Going around the old town I didn't find it to be as impressive as Quebec city but I believe that Montreal has a great atmosphere and it’s the most European of all Canadian cities and towns due to a large population of immigrants, of first, second and third generation.
There are many restaurants and bars in the old town of Montreal, with people strolling at sunset from here to the harbour and vice versa. One of the most beautiful places to visit in the old city is the cathedral of Notre Dame, which by shape, neo-Gothic style and size recalls the same counterpart in Paris. It's worth spending the 6 dollars entrance fee to admire it. The interiors are mostly made of wood, the altar is located under a beautiful purple blue dome while on the opposite side there is a reed organ under a blue dome.
A short distance from the cathedral is China Town, with the entrance indicated by a giant door with Chinese ideograms to mark it. Walking through the streets means being enveloped by the smell of fried food from the thousand Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean restaurants in the area.
The Chinese community pours into the streets as if they were on the streets of Beijing and Shanghai, with all the customs of the Chinese tradition. A short walk from downtown is a skyscraper that recalls the Olympics held here in 1976.
Special feature of Montreal are its 33 kilometres of tunnels built under the city itself. These tunnels are used by the inhabitants all year round, but it is in winter that they do their ‘job’, which is to allow the inhabitants to still live the city, when the outside temperatures drop even to -25 at night. The snow covers the city like a white blanket and to avoid complete paralysis, most of the office buildings also have entrances below the ground.
In the tunnels you can find various shops, supermarkets, shopping malls, cafes, bars, restaurants, pharmacies, access to offices and museums. The museum of contemporary art, located a short walk from Place des Arts, has one of its entrances below in the tunnels. There's only one small problem: you may not be able to find the entrances. I walked around for about a quarter of an hour, asking many people where the tunnels were but the entrances were not marked.
The museum is located in the Latin Quarter, a lively neighbourhood populated by young people. The heart of the Latin district is Place des Arts, where some art installations are on display in the same square. The square is easily recognizable by the presence of a colourful staircase.
A short walk from the Latin Quarter is The Village. In the past, it used to be an infamous and degraded neighbourhood, then it was then redeveloped, finally coloured. Yes, because the particularity of the area is to have Rue St. Cathrine decorated with colourful graffiti that looked into perspective until the end of the street create the peace flag. On either side of the street you'll find many clubs such as night clubs and bars, while on the side streets you can also find beautiful murals for street art lover.
Once you walk here you are lured to Rue St Denis by music and street food. The street looks like it's crowded, but there are a lot of bars and restaurants populated by young people, a good alternative for those who want to spend an evening with their peers.
