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Small guide with pictures of the city of Montreal

June 2005

Montreal : Montreal is the metropolis of the province of Quebec and the second largest French-speaking city in the world. A dynamic and modern region that was able to preserve its biggest architectural heritage. Contributing to the charm of this city are the various multi-ethnic neighborhoods. Thus were born "Little Italy", "Chinatown" and the Latin Quarter, to name just a few. The parks contribute to the quality of life of its inhabitants. Hence, it is not surprising that the Lafontaine Park and the Mount-Royal Park are two jewels for this cosmopolitan city.

Montreal is renown worldwide for the quality and the variety of its restaurants and for its night life. This island knows no boredom and year-round activities and events see to that.

Around 74.5% of the population is Roman Catholic, and other Christian faiths constitute another 10.0% of the population.

Now to begin your journey through the streets of Montreal you can either :

1. Start from the beginning and follow me throughout my entire journey which amounts to about 300 pictures of Montreal here

2. Go right to the photos of places of interest and landmarks in Montreal found just under the two maps of the city here

the island of Montreal

downtown Montreal

• Direct links to places of interest

Old Montreal :The old part of Montreal is, as you probably guessed it, the old part of Montreal. It is where the city was born, in fact it's the starting point of many things. Very few of the early buildings (mid 1600) remain, many fires have swept through old Montreal in the early days, but there's still a lot of buildings from different eras. There's a large variety of buildings, of different styles and functions, from public buildings (the old courts, city hall, etc) to more commercial buildings (the old stock exchange, board of trade, etc). Most of the buildings' are from the 17th century to early 20th century, although there are some modern buildings. Those different buildings in old Montreal really represent the evolution of the city.

	Montreal's Chinatown : Montreal's Chinatown even though relatively small is still interesting. The best way to visit chinatown is by foot, actually you don't really have any choice since the most interesting street, La Gauchetière street, is a pedestrian street (ie. closed to traffic). There are many restaurants on that streets and some souvenir shops. St-Laurent street south of René-Lévesque blvd. is also interesting for its restaurants and food markets. The other main street in chinatown is St-Laurent boulevard, it's where you will find most chinese food markets. A guide of where to eat in Chinatown is also added in this section sou don't miss out on a good meal.
	Crescent Street : world famous Crescent Street, the heart of downtown Montreal. For tourists and locals alike, this tiny strip, running from Sherbrooke to Rene-Levesque, is the heart and soul of the city. Famous for its terraces, trendy restaurants, fine dinning and bustling nightlife, the street is also lined with specialty shops, designer boutiques and cafes, as well as 3 hotels. A wonderful sense of hospitality characterizes this Street. When the sun sets you can find it all here, from live music to dancing with the best DJ’s in the city; Crescent is the street that loves to party all night long. Crescent is generally considered to be for English Montreal, but many francophones can be found partying there. The French Montreal equivalent would be Saint Denis Street in the Latin Quarter.
	The Latin Quarter : The Latin Quarter (in french Quartier latin) is an area in the Ville-Marie borough of Montreal, surrounding UQAM and lower Saint-Denis Street, between downtown and the Village gai. It is known for its theatres, artistic atmosphere, cafés, and boutiques.It owes its name, a reference to the Quartier Latin in Paris, to the presence of the nascent Université de Montréal in the 1920s. In the 1940s the university moved out and headed for a new campus on the north slopes of Mount Royal, far from the downtown borough. In the late 1960s UQAM was born and established itself in the Ville-Marie borough, giving a modern underpinning to the name. A large junior college named the CEGEP du Vieux-Montreal also moved in at about the same period.
	The Town Hall of Montreal : Under its outside peaceful, keeps the memory of agitated hours. The work ofHenri-Maurice Perrault is set up between 1872 and 1878. Its architectural style is of the Second Empire or Napoleon III. Henri-Maurice Perrault is also the author of the close law courts. The town hall is located at the center of Old man-Montreal, vis-a-vis in the Jacques-Cartier place. Its address is the 275, street Our-injury Is. It is close to the subway Field-of-March. Set up between 1872 and 1878, it undergoes the test of fire in 1922. It was restored on the model of the town hall of the French city of Turns. In 1967, it is of its balcony that General de Gaulle , then president of France, launched his famous "Lives free Quebec!", at the end of its speech. His full speech is provided both in French and English at our link.
	Notre-Dame Basilica : Located in the heart of Old Montreal, the Notre-Dame-de-Bonsecours Chapel is an integral part of Montreal's religious patrimony and cultural heritage. Founded in the mid-seventeenth century at the urging of Marguerite Bourgeois, work on the chapel was begun in 1655 and finally completed in 1675 as the first stone church in all of Montreal. Named Notre-Dame-de-Bonsecours by a certain Father Pijart, Marguerite Bourgeois established the church to honour the Virgin Mary and had it consecrated in her name. Constructed with the aid of some of the first French settlers in Montreal, the Notre-Dame-de-Bonsecours Chapel remains an Old Montreal landmark to the present day.