Canada’s island city has creative flare and stunning heritage. Felicity Cousins picks out some treats from the past and present


1. Notre-Dame Basilica

Montréal is an easy city to navigate by foot or subway. It has many different neighbourhoods, each with its own atmosphere and focus, but the city as a whole is relaxed and enjoyable to stroll around – you won’t see many people rushing here. Many business travellers will be based in the International Quarter near the convention centre, and your first stop, in Old Montréal, is a few minutes’ walk from here.

It’s said that if you don’t venture inside Notre-Dame Basilica then you have not seen the city. Inaugurated in 1829, the architecture is gothic revival, one of the first structures of its kind in Canada. The space is huge – it can seat up to 3,500 people – but the wooden ceiling, carvings, pillars and furnishings, and the 24-carat gold details shining in the dimmed light make it feel warm and cosy. Take a look at the beautiful stained-glass windows, which depict the religious and working lives of the inhabitants of Montréal rather than biblical stories.

If you’re lucky you will be there while Canada’s largest Casavant organ is being played, or during Sunday mass at 11am, when the choir sings. At the back of the main nave is the Sacré-Coeur Chapel, popular for high-profile weddings – singer Céline Dion tied the knot here. A fire destroyed half of the chapel in 1978 but it was restored to the original design, adding a unique altarpiece – Canada’s largest bronze frieze, measuring five metres wide and eight metres high. It is breathtaking. Entry with a 20-minute tour is C$5 (£3); free for prayer. Open daily from 7.30am; tours half-hourly 9am-4pm Mon-Fri; 9am-3.30pm Sat; 12.30pm-3.30pm Sun. 110 Rue Notre-Dame Ouest; basiliquenddm.org

2. La Maison Pierre  du Calvet

From the Basilica, head right down Rue Notre-Dame and walk for five minutes before turning right on to Rue Bonsecours. On the corner of this small cobbled street is La Maison Pierre du Calvet. Calvet was a merchant and justice of the peace, and his home, built in 1725, is the oldest private house in the city. It also offers public accommodation, with ten stunning guestrooms to choose from – check the website to see which one you like the look of.

The house is owned by Ronald Dravigné and Gaëtan Trottier, who also has a museum of his bronze sculpture work in the same building. It is a magical place with original dark wood panelling, stone walls and floors, large open fires and a garden terrace. The reception is in a greenhouse with trees and plants, and parrots chattering from their perches. There is also a library and a popular restaurant that serves local produce. 405 Rue Bonsecours; tel +1 514 282 1725; pierreducalvet.ca

3. Old Montreal

In the 1960s there was a plan to destroy much of the then-uninhabited Old Town and build a highway along the banks of St Lawrence River, but protesters stopped this from happening and the city’s heritage was saved. Today, unlike many “old towns”, Old Montréal is a residential area. The result is a busy, happy atmosphere and it’s a lovely place to explore during the day or night.

From La Maison Pierre du Calvet, step on to Rue Saint-Paul and turn right. This is the main street and on the left, at number 350, you’ll find Bonsecours Market (marchebonsecours.qc.ca), the oldest market in the city and one of Canada’s top ten heritage buildings. It started life as the Parliament of United Canada in 1849 and was the City Hall from 1852 until 1878. It now houses restaurants, cafés and 15 boutique shops selling Canadian arts and crafts – it’s a good place to browse for gifts. Open daily from 10am; closing time seasonal.

Continue down Rue Saint-Paul for more shops and plenty of well-established and popular restaurants.

4. Mount Royal Park

Montréal is named after Mount Royal, the large hill overlooking the city. The “mountain”, as the locals call it, stands at 233 metres and nothing in Montréal can be built taller, to make sure there is always space and light. To get to Mount Royal from Rue Saint-Paul, turn right when you hit Rue Saint-Sulpice (the Basilica is at the top of this street) and head to Place D’Armes metro station. It’s four stops to Mount Royal.

The metro has been around since 1966 and the wooden brake blocks are lubricated with peanut oil (if the train breaks suddenly, you may think you can smell peanut butter). From Mount Royal station, walk down Mount Royal Avenue to the park. It’s huge and you can easily walk to the top of the mountain, past curious
and friendly red squirrels, for fantastic views of the island city.

5. Shopping and snacking

Walk back into the centre of town via the shops of Boulevard Saint-Laurent and Rue Saint-Denis, which run parallel to one another. Both have a good mix of high-end clothes boutiques mixed with more quirky designer shops and cafés. It’s a pleasant stroll into the city and as the roads are on a grid system, if you wander off down a side street you can easily find your way back.

For a snack, head into one of the many cafés and grab a bagel (made with eggs and baked in a wood oven, rather than with water in gas ovens in New York and Toronto). Or try some poutine – French fries cooked in goose fat with gravy and cheese curd. It’s a delicious, if filling, local speciality. Eventually you’ll hit Rue Sainte-Catherine, the city’s main shopping street (similar to London’s Oxford Street) with shops such as Ogilvy’s (like Harrods) and all the big fashion brands. It runs past Place des Arts, a pleasant pedestrian area where festivals are held in summer.

6. Canadian Centre for Architecture

Catch a metro at Place des Arts or McGill stations and get off a couple of stops later at Guy-Concordia. Otherwise you could walk through the weatherproof underground city, which has 32km of walkways, shopping and restaurants. A couple of blocks down from Guy-Concordia, at 1,920 Rue Baile, is the Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA). This huge research facility was founded in 1979 and has thousands of building drawings and photographs on display explaining the history and development of architecture and design in society.

The CCA works on the premise that architecture is a public concern, so many of the exhibitions are aimed at inspiring debate. For example, the “Other Space Odysseys” exhibition, which runs until September 6, looks at the links between space travel and architecture. It’s easy to spend an hour or so here. Open 11am-6pm Wed-Sun (9pm Thurs); closed Mon-Tue. Entry C$10 (£6.50); visit cca.qc.ca

For more information on Montréal visit tourisme-montreal.org, montrealsweetdeals.com