Top Landmarks in Montreal

Posted Wed, 2010-07-14 13:10 by virtualDavis

Montreal Landmarks
Montreal, Canada (Photo credit: Michel Filion)

Kristin Kizer posted a tidy sumary of Montreal's most noteworthy landmarks. (Did you know there's also a Montreal, Missouri and a Montreal, Wisconsin? We'll check them out another day. Kizer's landmarks are in Montreal, Canada, the largest city in Quebec province.) Just over an hour north of my home in Essex, New York, Montreal is an alluring and convenient destination for my wife and me. When we want a change from the Adirondacks' Champlain Valley, we head north for world class dining, concerts, art exhibitions, accommodations and cultural outings. We feel fortunate to live close enough to Montreal that we can meet friends for dinner or a concert and still drive home to sleep. But even if you live farther afield, check out these top Montreal landmarks to discover what you've been missing. 

  • Lachine Canal Montreal's port allows access to the Atlantic Ocean via the Lachine Canal, current undergoing "redevelopment... into a recreation zone for boaters, runners and walkers, bikers, picnickers and those looking to take a boat tour of the area."
  • Place des Arts Montreal's premier performing arts center, the Place des Arts is "home to the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Les Grands Ballet Canadiens, and the Opera de Montreal."
  • Theatre St. Denis Located in Montreal's Latin Quarter, the Theatre St. Denis is a more intimate, more contemporary and more affordable alternative to the Place des Arts.
  • Notre-Dame Basilica Discover the beauty, acoustics, history and evolution of this one-time chapel turned "Baroque style church... [turned] gigantic gothic revival church..."
  • Olympic Park/Biodome Montreal's "Olympic Park and Biodome was constructed specifically for the 1976 summer Olympic games and after it served its purpose it was transformed and now hosts concerts and the Montreal Expo’s baseball games."
  • Saint Josephs Oratory of Mount Royal The dome of this Italian Renaissance style shrine is second in size only to "St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome... In addition to the beautiful architecture and museum quality art pieces throughout you can also get a glimpse of Brother Andre’s embalmed heart in a museum dedicated to his life’s work."
  • Vieux Montreal (Old Montreal) In this charming old world neighborhood, replete with cobbled streets, quaint restaurants and cozy accommodations, many buildings "date back to the 1600s... [including] the Saint-Sulpice Seminary, the oldest existing building in Montreal."

To learn more about Montreal's landmarks, read the full post here...