On drawing back the curtains we awoke to a beautiful, sunny morning so decided to take a walk along the hilltop of Mount Royal. We took the metro to Mont Royal station and from there caught Bus 71 which took us all the way up the hill to the Remembrance / Du Chalet bus stop which is located opposite the cemetery gates.
The snow was really thick up there and it was just like stepping into a winter wonderland as we followed the hiking trail through the forest to the lookout point. It was bitterly cold but very sunny as we caught glimpses of cross country skiers following the freshly made tracks through the trees.
It took us around 20 minutes to reach the Kondiaronk Belvedere Lookout (also referred to as the Mont Royal Lookout) but if you are visiting when it’s not thick with snow then I’m sure you could reach the pavilion in about half the time.
The Mont Royal Chalet is surrounded by a large paved terrace and stone balustrade around its boundary. The terrace was built in 1906 and was officially named Kondiaronk Belvedere Lookout on June 21, 1997, in honour of the leader of the Huron-Wendat Nation who was one of the main architects of the Great Peace of Montréal in 1701.
Meandering slowly along the viewing terrace we enjoyed panoramic views of Montreal’s skylines. Looking down, we could see the twists and turns of the St. Lawrence River and of the Concorde Bridge both of which we had viewed from atop the Big Wheel the previous day. One can almost imagine the view that French explorer Jacques Cartier had when he climbed the mountain for the first time in 1535. It was Cartier himself who gave it the name “Mont Royal”, after being in awe in front of the beauty of the landscape.
Starting from this lookout point are numerous hiking trails and nature walks whilst in the summertime one can enjoy refreshments inside the Chalet. During our visit we were able to look inside but only the washroom facilities were available to use.
Mont Royal Grand Staircase
Rather than wander back to the bus stop we decided to descend the hill along the Peel Grand Staircase which comprises 339 steps. These steps had been gritted and appeared quite safe so we slowly made our way down pausing frequently to soak up the views and to breathe in the cool, fresh air.
McGill University
The Grand Staircase conveniently led us down to the north entrance of the McGill University campus which has some beautiful architecture as it’s the oldest of Canada’s universities. It was founded following a bequest from James McGill who was a Montréal fur trader born in Glasgow. The university was granted its charter from Queen Victoria in 1852 and is laid out on a very attractive campus so I would suggest combining a tour with a visit to Mont Royal.
The Redpath Museum
Whilst exploring the McGill campus we took the opportunity to visit the university’s Redpath Museum of Natural History which offers free admission. Constructed more than 135 years ago not only are the exhibition galleries worthy of a visit but the architectural beauty of its Victorian classical design is stunning.
The museum contains a permanent exhibition focusing on the history of life in Québec, including fossils, minerals and zoological specimens, whilst other galleries focus on Egypt, Africa and Oceania. Ornate polished wooden staircases lead up to each floor with outstanding views from the balconies looking down to the ground floor of the museum.
McCord Stewart Museum
Just a short walk from the Redpath Museum stands the McCord Stewart Museum which has stood as a landmark in the heart of Montreal for over 100 years. We started our visit by viewing the permanent exhibition Indigenous Voices of Today: Knowledge, Trauma, Resilience which bears witness to the still unrecognised knowledge of indigenous peoples in Quebec.
Carefully selected objects and inspiring stories from members of the 11 indigenous nations in Quebec shed light on their knowledge and philosophies providing a thought provoking experience.
The museum devotes a large gallery to temporary exhibitions and the one taking place during our visit was really beautiful. Entitled “Costume Balls: Dressing Up History, 1870-1927”. This exhibition captured the splendour of entertainment where, for just one evening, guests transformed themselves into characters inspired by history or fantasy. Viewing the exhibition we learnt that 150 years ago, extravagant costume balls and skating carnivals were the pinnacle of society entertainments. The garments on display were made for one occasion only so it was wonderful to see how they had been preserved and to view the displays.
Lunch – St. Viateur Bagels
Before leaving the Mont Royal district we headed to the St. Viateur Bagel & Cafe. Montreal is the home of bagels with St. Viateur being the longest running bagel shop in the city using the original recipe since 1957. Over the years the business has expanded to include seven locations including four Bagel Cafes.
We had read that these Bagel Cafes were so popular that there were usually queues outside the door. Fortunately this wasn’t the case when we arrived but we did notice a sign on the door stating the cafe was cash only and as we didn’t have any Canadian dollars we needed to find an ATM. Fortunately, there was a bank a few doors down the road so after obtaining some cash we returned to the cafe and joined a fairly short queue inside the small cafe. Whilst we were waiting to be seated we were able to observe the chefs behind the counter hand rolling the dough and then placing the bagels into a wood fired oven.
Ordering bagels for the first time at St. Viateur was quite a complicated business as not only do you need to select a filling you also have to decide whether you want plain, wholewheat, sesame, cinnamon and raisin, blueberry or rosemary and sea salt bread. We were then shown to our table and after the bagels had been freshly baked from the oven they were delivered to the table one piled high with the classic smoked salmon and cream cheese and the other with roast beef and salad. Our plan had been to share both between us but as they were difficult to cut we had a whole one each and I have to say that they were absolutely delicious, so if you are in the vicinity of one of their establishments, I’d recommend checking them out.
Olympic Park
After our late lunch we took the metro to the Olympic Station so that we could visit both the Olympic Park and Botanical Gardens located near there. The Olympic Stadium is the largest covered amphitheatre in Québec. Since it was first opened in 1976, for the Montreal Olympic Games, the Stadium has welcomed some 66 million visitors. It was designed by French architect Roger Taillibert as a unique monument that has become a symbol for Montréal.
Having visited numerous Olympic Parks worldwide we would have loved the opportunity of adding Montreal to our list but sadly it wasn’t to be on this occasion as the park was closed at the time of our visit whilst undergoing extensive renovations. We did get an opportunity to climb onto the podium for a photo and also to view the Montreal Tower which stands at 165m tall with a 45 degree angle. When operating, a glass funicular holding 50 passengers takes visitors to the top in just two minutes. Definitely a reason to head back to Montreal sometime!
Montreal Botanical Garden
The city’s botanical garden lies just a ten minute walk from the Olympic Park and covers 75 hectares featuring thematic gardens and a vast arboretum, it is the jewel in the city’s crown. You may think it somewhat strange to visit a botanical garden in mid winter with the ground covered in a thick layer of snow but it was still a fun experience.
We chose to wander through the Chinese Garden to view its architecture. At the entrance gates an information panel said, “you are about to enter an authentic Chinese garden designed to resemble the private garden of a mandarin in Ming-era”. It looked more beautiful than ever in the bright sunshine and snowy landscape.
We enjoyed our stroll through the thick snow viewing the frozen lake, the large Friendship Hall, small humped back bridges and numerous other Chinese artefacts not blanketed by the snow.
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