Cosmopolitan, French-speaking Montreal has long been admired for its
warmth and tolerance, its vibrant Gay Village, and its scenic setting on
the St. Lawrence River, nestled beneath 732-foot Mont Royal. But in recent
years, this bustling metropolis of about 1.9 million people has become
increasingly renowned as one of the world's great design cities, with a
dazzling collection of modish hotels, artful restaurants, eye-catching
museums, and countless more examples of visionary architecture, some of it
historic, some contemporary. Whether you're a devout style maven or simply
a traveler who appreciates beautifully designed buildings and interiors,
Montreal's stunning cityscape offers a feast for the senses.
Montreal is an especially exciting destination for gay and lesbian
travelers this year, as it's hosting the first World Outgames from July 26
to August 5. This sporting competition drawing LGBT athletes from all over
the world coincides with the city's annual Diverse/Cite Festival, a
weeklong Pride event. There will be sporting events, parties, concerts,
and plenty of other activities galore, but if you find yourself seeking a
chance to get to know Montreal's architectural and cultural offerings a
little better, head for Vieux-Montreal (Old Montreal).
Many of the city's most alluring buildings rise over the distinctive
skyline of this ancient neighborhood that's morphed from quaintly
anachronistic to smart and sophisticated in recent years. Start any tour
of Vieux-Montreal with a visit to Place d'Armes, the dignified old town
square, off of which you'll find the mammoth, neo-Gothic Notre-Dame
Basilica, which opened in 1829 and is notable for its imposing pair of
69-foot towers and its seating capacity of 3,800. Churches have stood on
this site since 1642, the first having been little more than a
bark-covered shanty. The Montreal Symphony frequently performs here,
taking advantage of the cathedral's 6,800-pipe organ, and Celine Dion was
married here in 1994.
A must-see in this section of the city is the Pointe-a-Calliere Museum of
Archaeology and History, which has been built around the excavated remains
of structures more than 300 years old. The contemporary building pays
homage to Montreal's forward-thinking architectural sensibilities, while
the fascinating exhibits inside trace the city's history to its very
earliest beginnings. Next, walk along Rue St-Paul, which is lined with
antiques shops, art galleries, and diverting boutiques, and also note
Bonsecours Market, one of the city's most ambitious restoration projects.
The 1847 former agricultural market with a striking neoclassical facade
and tin-plated dome contains several boutiques and sidewalk restaurants.
Directly north of Vieux-Montreal, the commercial City Center exists on two
main levels, literally. There's the neighborhood at street level, with its
skyscraping office towers and busy streets, and there's Underground
Montreal, a subterranean maze of shops, restaurants, and boutiques
designed to keep pedestrians from the city's harsh winter elements.
Several City Center museums and cultural institutions celebrate Montreal's
design legacy. There's the Canadian Centre for Architecture, one of the
world's foremost architectural collections, contained appropriately inside
a visually memorable building. The museum here regularly stages
provocative and thoughtful exhibits related not just to architecture but
also urban planning and interior design. Continue to page
2>>>
The Hunk
