Access Montreal & Quebec City 3e

Montreal

Set on an island in the middle of the St. Lawrence River, Montreal is indeed a place apart -- in more than a geographic sense. Often called the most European of North American cities, it is a vigorous blend of its two founding cultures, French and English, factions that continually joust with each other linguistically, politically, and otherwise. Settled in 1642 by a small group of French missionaries, Montreal today has a population topping three million, which makes it the second-largest French-speaking city in the world. In recent years it has been adopted by a polyglot of more than 100 other ethnic groups as well, including sizable Jewish and Asian communities. The historic heart of the city is Old Montreal, a95-acre neighborhood ofcobblestoned streets and authentic architecture, where the city began more than 350 years ago. East meets West in Chinatown, settled in the late 1800s by immigrant laborers after completion of the Transcontinental Railroad. Shoppers favor Rue Sherbrooke and the vast network of stores in Underground Montreal. The bohemian enclave encompassing Plateau MontRoyal, Boulevard St-Laurent, and Rue St-Denis and the Latin Quarter has an international flavor and is popular with Francophiles and trendy types, whereas lively Rue Ste-Catherine clings to its reputation as the street that never sleeps. The 1976 Summer Olympic Games left Montreal with the Olympic Park, now home to the Montreal Expos baseball team, the Biodome, and the Montreal Botanical Garden. Go to the top of Mont-Royal, the 764-foot peak that Jacques Cartier named for King Francis I of France in 1535, for a literal overview of the city. The surrounding 494-acre parkonly a 20-minute walk from downtown -- was laid out by Central Park designer Frederick Law Olmsted. From the Grand Chalet lookout, you can peer not only into the heart of Montreal but outward for a sweeping view of the St. Lawrence Seaway and the hills of Montérégie. The city's landmarks-Buckminster Fuller's geodesic dome designed for Expo '67, the giraffe-necked Olympic Stadium, the Art Deco clock tower, and the Jacques-Cartier Bridge -- embellish the skyline with their eclectic geometries.

Downtown is at your feet: gleaming, mirrored skyscrapers; venerable McGill University; and fashionable Rue Sherbrooke in the center of an area often referred to as the golden Square Mile, where at the turn of the 19th century, residents controlled 70% of Canada's wealth. Off to the right, you'll spot the spires of the neo-Gothic NotreDame Basilica on the Place d'Armes in Old Montreal, the core of the original city. The Basilica, famed for its ornate pre-Raphaelite interior, stands on the spot where Paul de Chomedey founded the settlement of Ville-Marie in 1642.

The narrow, cobbled streets of Old Montreal are chockablock with well-preserved architectural treasures from the French regime. The stone buildings now house museums, offices, cafés, and restaurants. Trace the evolution of the city -- from the Iroquois village of Hochelaga to maritime and banking hub to hotbed of contemporary separatist sentiment -- at the Pointe-a-Calliere Museum and the Montreal History Center in Place d'Youville.

The Jacques-Cartier Bridge, created for Expo '67, connects the island of Montreal with the mini-islands Ste-Helene and Notre-Dame. They offer a pastoral playground replete with gardens, an Olympic-size pool, an old British arsenal and military museum, a Grand-Prix racetrack, and the wild rides of La Ronde amusement park.

Circle around to the other side of Mont-Royal for a view of the Olympic Stadium, which looms over the 182-acre Botanical Garden (home to the largest Ming-style garden outside Asia); the Biodome natural sciences museum, with four walk-through ecosvstems replicated under one roof; and the Insectarium., home to a quarter of a million creepy crawlies.

In the northeastern section of the city rise the brightly painted turrets and cupolas of Montreal's most colorful quartier, Plateau Mont-Royal, a haven for creative types. To the west sit the dignified brownstones of Westmount, a distinctly English district. As for the rest of the city's cultural mosaic, Little Italy, Chinatown, Little Portugal, and dozens of other ethnic enclaves offer days of good eating and exploring.

Making the rounds of all these areas is a cinch via the clean and quiet Metro system. Each of the 65 stations is artistically outfitted with tile, stained glass, and enameled-steel installations. One stop -- Place d'Armes -- even has a small display of archaeological artifacts.

Transit is by no means the only reason to go underground in Montreal; 14 miles of pedestrian passageways link more than 1,700 department stores and shops, theaters, cinemas, and restaurants -- very handy in winter.

If the urban excesses of museum-hopping, boutique-browsing, and bistro-going (above or below ground) exhaust you, the nearby environs offer myriad Arcadian antidotes. Pick your pleasure: whitewater rafting on the Rouge River, wine tasting in the vineyards of Monteregie, or hiking in the Eastern Townships. And for those interested in skiing, the Laurentians, known as Quebec's Alps, provide excellent alpine skiing and are just a short jaunt to the north.