MONTREAL, CANADA

Montreal is one of my favorite cities in Canada. Even though I've only been there a few times, I absolutely fell in love with it the first time. You will never run out of things to do there. 

Notre-Dame Cathedral 

The "Notre-Dame Cathedral" is a must. Unbelievably beautiful inside and out (completely different from the Notre-Dame in Paris) it's worth the wait (if you are Christian, stay for a mass).

The "Botanical Gardens" are enormous and the best time to go is definitely during spring. Very peaceful, you will more likely than not, spend a whole day there. 

Olympic Stadium 

Another cool site is the "Olympic Stadium", which is a little far but I'm a sports enthusiast and I just had to make the time. 

One of my favorite places in Montreal is the "Biodome", it's incredible! It features environments of North and South America: the "Tropical Forest", the "Laurentian Forest", the "St. Lawrence Marine Ecosystem", and the "Arctic and Antarctic Polar Worlds". It's phenomenal! 

"Piknic Électronik" is a electronic music festival that takes place every Sunday (during the summer months) at Parc Jean-Drapeau. 

The "Underground City" is great and soooooooo convenient! It doesn't matter what's the weather, you can find anything there (shoppers paradise)! It also connects many of the major buildings and malls in Montreal. 

Mount Royal Observatory

"Mount Royal Park" is a lovely and enormous place where you can enjoy your well deserved peace and quiet with a magnificent view of the city. 

Other sites that are also worth visiting are the "Biosphere", the museums at "Old Montreal", "Chinatown", the "Planetarium" and the "Montreal Casino".

Every time I have been to Montreal was better than the last. It's great for sightseeing and if you don't have that much time, those on/off tours could speed things up a little. 

A few TIPS: if you choose to drive to Canada (like I always do), be aware that your gps WILL NOT work there. Even thought the sales people will tell you it will. As soon as I crossed the US-Canada border, my gps went dead (and so did my phone!!! First time I drove to Canada, there was no such thing as international plans). So have a map or printed directions sheet handy (all the road signs are in French) and you will be ok. Also, you better be familiar with the French language if you choose to cross the border to the Province of Quebec (people there don't really like to speak English and even if you speak to them or ask a simple question (in English), they will answer you in French. 

All the Maple treats (candy, ice cream, lollipops, syrup, etc) are delicious!!! Don't even try to resist.