Montreal has a European feel, with a personality all its own

On Aug 20, 2024

Montreal’s historic district offers a European feel many U.S. travelers would typically have to journey much farther to experience.
The city is easy to get to and to get around, with a variety of transportation options.
Montreal has an indie spirit, with a culture of supporting small business.

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MONTREAL, Canada — The cobblestones gave way to asphalt a few minutes into my Uber ride.

As I departed Old Montreal, leaving behind the stately architecture, plazas and statues, I saw a more modernized area as I headed to lunch at French bistro Leméac on Laurier West Avenue.

When I exited the car on the tree-lined street of low-rise buildings dotted with shops, restaurants and residences, I felt like I’d traveled to a different city in just 20 minutes.

Montreal’s historic district provides a European ambiance that many U.S. travelers would typically have to journey much farther to experience. However, the largest city in Canada’s Quebec province contains multitudes.

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“I think for me (the Europe comparison alone) is selling the city short because it’s so much more than that,” said Daniel Bromberg, a Montreal native and co-founder of city magazine The Main, who was my tour guide around town.

Here’s what stood out to during my trip in late May.

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It’s easy to get to and to get around

For starters, Montreal is an easy and quick trip from much of the U.S.

A direct flight from Nashville, Tennessee, where I live, clocks in at around two-and-a-half hours. Even my connecting flight through New York’s LaGuardia Airport only took about four-and-a-half hours, including a short layover – a good bit less than a trip to Europe.

Round-trip plane tickets between Nashville and Montreal for a four-day trip in September currently start between $337 and $477, according to Google Flights. Meanwhile, flights to Paris, France, start between $663 and $1,110, while those to Berlin, Germany, start at between $604 and $1,420.

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Driving is another option. Travelers could make it by car from New York City, for example, in under six-and-a-half hours.

Once travelers arrive, getting around is relatively easy, too. Much of the city is pedestrian-friendly, and travelers can purchase a range of short-term métro and bus passes (kids 11 and under can ride free if they are accompanied by someone 14 and up who has a valid fare).

Montreal also has more than 660 miles of bike lanes and a variety of rental options.

U.S. travelers need a valid passport to enter Canada, but visas are not required for those staying less than 180 days.

History is married with modernity

Beginning my trip in Old Montreal, I was surrounded by history. The area is home to landmarks like the Gothic Revival Notre-Dame Basilica and the Second Empire-style city hall that survived a fire in the 1920s.

But the past and present wove together in particularly striking ways.

Pointe-à-Callière, Montréal’s archaeology and history complex, showcases the city’s backstory from the modern day to the settlements of Canada’s First Peoples. The museum is located on the site of Montreal’s founding and is home to architectural ruins, such as remnants of early buildings and part of the first Catholic cemetery in the city.

Guests can also walk through a 360-foot-long portion of North America’s first collector sewer constructed in the early 1800s as part of the permanent Memory Collector exhibition.

Projected shapes danced across glowing blue light on the stone walls as I traversed the dark tunnel, listening to a shimmering electronic soundtrack. The immersive experience created by multimedia studio Moment Factory incorporates archival imagery, as well.

Crew Collective & Café is tucked inside the grand former headquarters of the Royal Bank of Canada, where visitors can grab coffee, work and book meeting space. Teller windows can still be seen behind the counter where espresso drinks, pastries and more are now served.

Hotel St. Paul, where I was staying in a 1908 Beaux-Arts building, also featured sleek decor beyond its regal exterior, courtesy of design firm Borrallo Interiors. My room – one of 119 – featured a minimal aesthetic with pops of color in a plush burnt-orange headboard, matching drapes and a purple sofa.

You don’t need to speak French (but it helps)

It wouldn’t hurt to download Duolingo before your trip. French is the official language in Quebec, and while everyone I interacted with also spoke English, many people defaulted to the former at first. I found myself wishing I was more fluent.

There’s an indie spirit

Bromberg said that, to him, the city also has a “culture of supporting small business.”

That was evident in the Laurier West Avenue business and commercial district, which I explored after lunch at Leméac, popping into Le Salon Art Club, browsing menswear at École de Pensée and more. In many cases, the owners were manning the floor.

If sampling the cuisine is on your list, bagels are a point of local pride. Boiled in honey water before being baked in a wood-fired oven, the bagels are sweeter than those found in New York (with whom there is a longstanding rivalry).

I got a sesame bagel from St-Viateur Bagel in the Mile End neighborhood, one of two major bakeries in the city. “They’re so fresh you can eat them hot, like right out of the oven,” Bromberg said. You can add cream cheese, but many folks opt to snack on them as they are straight out of the bag.

Another afternoon, I visited Cirka Distilleries next to the Lachine Canal, Quebec’s first grain-to-bottle distillery. Gin, vodka and more are made there by a small team of two (with other staff in non-production roles). Tours offered on weekends include tastings. Try the Pomelo liqueur, made with pomelos and grapefruits.

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I felt I got a better sense of the city than I would have visiting major retailers.

Montreal is known for dishes like poutine and smoked-meat sandwiches, but the restaurant scene offers an eclectic mix for a range of palates. Afterward, visitors can enjoy thriving nightlife, from electronic music to jazz bars.