Montreal is a beautiful city to visit in Spring, Summer, and Fall, and it gets better every year. In 2009, a large section of rue St Paul in the Old City was blocked off for pedestrian traffic only, and the results appear to have been quite successful. The city also introduced the Bixi program, with bikes for locals and tourists to use and return easily at stations all over the city.
Montreal in Winter is just as beautiful, but the weather makes for an entirely different experience that many tourists avoid. Still, thousands of others make the trip in Winter and have an unforgettable experience. So what is there to do in Montreal in Winter? Here’s my personal list:
- Walk the streets: Admittedly, this is a chilling experience, but if you’re made of hardy stock, there’s no reason why you can’t bundle up and get outdoors to see the city. Recommended walks include rue St Paul and nearby streets in the Old City; St Catherine, either downtown or the Gay Village; the Plateau along St Laurent; Little Italy and Jean-Talon Market. That’s enough to get you on your way.
- Walk the Underground City: In my opinion, this is more exciting as a concept than an executed activity. I can say that it’s kind of fun, especially the first time you do it, and it has two distinct advantages: first it get you places, and second, it’s warm.
- Climb Mont Royal: It ain’t a climb, it’s an easy saunter. But it leads to a beautiful overlook, giving you a view of much of the city. Dress warmly, don’t rush it, check out the sledding locals as you near the top, and at the Kondiaronk Belvedere at the overlook, buy a cup of hot chocolate and warm up while you check out the city before you start the trip back.
- Shop: Well, duh. You’ll find all the larger stores and chains on St Catherine, and if you walk in the Plateau, you’ll run into all kinds of fun boutique shops.
- Go to a Museum: there are too many to list, but allow me to note my own favorites. Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal is on the Place des Arts on St Catherine downtown; Musée des beaux-arts is on Sherbrooke near downtown; Pointe-à-Callière is a great museum on Montreal archeology, located in the Old City on Place Royale.
- Visit Notre Dame Cathedral: the basilica is stunning, and there are regular 20-minute guided tours.
- Hang out at Jean-Talon Market: it’s open every day.
- See Cirque de Soleil: it’s pure escapism and lots of fun.
This list is JUST a beginning. Tourisme Montréal has a much more complete listing of events and ideas. What do you like to do in Montreal on your Winter trip?