North America
Montreal has an F1 track you can cycle, a mountain park by Central Park's designer, and the world's largest jazz festival. When to go and what to do.
Montreal in summer, from the cobblestones of Old Montreal to the Old Port, captured on my trip.
The same landscape architect who created New York's Central Park built Montreal its mountain. That is the kind of city Montreal is: a Formula One track you can cycle for free, the largest jazz festival on Earth, and a 1642 old town most travelers rush through in an afternoon. Give it a summer instead.
Why does Montreal have a mountain designed by the creator of Central Park?
Frederick Law Olmsted, who co-created Central Park, was hired in 1874 to design Mount Royal, and the park opened in 1876. The city takes its name from that hill. Climb to the Kondiaronk lookout for the widest view of the skyline and the St. Lawrence River below.
What is the oldest part of Montreal?
Montreal was founded in 1642 as Ville-Marie, a French settlement on the river. Old Montreal still runs on that original plan: cobblestone streets, stone warehouses, and the Notre-Dame Basilica at its center. Walk it in the early morning before the day crowds arrive.
Can you really cycle a Formula One track in Montreal?
Yes. Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on Île Notre-Dame has hosted the Canadian Grand Prix since 1978. When no event is running, the 4.3 kilometer track opens to cyclists, runners, and skaters, roughly April through November, and you ride the same asphalt as the F1 grid. Rent a bike (the city's BIXI share is everywhere) and make it a full day on two wheels. It is how I see the city every summer.
When is the best time to visit Montreal?
Summer, without question. The city runs one festival into the next, anchored by the Montreal International Jazz Festival, the largest jazz festival in the world by Guinness World Records. Terraces fill, the bike paths stay busy, and the whole city moves outdoors.
Where should you go out at night?
For music, Le Salon Daomé is the room for a real DJ set, small, dark, and built to dance in until close. For dinner, Darbar serves some of the best Indian food in the city.
What is there to do in Montreal in winter?
Winter flips the city outdoors again. Skate the outdoor rink in the Old Port beside the giant Ferris wheel, then catch a Montreal Canadiens game. The Canadiens are the oldest continuously operating professional hockey team in the world, founded in 1909, and have won 24 Stanley Cups, more than any franchise in the sport.
Where should you stay in Montreal?
Base yourself near Old Montreal or the Plateau to stay within cycling distance of everything above. Compare options here:
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