Montreal, Quebec

Photo credit: Tourism Montreal

Montréal is no longer one of North America’s best-kept secrets: For the traveller who revels in the free-spirited and fun-loving side of life, it has emerged atop the list must-see destinations. A jewel of an island surrounded by the breathtaking St. Lawrence River, the city sparkles with passion, creativity and experiences nothing short of one-of-a-kind. Day and night, it moves to the energetic beat of its 3.7 million inhabitants -- nearly half the population of the province of Québec -- proof that, here, the motto the more, the merrier is well and alive.

A deeply rooted French and English heritage, infused with a vibrant multicultural mix, is at the core of Montréal’s unique feel and flavor. After Paris, it’s the world’s second-largest French-speaking city. And like everything else they do, the Québecois give the Gallic a different and charming spin than that of their European counterparts. But before you get stressed about dusting off your high-school French, remember that Montréal is a cosmopolitan city, and English is spoken fluently, as well as numerous other languages.

Whether they’re eating, working, playing or simply relaxing, this city’s inhabitants really live their city, especially its compact downtown, which pulses with action day and night. Montrealers are free-spirited creatures, with a knack for creativity and doing things out of the ordinary, always evident in their diverse and ebullient neighbourhoods. The streets of Montréal are imminently walkable, and the city is amply spiced with art and sculpture and as well as colourful and arresting architecture.

In fact, streetside is the best place to feel the city’s pulse, especially during festival season. An international and entertainment capital, Montréal is host to major events year-round. Summer crowd-pullers include the Festival International de Jazz and the Just For Laughs Festival, while winter favourites include the gourmet Montréal Highlights Festival where jet-set chefs touch down to divulge culinary secrets. Downtown’s brand-new Quartier des spectacles keeps everyone -- from the classical music purist to the die-hard indie groupie -- plugged into the city’s cultural scene.

Montrealers are inveterate shoppers, with a fascinating flair for style. The selection of great finds is vast, ranging anywhere from designer wear to high-end furniture to rare art for diverse tastes and budgets. At the heart of downtown, Sainte-Catherine Street alone is home to nearly 1,200 stores, while directly underneath, an enormous network of pedestrian passageways links to another 20 miles of boutiques and browsing. Elsewhere in the city, windowfronts reveal chic assortments that range from haute couture to retro collectibles and trendy street wear to vintage.

For the gourmet, Montréal pulls out all the stops, pampering palates with a mouth-watering number of flavours and dishes. The city has more restaurants per capita than anywhere else in North America, and is home to 5,000 dining establishments serving 80 different types of international cuisine, so you’ll never leave bored nor hungry. Local favorites include smoked meat and bagels, while world influences run the gamut from sushi bars to Parisian-styled bistros, not to mention Middle Eastern cafés and Moroccan eateries. The two Montréal staples -- time around the table and good food -- are readily expressed in the city’s profusion of cafés, restaurants, bistros, open-air markets and smaller stores devoted to local delicacies.

A magnet for the party set, Montréal ranks a cool 5th among the top 10 cities for nightlife, after New York, London, Miami and Los Angeles. Weekends regularly get their kick-start with Thursday evening’s popular 5 à 7, a warm-up to a night that plays out in any number of trendy lounges, bars and clubs, soaking up the scene, watching emerging indie bands or hitting the dance floor to tunes spun by world-class DJs. Key spots for mixing and mingling include St. Laurent Boulevard, Crescent Street. and the Plateau Mont-Royal, where celebrity and beautiful people sighting are a regular occurrence.

If you’re a nature lover, Montréal offers nearly 1,000 parks, the most famous being Mount Royal Park, the centrepiece of the city. This breathtaking -- and huge -- greenspace was the handiwork of landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, the man who designed New York’s Central Park. Jet-boating and rafting can also be enjoyed just minutes from the city centre, while cyclists can take advantage of over six hundred miles of dedicated lanes criss-crossing the city and running along scenic waterways. Golf lovers, for their part, can tee off at some 12 courses within 20 minutes of downtown.

Just a short hop from major eastern U.S. cities and a half-day flight from Europe, Montréal has chic style, joie de vivre and that extra special je ne sais quoi that, once sampled, will have you coming back for seconds.

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