Montreal Hotels

Montreal, Canada

Montreal has a distinctive cosmopolitan vibe and plenty to offer visitors. Although French is the dominant language, the city is populated by people from a wide variety of cultural backgrounds, making it one of the most diverse places in North America.

Things to Do

Despite the city’s large size, most of its top attractions are all a short distance from each other. One of the most recognizable landmarks is the Christ Church Cathedral, an Anglican cathedral with stunning Gothic Revival architecture that has been classified as a National Historic Site of Canada.

Near Christ Church Cathedral is Vieux-Montréal, home to the Old Port and one of the most beautiful parts of the city. Here, cobblestone streets and narrow alleyways are filled with art galleries, craft shops, cafés and restaurants. A popular pastime is to relax with a pint of beer on one of the patios overlooking the Square, where buskers perform during the summer.

Eaton Centre, not far from the Old Port, is a massive shopping complex on Saint Catherine West. It houses more than 175 stores and boutiques spread across five stories, along with a vast selection of restaurants.

Nightlife

With many universities and colleges scattered around the city, Montreal is known for its youthful population and vibrant nightlife. Saint Catherine Street East is an excellent place to start, especially in the summer when it becomes pedestrian-only. The Gay Village is also located here.

Saint Denis Street and Saint Laurent Boulevard are two other spots with impressive nightlife and are particular favorites among the locals. Saint Laurent features mostly posh and upscale venues like Koi Bar and Copacabana; Saint Denis is a little grittier, with more casual bars and clubs, and some great brewpubs like Saint Bock.

Tourists flock to Crescent Street, which has a mixture of dance clubs, small pubs and many fantastic restaurants. Hurley’s Irish Pub is a must-visit, as is Brutopia for its delicious cheap pints of house beer.

Events

Throughout the year, Montreal hosts a number of fun-filled events which attract people from all over the world. The Osheaga is Canada’s biggest music festival, taking place every August and featuring the bands currently dominating the music scene. The Just for Laughs Comedy Festival, showcasing world famous comedians, is also held in Montreal.

Igloofest is the city’s winter festival, with outdoor DJs playing to massive crowds no matter how low the temperature drops. In the summer months, Piknic Electronik is a similar event which takes place in Parc Jean-Drapeau. For some free entertainment, one can visit the TamTams every Sunday at Parc Mont-Royal. Locals pack picnics and beers and hang out in the grassy field listening to the drum circle around the monument.

Heading to Montreal? Take a look at our wide array of affordable accommodation options for this exciting city.