We were excited to be visiting eastern Canada for the very first time, arriving into Montreal Trudeau airport late afternoon on a KLM flight via Amsterdam.
Getting into Montreal by public transport from the airport
Our first task was to purchase Opus Cards, these cost CAD$5 (£2.69) each for the card and a further CAD$31 (£16.70) for unlimited travel for seven days. Please note that unlike many one week travel cards, the Opus Card is only valid Monday – Sunday. We arrived on a Wednesday and despite not getting a full week’s use out of the card, it offered good value as it covered the metro and all buses including the 747 airport bus on which a single fare is CAD$12 (£6.46).
The bus journey into the centre took was approximately 30 minutes and then it was just a 10 minute walk to Embassy Suites located opposite the Palais de Congress where we were staying.
The following morning we were up bright and early and after enjoying a hearty breakfast in the hotel’s restaurant we embarked on a day of sightseeing.
Notre Dame Basilica of Montreal
Located close to our hotel stands the Notre Dame Basilica so we decided to head there promptly just as it was opening at 10.00 a.m. as we’d read that there are often lengthy queues. Fortunately, we managed to get in straightaway and actually had most of the church to ourselves. Standard adult admission is CAD$16 (£8.60).
Notre Dame is Montreal’s oldest Catholic church which was built between 1656 and 1673 and stands proud in the Place d’Armes. Part of the outside was under repair when we visited but even shrouded in scaffolding, the basilica is a monumental masterpiece. It is noted for its intricately designed interior, which includes stained glass chronicling the history of the city. I’ve been fortunate to visit many churches around the world but this one absolutely took my breath away with its magnificent altar.
The main altar is a masterpiece in every aspect of the art representing the passion of Christ, with the stained glass windows representing the life of Christ, his apostles and saints. The way the light reflects on the altarpiece creates the most wonderful rainbow effect which is very calming on the eye.
Montreal City Hall
Montreal City Hall is the seat of local government in Montreal. It was designed by Perrault, with a nod to Napoleon III’s French Empire style and built between 1872 and 1878. The City Hall has a more turbulent history than its peaceful façade suggests as it survived a severe fire in 1922. The building serves as the main office of local government in Montreal and offers free entrance for visitors to the ground floor and the main hall on the first floor.
Please note that the public entrance is on the left hand side of the building and as this wasn’t clearly signposted we actually walked all the way around the exterior before we located the door. After passing through a security check, visitors are welcome to take a self guided tour of the elaborate building. Usually it is possible to go out onto the famous first floor balcony where French President General de Gaulle uttered his famous “Vive le Québec libre!” (Long live free Québec) during a state visit in 1967, however due to the icy conditions access was closed at the time of our visit.
Bank of Montreal Museum
Another landmark building located close by is The Bank of Montreal. Founded in 1817, this is the oldest banking institution in the country. The imposing façade of its head office dates back to 1847 and evokes the power of ancient Rome. Redesigned in 1905, the lavish interior echoes the success and prominence of the bank.
Visitors are welcome to admire the main banking hallway with its huge marble pillars, historic dark wood banking counters and to explore its museum. The small galleries feature displays of historical artifacts relating to the bank’s heritage. This includes documents, antique weighing scales, adding machines, etc. alongside photographs and collections of old currency. The charming collection of mechanical piggy banks is also fun to view especially for those with children.
Chinatown
Another interesting part of the city to visit is Montreal’s Chinatown which is also referred to as Quartier Chinois de Montreal in French. It doesn’t cover a large area but boasts a good selection of authentic Chinese restaurants, supermarkets and heritage buildings.
We entered the district through one of the city’s four ornate Chinese Arches that are traditionally referred to as paifang gates. These gates can be found on each corner of Montreal’s Chinatown. One unique feature is the pedestrianised walkway that runs through from Rue de la Gauchetière in the north to the southern end of Chinatown.
It’s roots date back to the mid to late 1800’s when Chinese immigrants came to Montreal and all settled in the same area around the Gauchetiere and St. Laurent Blvd. Originally this was a primarily residential neighbourhood but over time it has expanded to include many commercial shops and restaurants.
Old Montreal – Rue St. Paul
The oldest and one of the prettiest of Montreal’s streets is home to the Marche Bonsecours and the Notre-Dame De-Bon Secours Chapel. Montreal was founded in 1642 as the settlement of Fort Ville-Marie, an early French settlement in the region. This very first street was created near a route that bordered a fort and for many years served as the city’s main thoroughfare in the city. Back in 1672, Rue St. Paul was paved with cobblestones, and retains the same appearance to this day.
Marché Bonsecours
Inaugurated in 1847, Marché Bonsecours is acknowledged as one of Canada’s ten finest heritage buildings and is a beautiful place to visit whilst based in Montreal. We were expecting to find a conventional market when we walked inside but instead we were delighted to discover that it is filled with 15 boutiques featuring high quality ‘made in Quebec’ textiles, crafts, accessories and jewellery.
The Montreal Big Wheel
Located in the old port stands La Grande Roue de Montréal which is Canada’s tallest observation wheel, standing at 60 meters tall. Who can’t resist a ride on a big wheel especially if its a clear day, so on we popped for an 8-minute (three rotation ride). It was lovely and quiet so we had one of the comfortable 8 seat cabins to ourselves.
Standard adult tickets CAD$27 (£14.50). The ride provided us with breathtaking 360 degree city views and we were able to pick out numerous historic landmarks that we’d seen close up since arriving in Montreal.
Poutine
To end our first full day in Montreal we felt duty bound to sample Poutine which is a combination of chips, gravy and cheese curds. Being brought up in northern England I have always been a fan of chips and gravy so thought that this dish which originated in rural Quebec in the late 1950’s would be right up my street.
We chose to dine in a cosy looking pub in the old town and I opted for poutine with an additional topping of oyster mushrooms. My son wasn’t feeling so adventurous though and settled for a large plate of fish and chips instead. I enjoyed the poutine but was disappointed to find that the gravy was simply a coating over the chips and they weren’t ‘swimming’ in liquid as I had hoped. Still, it was very tasty and perfect comfort food for an icy cold night in Montreal. The fish and chips went down a treat too but alas they came served with coleslaw instead of good old British mushy peas.
The end of our first day exploring Montreal.
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