Local Attractions
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This is where the city was born, it is the starting point of many things. Just steps away from the Old Port, this area offer several trendy bars, restaurants, art galleries, museums and shops. The Old Montréal is definitely the most historic and touristic neighbourhood in the city.
There are many interesting things to do, mostly visiting museums and historical buildings, walking around and taking in the sight.
The main places to visit are Place Jacques Cartier, in front of the Montreal city hall (Champ de Mars metro station) and the Place d'Armes, surrounded by great buildings including the wonderful Notre-Dame Basilica (Place d'Armes metro station). The Place Jacques Cartier leads down to the old port where many activities take place.
The Clock Tower Beach opened in June 2012 to welcome Montrealers and tourists for a pleasant time.
This recreational area is in perfect harmony with the urban landscape, highlighting the majestic Clock Tower. Sun loungers, parasols and refreshing mist offer a holiday atmosphere.
The beach became a meeting place to sunbathe during the weekend or to have a drink after work, few steps from the historical area.
The Clock Tower Beach provides a wonderful view on the Old Montreal, the Jacques Cartier bridge, and the Saint-Hélène island.
Convention center
| 5 Minutes
1001 Place Jean-Paul-Riopelle, Montreal, QC
The Montreal Convention Center is the largest convention and meeting business in the greater Montreal area. This building receives most of conventions and exhibitions annually.
This unique architecture is defined by the rainbow coloured glass exterior that provide energizing atmosphere. The multifunctional design of the building permits to organize large-scale conventions and exhibitions simultaneously.
The Montreal Convention Center provide up to 200 000 square feet of exhibition space, 65 meeting rooms and 1600 interior parking spaces.
Basilica Notre-Dame
110, rue Notre-Dame Ouest, Montreal, QC H2Y 1T2
Notre-Dame Basilica possesses some of the finest Gothic Revival architecture in North America, where it was the first full example of this major style.
The Basilica of Notre Dame is a magnificent Gothic revival church, designed ironically by the Protestant Irish-American architect James O’Donnell who had also designed churches in New York City, and built between 1824 and 1829.
In addition to a stunning Gothic revival exterior, Notre Dame features a dramatic interior, with a deep blue ceiling that is decorated with golden stars. Celebrities like Quebecois singer Celine Dion and hockey great Mario Lemieux got married here.
Pointe-à-Callière, the Montréal Museum of Archaeology and History, opened on May 17, 1992 as part of celebrations to mark Montréal's 350th birthday. Set on the very birthplace of the city, the Museum is a major attraction in Old Montréal. It is a recognized national historic and archaeological site, a historic ensemble whose sites, buildings and collections form a unique cultural complex showcasing some of the tangible traces of the city’s past. In addition to its permanent exhibitions, Where Montréal Was Born and Montréal Love Stories – The Cultural Connection, and its multimedia show, the Museum presents local and international temporary exhibitions, along with school programs and a large number of cultural activities.
Canada’s premier museum dedicated exclusively to contemporary art, the Musée offers a varied program ranging from presentations of its Permanent Collection to temporary exhibitions of works by Québec, Canadian and international artists. The Permanent Collection comprises nearly 7,600 works, including the largest collection of art by Paul-Émile Borduas. With the support of its Education and Documentation Service, the museum presents a host of educational activities familiarizing the general public with contemporary art. It also stages numerous multimedia eventsperformances, contemporary music, video, film—further fulfilling its mission of promoting contemporary art.
Founded in 1860, the MMFA was one of the first museums in North America to amass an encyclopedic collection worthy of the name. Since then, its holdings have grown to almost 36,000 objects—paintings, sculptures, prints and drawings, photographs and decorative art objects—from antiquity to today.
