| Montreal City of Montreal Ville de Montréal | ||
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Coat of arms and flag   | ||
| State | Canada | |
|---|---|---|
| Inhabitants | 3.635.571 (2006) | |
| Prefix tel | 1 438 & 1 514 | |
| POSTAL CODE | H. | |
Position
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| Tourism site | ||
| Institutional website | ||
Montreal is the largest city in the province Canadian of Quebec.
To know
Montreal is a modern city in every respect. Its center is full of skyscrapers like any North American city even if there is no shortage of historic districts that mostly meet the favor of tourists.
How Toronto, Montreal also has a labyrinthine underground city, full of offices, shops, restaurants, cinemas where in winter it is possible to get around avoiding the rigors and intense cold of the "ground floor" and without the need to wear warm clothes with all their kit of hats, gloves and scarves.
If the close Québec City has an exclusively "French" soul, Montreal has a dual soul. 30% of its population is English-speaking and 70% French-speaking. Those who speak neither language are called "allophones". Even today the two communities live separated from each other. Anglophones have their neighborhoods west of the center, in the area called Westmount, while French speakers prefer to live on the opposite side, in Plateau Mont-Royal and Outremont. The tendencies of the latter for a Québec independent from the rest of Canada, very much alive in the past, are not yet completely dormant.
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How to orient yourself
Vieux-Montréal and Plateau Mont-Royal: full screen map.- Downtown Montreal (Center Ville in French. Downtown Montreal in English) - The major museums as well as the saltiest hotels are located in the center of Montreal.
- Vieux-Montréal (in French or Old Montreal in English) - Distinct from the center and gathered around the ancient river port, the old center includes the Pointe-à-Callière, the original nucleus where the city of Montreal developed. It takes its name from Hector de Callières, the first governor of the city, who had his house built there in 1642. Today this space is occupied by the museum of the same name. Nearby is the Place Jacques-Cartier, dedicated to the French explorer of the sixteenth century. The square is a pedestrian area and during the summer it serves as a meeting place for tourists and locals thanks to its outdoor cafes and the delight offered by numerous street artists. The promenade on the front of the old river port consists of the "Rue de la Commune", a winding road that followed the once winding river. Today it is adapted to a cycle path but is also used by lovers of roller skates. The northern border of the old center is represented by rue St-Antoine, once the "Wall Street" of Montréal where the headquarters of banking institutions are still found. The historic center houses the town hall, small but nice hotels, art galleries and boutiques, the latter of which can be found on Rue Saint-Denis, which has regained its intellectual and bohemian character after the founding of the nearby Québec State University.
- Le Plateau-Mont-Royal - Located northeast of the old city, Plateau Mont-Royal, referred to more briefly as "Le Plateau," is a less congested area of the center and less frequented by tourists who prefer to concentrate in the adjacent old city. Le Plateau was born at the turn of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries as a neighborhood of the French-speaking working class while in its western part Jewish families lived there. It later became the quintessential neighborhood for immigrants that ships transported by the thousands from Europe, going up the San Lorenzo River after crossing the Atlantic and docking at the nearby river port. The main artery is the Rue St-Denis which crosses it in all its length, but its most famous street is its parallel, the Boulevard Saint-Laurent, also known as "The Main". Boulevard Saint-Laurent was the street where immigrants of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries started small businesses and restaurants, occupying the place left empty by the Anglophone and Francophone settlers who preferred to move to new buildings, the first to the west and the second to the east of the artery. The districts crossed by the Boulevard Saint-Laurent are Chinatown, Little Italy (Petite Italie in French), roughly at the intersection with rue Saint-Zotique e Quartier latin[1] gathered around the rue Sainte-Catherine where clubs and theaters are concentrated and with a bohemian atmosphere that reflects the proximity to the University of Québec. Every year since 1983 the "Juste pour rire" festival has been held in the Latin Quarter. [2], dedicated to humor, the largest event of its kind in the world.
How to get
By plane
Pierre Elliott Trudeau is the official name of the Montreal International Airport. It is located about twenty kilometers southwest of the center.
The company operates there Air Transat with flights from Venice-Marco Polo and da Rome-Fiumicino.
Domestic flights are operated by low cost WestJet, Air Canada Jazz,Air Canada
Aerobus it is a shuttle bus service with the center. Its frequency is 20 minutes and runs from 7 am to 1 am. It ends at the central station of the suburban bus lines at 505 boulevard de Maisonneuve Est. An additional minibus service is offered which passes through some hotels in the center.
Alternatively, you can use the Air Connect service from VIA Rail which costs less but is less frequent.
Another airport serving the Montreal region is the Plattsburgh International Airport, located in the state of New York, just over the border line Canada-USA. If you are headed from Montreal to other cities USA it may be cheaper to leave from Plattsburgh.
By bus
From Montreal you can reach by bus, in addition to major Canadian cities, too New York and some localities of the Vermont he was born in Maine. The suburban bus station is at the address "505 boulevard de Maisonneuve Est" and is served by a metro stop. The companies that operate there are Adirondack Trailways, Coach Canada, Greyhound Canada, Greyhound Lines, Vermont Transit is Orléans Express. The latter is the largest airline for destinations in the Montreal region.
How to get around
By public transport
Rechargeable "Opus Card" can be purchased at all Métro stops. Line map of the Montreal Métro.
What see
- Fine Arts Museum (Musée des Beaux-Arts), 1379-1380 rue Sherbrooke Ouest.
- Pointe-à-Callière (Historical Museum), 350 Place Royale (Métro stop: Place d'Armes), ☎ 1 514 872 9150, 1 514 872 9127.
- Biodôme de Montréal, 4777, avenue Pierre-De Coubertin, ☎ 1 514 868 3000.
- Botanical Garden (Jardin Botanique).
- Notre Dame Basilica (Basilique Notre-Dame).
- Old Port (Vieux-Port).
- Insectarium de Montréal.
- David M. Stewart Museum.
- Contemporary Art Museum (Musée d'Art Contemporain de Montréal).
- Ramezay Castle Museum (Musée du Château Ramezay), 280, rue Notre-Dame Est (Champ-de-Mars metro stop), ☎ 1 514 8613708, 1 514 861 8317.
- Oratory of San Giuseppe (Oratoire Saint-Joseph du Mont-Royal), 3800 chemin Queen Mary (On the northern side of Mont-Royal. Côtes-des-Neiges metro stop).
Events and parties
- Montreal Jazz Festival.
At the turn of June and July. An event that receives very positive reviews. - Fête de Montreal. May 17. Fireworks at the Old Port and free metro.
At the turn of June and July. An event that receives very positive reviews.What to do
Shopping
In "rue Notre Dame" and "rue Guy" both near Avenue Atwater there are nice antique shops.
Inuit handicrafts should also be taken into consideration, including very captivating wood carvings whose price, however, is anything but modest.
How to have fun
Where to eat
Montreal is a good place to savor French cuisine in various versions from "haute" and bistro to traditional Québec. It is worthwhile to choose those restaurants that offer a fixed menu of three or four courses at far lower prices than an "a la carte menu".
Moderate prices
- 1 Alati-Caserta pastry shop, 277 Rue Dante, ☎ 1 514 271 3013, ☎ 1 877 377 5860, fax: 1 514 277 5860, @[email protected].
3-5$. Mon 10: 00-16: 00, Tue-Thu 8: 00-19: 00, Fri 8: 00-19: 30, Sat 8: 00-17: 00, Sun 9: 00-17: 00. Located in the Petite Italie neighborhood, it specializes in Italian sweets and cakes for various occasions. - 2 Potatoes Potato (Friterie de Luxe), 4177 St Laurent Blvd, ☎ 1 514-844-0216. 18-20$. 08:00-02:00. Small place with few seats. Ideal for quick meals. It serves different types of poutine, one of the typical Canadian dishes.
3-5$. Average prices
- 3 Jardin Nelson, 407, place Jacques-Cartier H2Y 3B1, ☎ 1 514 861-5731, @[email protected]. 40-50$. 11:30-23:00. Restaurant with outdoor tables and large indoor terrace. Accompanying live music. Typical and international cuisine.
Where stay
Moderate prices
Budget accommodation is mostly concentrated in the "Latin Quarter".
- Le Jazz St Denis Hostel, 329 rue Ontario East. Montreal, Quebec H2X 1H7, ☎ 1 514 448 4848. Hostel in the Latin Quarter. Free access to the network via wi-fi.
- Auberge de Paris Youth Hostel, 901, rue Sherbrooke E (Close to Sherbrooke tube station and Berri-UQAM station), ☎ 1 514 522 6861, ☎ 1 800 567 7217, @[email protected]. Reservation required.
- Armor Manoir Sherbrooke, 157, rue Sherbrooke (Sherbrooke metro).
- Auberge Montréal Espace Confort, 2050, St-Denis. Approximately € 50 the single (year 2009). Rooms with private bathroom and kitchenette.
- Hotel Viger Bed & Breakfast, 1001, rue Saint-Hubert, ☎ 1 800 845 6058.
- 1 Auberge Jeunesse Le Gîte du Plateau Mont-Royal, 185 Rue Sherbrooke East (Sherbrooke Metro 100 meters, 5 minutes on foot), ☎ 1 514-284-1276, ☎ 1 877-350-4483, fax: 1 514-844-7356, @[email protected]. € 49/51 (14.97% tax included). Check in: 08:00, check-out: 23:00. Hostel in the Latin Quarter. Rooms with bunk beds, shared facilities and free wifi.
- 2 HI Montreal Hostel, 1030, Mackay Street (Metro Lucien-L'Allier at 230 meters, 3 minutes on foot), ☎ 1 514 284 1276, ☎ 1 866 843 3317, @[email protected]. € 49/51 (14.97% tax included). Check in: 15:00, check-out: 11:00. Hostel in the Center-Ville. Rooms with bunk beds, room and shared services and free wifi.
