountained and statued Square St-Louis , the city’s finest public square. Designed in 1876, the square was originally the domain of rich corporate Montréalers, but the magnificent houses are now occupied by artists, poets and writers, and plaques identify those of the more illustrious luminaries.

The east side of the square divides the lower and upper areas of rue St-Denis . The part of St-Denis leading south from rues Sherbrooke to Ste-Catherine has long had a rather grubby reputation, but has become increasingly colonized by terrace cafés and bars crammed with students from the nearby Université de Québec àMontréal (UQAM) well into the early hours. Further north lies the stamping ground of the francophone intellectual set, where a different yet equally heady atmosphere pervades the sidewalks. Here you’ll find some of the city’s most upscale boutiques and restaurants.

Mont Royal

Little more than a hill to most tourists but a mountain to Montréalers, Mont Royal reaches a less than lofty height of 233m but its two square kilometres of greenery are visible from anywhere in the city. Mont Royal holds a special place in the history of the city – it was here that the Iroquois established their settlement and that Maisonneuve declared the island to be French – but for centuries the mountain was privately owned. Then, during an especially bitter winter, one of the inhabitants cut down his trees for extra firewood. Montréalers were outraged at the desecration and in 1875 the land was bought by the city for the impressive sum of $1 million. Frederick Law Olmsted, designer of New York’s Central Park and San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, was hired to landscape the hill, which now provides 56km of jogging paths and 20km of skiing trails to keep city inhabitants happy year-round.

The city has steadfastly refused any commercial developments on this lucrative site, the only construction being Lac des Castors , built in the 1930s as a work-creation scheme for the unemployed; it now serves as a skating rink in the winter and paddle boat playground in the summer. In the 1950s, protection of the mountain reached a puritanical extreme when a local journalist revealed that young couples were using the area for amatory pursuits and, even worse, that people were openly drinking alcohol. Consequently all of the underbrush was uprooted, which only succeeded in killing off much of the ash, birch, maple, oak and pine trees. Within five years Mont Royal was dubbed Bald Mountain and a replanting campaign had to be instigated.

There are various access points for a walk up the mountain but the most popular starting point is at the George-Étienne Cartier monument , where every Sunday buskers and people of all ages congregate with tam tam drums until the sun goes down in a display out of a Woodstock love-in. From here, several paths lead up to the summit where an illuminated cross marks the spot where Maisonneuve placed his own in 1642. Chemin Olmsted heads on, past the top of rue Peel (the easiest access from downtown), and up to the summit, where a lookout point offers fine views of the city. To reach the monument, you can either take the Métro to Mont-Royal station, walk west along avenue du Mont-Royal and turn left on avenue du Parc, or get off the Métro at Place-des-Arts and take the Parc bus (#80).

Oratoire St. Joseph

On the west side of the mountain the awesome Oratoire St-Joseph (daily: May-Sept 6.30am-10pm; Oct-April 6.30am-5pm) rises from its green surroundings near Montréal’s highest point. If you don’t want to walk across the summit, the nearest Métro is Côte-des-Neiges, from where the way to the oratory is signposted.

In 1904, Brother André built a small chapel here to honour St Joseph, Canada’s patron saint. Before long, André’s ability to heal people had earned him the sobriquet “The Miracle Man of Montréal”, and huge numbers of patients took to climbing the outside stairs on their knees to receive his grace. Satisfied clients donated so much money that in 1924 he could afford to begin work on this immense granite edifice, which was completed in 1967, thirty years after Brother André’s death. It is topped by a dome second in size only to St Peter’s in Rome. The interior of St Jo’s – as it’s known locally – does not live up to the splendour of the Italianate exterior, though the chapel in the apse is richly decorated with green marble columns and a gold-leaf ceiling. In the adjoining anteroom, thousands of votive candles burn along the walls, and proof of Brother André’s curative powers hang everywhere; crutches, canes and braces are crammed into every available space. The roof terrace, above the portico, has excellent views of the city and the St Lawrence beyond. A small upstairs museum displays items relating to Brother André’s life, including the room in which he died, which was shifted here from a local hospice. Brother André’s heart is enclosed in a glass case; the devout believe it quivers occasionally.

Outside, the Way of the Cross has some particularly beautiful sculptures in smooth, white Carrara marble and Indiana buff stone by Montréal artist Louis Parent – a tranquil site used as a setting for the well-known film Jésus de Montréal . You can also visit the small building a few metres away from the Oratory that contains the original chapel and Brother André’s tiny room.

Parc Olympique

It’s best to take the Métro to Viau in order to view Montréal’s most infamous architectural construction, the Parc Olympique , at 4141 ave Pierre-de-Coubertin. The main attraction, the Stade Olympique , is known by Montréalers as the “Big O” for three reasons: its name, its circular shape and the fact that the city owes so much money for its construction. The main facilities for the 1976 Summer Olympics were designed by Roger Taillibert, who was told that money was no object. Mayor Jean Drapeau declared, “It is as unlikely that Montréal will incur a debt as for a man to bear a child.” The complex ended up costing $1.4 billion (of which $300 million is still outstanding), and was not even completed in time for the games. It’s now one of the most heavily used stadiums in the world: in a desperate attempt to pay the debts, the ceaseless schedule features everything from Pink Floyd concerts to baseball games played by the Montréal Expos. Daily guided tours are available (12.40pm & 3.40pm; $5.25; www.rio.gouv.qc.ca ).

The stadium’s 168-metre tower is a major engineering feat as it’s the highest inclined tower in the world. Its main function was to hold a retractable 65-tonne roof. But the 45-minute process never really worked properly, and today sections of the roof are prone to falling in, although the city continues to fork out millions of dollars. The attraction here is the shuttle ride that takes you up the tower to an observation deck with eighty-kilometre views and an exhibition of historic photos of Montréal (daily: 10am-5pm, mid-June to early Sept until 9pm; closed early Jan to early Feb; $9).

Close by is the Biodôme , at 4777 ave Pierre-de Coubertin (daily: May to mid-Sept 9am-7pm; mid-Sept to April 9am-5pm; $9.50; www.ville.montreal.qc.ca/biodome ), housed in a bicycle-helmet-shaped building that started life as a venue for cycling events during the Olympics. Now it is a stunning environmental museum comprising four ecosystems: tropical, Laurentian forest, St Lawrence maritime and polar. You can wander freely through the different zones, which are planted with appropriate flourishing vegetation and inhabited by the relevant birds, animals and marine life. Keep an eye out for the sloths in the tropical section; they move so slowly that their fur grows mould, unlike the lively monkeys that swing through the trees. You can look at a beaver dam and a take a televised peek inside its lodge, then move on to an impressive rock pool complete with foaming waves and a multicoloured population of anemones, crabs, lobsters and starfish. Gulls fly overhead and puffins bob and dive, while next door, in the polar zone, temperatures drop so low that penguins can slide down snow-covered slopes into the water. It’s all highly educational and good fun, but try to avoid visiting on Sundays, when, it seems, the entire population of Québec and its children head there.

Near the stadium and linked by a free shuttle bus from mid-May to mid-September is the Jardin Botanique de Montréal , 4101 Sherbrooke est (daily: mid-June to early Sept 9am-7pm; early Sept to mid-June 9am-5pm; $9.50, Nov-April: $6.75; www.ville.montreal.qc.ca/jardin ). The grounds contain some thirty types of gardens from medicinal herbs to orchids. Highlights include a Japanese garden designed by the landscape architect Ken Nakajima, its ponds of water lilies bordered by greenish sculptured stone and crossed by delicate bridges. In 1991 the Japanese garden was joined by the Chinese garden, the largest of its kind outside China – more than 1500 tonnes of materials from China were used to reproduce a replica of the Ming Gardens of fifteenth-century Shanghai. Other attractions in the gardens include the Insectarium (same hours as the gardens, and the entry is included in the admission fee; www.ville.montreal.qc.ca/insectarium ), a bug-shaped building containing insects of every shape and size. The museum is mainly geared towards children, but adults will learn a fascinating thing or two – like the fact that the housefly has more than five thousand muscles. If you visit in February, you’ll get a chance to eat some of the insects at the Insectarium’s annual bug fry.

Near the southwest corner of the gardens, on the junction of Pie-IX and Sherbrooke, is the stately mansion of the Château Dufresne , 2929 rue Jeanne-d’Arc (Thurs-Sun 10am-5pm; $5), built in the 1910s for the Dufresne brothers – one an architect, the other an industrialist – who were instrumental in Montréal’s expansion. The château’s impressive Edwardian interior has been partially restored and includes many of the Dufresne’s original nineteenth- and early twentieth-century furnishings.

MONTREALS OTHER ATTRACTIONS

The islands of Montréal, ÃŽle Ste-Hélène and ÃŽle Notre-Dame and their environs, offer various slightly-out-of-the-way sights, all well served by public transport but mostly worth the trip only if you have time to kill. Lying just south of Montréal, the combined 2.7 square kilometres of the smaller islands were the main venue for Expo ‘67 and have been developed as playgrounds for the city’s inhabitants, with the La Ronde amusement park the main draw. The Maison St-Gabriel is included in this section as it is a bit of a hike from central Montréal. The fur-trading centre of Lachine is on the western shore of Montréal island, about the same distance from downtown as the art museum in the suburb of St-Laurent , while the Musée Ferroviaire Canadien (Canadian Railway Museum) is off the island on the south shore of the St Lawrence. Biosphère , 160 chemin Tour de l’ÃŽle (June-Sept daily 10am-6pm; Aug-May Tues-Sat 10am-4pm; $8.50; www.biosphere.ec.gc.ca ). An interactive museum focusing on the St Lawrence Seaway and the Great Lakes. The exhibits change yearly and there’s lots to amuse children, from interactive touch-screens to skill-testing games, movies, user-friendly computers, multimedia displays and educational workshops. On the fourth floor, a gorgeous lookout point takes in the St Lawrence River and the city. Métro ÃŽle-Ste-Hélène.

Cosmodôme and Space Camp Canada , 2150 Autoroute des Laurentides, Laval (late June to early Sept daily 10am-6pm; early Sept to late June Tues-Sun 10am-6pm; $9.75). A voyage through the solar system in a moving theatre, where you can walk on the moon, see a real moon rock, take control of the space shuttle Endeavour and become a cosmonaut. Buses #60 and #61 from Métro Henri-Bourassa.

Écomusée du Fier Monde , 2050 rue Amherst (Wed 11am-8pm, Thurs-Sun 10.30am-5pm; $5). Housed in a wonderful Art Deco former public bathhouse, this museum focuses on the history of Montréal’s industrialization with exceptionally good temporary exhibits. Métro Beaudry.

Leonard & Bina Ellen Art Gallery , 1400 boul de Maisonneuve (Mon-Fri 11am-7pm, Sat 1-5pm; ellen-gallery.concordia.ca ). Canadian art by both established and emerging artists on the main floor of Concordia University’s George-Webster building. Métro Guy-Concordia.

Lieu historique national du Commerce-de-la-Fourrure-à-Lachine , 1255 boul St-Joseph, Lachine (April to mid-Oct Mon 1-6pm, Tues-Sun 10am-12.30pm & 1-6pm; mid-Oct to early Dec Wed-Sun 9am-12.30pm & 1-5pm; $2.50; www.parcscanada.gc.ca/fourrure ). On the shore of Lac St-Louis, the old Lachine warehouse puts on an exhibition on the fur trade; the staff wear the costumes of natives, coureurs des bois and the Scottish merchants who worked here in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Bus #195 west from Métro Angrignon.

Maison St-Gabriel , 2146 Place Dublin (daily: late June to early Sept guided tours hourly 10am-5pm; mid-April to late June & early Sept to mid-Dec guided tours Tues-Sun 1.30pm, 2.30pm, 3.30pm; $5). Dating from 1698, this stone farmhouse was the home of Marguerite Bourgeoys ; antique furniture and the restored kitchen are the main attractions. Bus #57 from Métro Charlevoix.

Musée d’Art de St-Laurent , 615 boul Ste-Croix, Ville St-Laurent (Wed-Sun noon-5pm; $3, free Wed). A small museum in the former neo-Gothic chapel of St-Laurent college, featuring early traditional arts and crafts from Québec. Métro Du Collège.

Musée Ferroviaire Canadien , 122a rue St-Pierre, St-Constant (May to early Sept daily 9am-5pm; Sept to late Oct Sat & Sun 9am-5pm; $6). Canada’s largest collection of railway, tramway and steam locomotives is hard to reach without a car, though bus #160 near Métro Bonaventure does the (infrequent) journey.

Musée Stewart , Old Fort, Île Ste-Hélène (mid-May to early Sept 10am-6pm; early-Sept to mid-May Wed-Mon 10am-5pm; $6; www.stewart-museum.org ). In the fortified arsenal commissioned by the Duke of Wellington, the museum contains a collection of weapons and assorted domestic and scientific artefacts. The fort is also the summer venue for the re-enactment of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century military manoeuvres by the Fraser Highlanders and Compagnie Franche de la Marine. Métro Île-Ste-Hélène.

Musée de la ville de Lachine , 110 chemin LaSalle, Lachine (Wed-Sun 11.30am-4.30pm; closed Jan-March; free). This seventeenth-century fur-trading post contains a humdrum collection of contemporaneous artefacts and a display on the history of the Lachine canal. Bus #110 from Métro Angrignon.

Planétarium de Montréal , 1000 rue St-Jacques ouest (several performances daily; tel 872-4530; $6; www.planetarium.montreal.qc.ca ). Shows include “guided tours” of the solar system and more distant galaxies, while various performances explain eclipses, sunspots and the movement