A perfect marriage of urban infrastructure and green civic planning: a 14km-long cycling and pedestrian pathway, with picnic areas and outdoor spaces. Since the canal was reopened for navigation in 2002, flotillas of pleasure and sightseeing boats glide along its calm waters. Old warehouses converted into luxury condos line the...

　　This open square is framed by some of the finest buildings in Old Montréal, including its oldest bank, first skyscraper and Basilique Notre-Dame. The square’s name references the bloody battles that took place here as religious settlers and indigenous groups clashed over control of what would become Montréal. At its...

　　Montréal's famous landmark, Notre Dame Basilica, is a 19th-century Gothic Revival masterpiece with spectacular craftsmanship – a visually pleasing, if slightly gaudy, symphony of carved wood, paintings, gilded sculptures and stained-glass windows.  　　HistoryOriginally it was a humble building dating from 1683; The Sulpicians commissioned architect James O’Donnell to design what would be the...

　　The charming, leafy expanse of Parc du Mont-Royal is charged for a wide range of outdoor activities. The wooded slopes and grassy meadows have stunning views that make it all the more popular for jogging, picnicking, horseback riding, cycling and throwing Frisbees. Winter brings skating, tobogganing and cross-country skiing.  　　HistoryMontréalers...

　　Montréal’s Museum of Fine Arts is an accessible and beautifully updated oasis of art housed in architecturally striking buildings. A visit here is a must for art-lovers, with centuries' worth of paintings, sculpture, decorative arts, furniture, prints, drawings and photographs on display. 　　European heavyweights include Rembrandt, Picasso and Monet, but the...

　　With hardly an inch to spare in its cramped but welcoming galleries, the McCord Museum of Canadian History houses thousands of artifacts and documents illustrating Canada’s social, cultural and archaeological history from the 18th century to the present day, with a small-but-excellent First Nations permanent collection displaying Indigenous dress and...

　　Montréal’s Jardin Botanique is the third-largest botanical garden in the world, after London’s Kew Gardens and Berlin’s Botanischer Garten. Since its 1931 opening, the 75-hectare garden has grown to include tens of thousands of species in more than 20 thematic gardens, and its wealth of flowering plants is carefully managed...

　　Montréal's Old Port has morphed into a park and fun zone paralleling the mighty St Lawrence River for 2.5km and punctuated by four grand quais (quays). Locals and visitors alike come here for strolling, cycling and in-line skating. Cruise boats, ferries, jet boats and speedboats all depart for tours from...

　　Just off the Canal de Lachine, this fantastic market has a mouthwatering assortment of fresh produce from local farms (some promoting sustainability), excellent wines, crusty breads, fine cheeses and other delectable fare. The market’s specialty shops operate year-round, while outdoor eatery stalls open from March to October. It’s all housed...

　　The stunning Oratoire St-Joseph church built on the flanks of Mont-Royal commands grand views of the the Côte-des-Neiges area and northwest Montréal. The majestic basilica is a tribute to mid-20th-century design as well as an intimate shrine to Brother André, a local saint said to have healed countless people. 　　The...

　　One of Montréal's most fascinating sites, this museum takes visitors on a historical journey through the centuries, beginning with the early days of Montréal. Visitors should start with Yours Truly, Montréal, an 18-minute multimedia show that covers the arrival of the Amerindians, the founding of Montréal and other key moments....

　　At 34 hectares, this great verdant municipal park is the city’s third largest, after Parc du Mont-Royal and Parc Maisonneuve. In the warmer months weary urbanites flock to leafy La Fontaine to enjoy the walking and bicycle paths, the attractive ponds and the general air of relaxation that pervades the...