Montreal: A Journey Through Culture, Cuisine, and History

July 13, 2024 Adventure

Montreal, a vibrant hub of Quebec’s cultural scene, welcomed us after our four-day adventure pedaling the P’tit Train du Nord across Quebec’s Laurentian region, from Mont-Laurier to Saint-Jérôme. Here’s an overview of some of the sites and activities from our trip.

Day One:
Upon arriving in Montreal, we spent a couple of hours exploring the Little Italy and Mile End neighborhoods. We visited places such as Marché Jean-Talon, the Drawn & Quarterly bookshop, and the original St. Viateur Bagel store.

Marché Jean-Talon, located in Montreal’s Little Italy district, is one of the largest and oldest public markets in North America. Established in 1933, it offers a vibrant array of fresh produce, meats, cheeses, and specialty foods from local farmers and vendors. The market is a cultural hub, bustling with activity and embodying the diverse culinary heritage of Montreal. Open year-round, Marché Jean-Talon is a favorite destination for both locals and tourists seeking high-quality ingredients and an authentic market experience.

Busy scene at Marché Jean-Talon in Montreal, with shoppers walking past vibrant fruit and vegetable stalls under a large sign featuring images of fresh produce.

After lunch in a café near Marché Jean-Talon, we walked to Librairie Drawn & Quarterly and purchased several books. I’ve been a huge fan of D&Q’s publications for over 30 years, so I was excited to visit their bookstore. I bought Adrian Tomine’s New York Drawings and Dirty Plotte: The Complete Julie Doucet.

Our next stop was St. Viateur Bagel, a renowned bagel shop in Montreal, celebrated for its iconic hand-rolled, wood-fired bagels. Established in 1957, it has become a beloved institution, famous for its uniquely chewy and slightly sweet bagels, made using traditional methods. Open 24/7, St. Viateur offers a variety of bagels, often enjoyed fresh out of the oven. The shop is a staple in Montreal’s Mile End neighborhood. Indeed, the bagels truly live up to their reputation! Just remember to bring cash—they do not accept credit cards.

Exterior of St. Viateur Bagel Shop in Montreal, a renowned bakery known for its hand-rolled bagels, with a bright sign, large windows, and flower boxes under a brick facade.

Day Two:
Our second day in Montreal was filled with fun and exploration. We walked approximately 2.6 miles from our hotel room to Mont Royal. Mont Royal, a small mountain in the heart of Montreal, is part of the larger Mount Royal Park, designed by American landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, who also co-designed New York City’s Central Park. The mountain, which rises to about 233 meters (764 feet), is a prominent landmark offering panoramic views of the city from the Kondiaronk Belvedere, named after the notable Huron-Wendat chief Kondiaronk who played a significant role in the Great Peace of Montreal in 1701.

Panoramic view of downtown Montreal from Mont Royal, showcasing the city's skyline with modern skyscrapers, nestled amidst lush green foliage under a partly cloudy sky.

After descending from Mont Royal, we hiked across town to Fondation PHI to view the exhibitions on display. The exhibitions included Rajni Perera and Marigold Santos: Efflorescence/The Way We Wake and Sonia Boyce: FEELING HER WAY. Founded in 2007, Foundation PHI aims to make contemporary art accessible to everyone through impactful public experiences.

Screenshot of the webpage for the Sonia Boyce: FEELING HER WAY exhibition at the PHI Foundation for Contemporary Art, featuring a colorful collage of geometric shapes and images of a studio setting, highlighted with artistic elements like musical instruments and studio equipment.
Screenshot of the webpage for the "Rajni Perera and Marigold Santos: Efflorescence/The Way We Wake" exhibition, featuring an artistic arrangement of large, orange organic sculptures and delicate black sculptures, mimicking a surreal, otherworldly landscape.

Later that day, we visited PHI Centre to experience two installations. The first was Habitat Sonore: Playlist — Music That Moves Montreal, an immersive sound experience utilizing Dolby Atmos and presented in a small, dark room that accommodates up to ten people. The second installation was Richard Mosse: Broken Spectre, which was both powerful and moving.

Screenshot of the PHI Centre webpage showing visitors wearing virtual reality headsets in the interactive installation room at the PHI Centre, bathed in an orange light, showcasing the center's focus on combining art, film, music, design, and technology.
Screenshot of the PHI Centre webpage showing viewers seated on bean bags watching the 'Broken Spectre' installation by Richard Mosse, featuring multi-panel displays of contrasting images depicting environmental destruction and natural beauty.

Both exhibitions at Phi were exciting and thought-provoking. After visiting, we moved over to the Notre-Dame Basilica for the AURA Experience, designed and produced by the Montreal-based Moment Factory. The 25-minute light show was divided into three acts:

  • Act I: The Birth of Light
  • Act II: The Obstacles
  • Act III: The Open Sky
Spectacular view inside Notre-Dame Basilica featuring an illuminated station with vibrant Gothic revival architecture, highlighted by radiant lighting and decorative elements.
Illuminated station at Notre-Dame Basilica, displaying a glowing mural of religious figures with intricate detail, set against a dark architectural backdrop.

Day Three:
Our day began with breakfast at Olive et Gourmando Boutique, a celebrated breakfast and brunch restaurant in Old Montreal near PHI Centre. After breakfast, we rode the historic Lachine Canal, a National Historic Site, from end-to-end beginning in Old Port, Vieux-Montreal. The trail was easily accessible via the bike path along the port, just two short blocks from our hotel. It was incredibly scenic and surprisingly crowded for a Thursday morning. In 2009, the Lachine Canal bike path placed third on Time Magazine’s list of the Top 10 urban bike paths in the world.

Scenic view of a Lachine Canal with a mural-painted building on one side and a lush green pathway on the other, under a clear blue sky.
Dharma riding along the Lachine Canal bike path bordered by high walls covered in vibrant graffiti under a clear blue sky.
Dharma approaching a graffiti-covered tunnel on a sunny day, with trees visible at the end of the path.
Large, rusted grain silos covered in graffiti reflecting on the calm water of the Lachine Canal, under a sunny sky.
Old industrial silos covered in colorful graffiti and a vibrant pink top, located beside a green park and bike path under a sunny sky.
Exterior view of Atwater Market in Montreal, featuring a series of covered tents labeled 'Les Serres Y.G. Pinsonneault Jardineries' filled with flowers and plants. The iconic art deco style building with a clock tower looms in the background under a clear blue sky.

We also made a stop at Marche Atwater, right off the trail, for lunch. Opened in 1933, the market is housed in an Art Deco building and named after Edwin Atwater, a 19th-century businessman and city councillor. The market is renowned for its wide variety of fresh produce, meats, cheeses, baked goods, and other specialty foods. Atwater Market also features several delicatessens, butchers, and fishmongers, offering high-quality products. We enjoyed lunch at Premiere Moisson, an artisanal bakery.

During the afternoon, we spent about three hours at the Bota Bota spa here in Montreal. Bota Bota is a floating spa situated on a converted ferryboat docked in the Old Port of Montreal. It offers a unique spa experience with stunning views of the St. Lawrence River and the city skyline. The spa features a variety of wellness services, including water circuits, saunas, steam baths, massage therapy, and yoga classes. Its tranquil ambiance and innovative setting make it a popular destination for relaxation and rejuvenation in Montreal. We each purchased the water circuit, which was sublime!

A screenshot of the Bota Bota homepage, with an aerial view of Bota Bota spa in Montreal, showcasing outdoor pools, wooden deck areas with loungers, and lush greenery along the waterfront, with the slogan 'Beat the Summer Heat' displayed prominently.
View of Bota Bota spa floating on the Saint Lawrence River in Montreal, with the iconic Habitat 67 residential complex in the background and a large silo structure on the right. The spa features open decks and lush greenery, nestled against the urban backdrop of Montreal's cityscape.

Day Four:
Our final day started with an exploration of the murals along Saint Laurent Boulevard during the MURAL Urban Art Festival. It was a 2-plus mile walk to view the murals, and then we made a detour to La Banquise to sample their poutine. La Banquise, a renowned restaurant famous for its wide variety of poutine dishes, was founded in 1968 as a simple ice cream parlor by Pierre Barsalou. Now, it serves more than 30 varieties of poutine. We enjoyed hot dogs with the classic poutine.

Vibrant street mural featuring a caricature of a man in a suit and colorful abstract designs on a city alley wall, with a person posing in a patterned outfit in the foreground.
Long alleyway densely covered with colorful graffiti and urban art, flanked by old buildings with external fire escapes, under a clear blue sky.
Urban street scene showcasing buildings covered with various graffiti and murals, including colorful abstract patterns and character art, in a vibrant, artistic neighborhood.
Bright and colorful mural covering the entire facade of a corner building, depicting fantastical creatures and floral patterns in a lively urban setting.
Striking mural of a blue bird in motion, painted on the side of an urban building, surrounded by abstract blue patterns and a sketched human hand, creating a dynamic street art scene.
Wall mural featuring large cartoon figures painted in bold colors on a yellow background, with ongoing work by an artist on a lift, adding vibrant life to an urban street.

During the afternoon, we took the ferry from Old Montreal across the St. Lawrence River to St. Helen’s Island. We explored the Biosphere, designed by Buckminster Fuller for Expo 67, and the Biosphere Environment Museum for about an hour. Afterwards, we walked across Parc Jean-Drapeau to attend (Off) Piknic Électronik. Montreal’s Piknic Électronik is a popular electronic music festival that occurs every Sunday during the summer at Parc Jean-Drapeau. The event offers a unique, relaxed environment where attendees can enjoy dance music in a scenic outdoor setting, often accompanied by views of the city skyline.

The Montreal Biosphere, a geodesic dome, viewed across lush green and purple flower beds under a bright blue sky, symbolizing a blend of nature and science.

Piknic Électronik Montreal not only stands as a beacon of electronic music within the city but has also extended its influence globally. Since its inception in 2003, the event has expanded to international cities such as Barcelona, Melbourne, and Santiago. Each of these locations hosts its own version of Piknic Électronik, adapting the unique vibe and community-focused ethos of the original Montreal series to local cultures and tastes.

Vibrant scene at Piknic Electronik in Montreal with a diverse crowd of attendees enjoying the outdoor music festival, with a large stage displaying vivid graphics in the background.
Close-up of a colorful drink with a pink straw in a Piknic Electronik branded cup, placed on a wooden table with a blurred festival stage in the background.

The Off Piknic program extends the experience beyond the regular summer schedule. It features special events and performances that usually take place in different locations around the city. These events aim to bring the same vibrant, inclusive atmosphere as the main Piknic Électronik, but often with a twist or a special thematic focus, catering to a wider range of electronic music tastes and cultural expressions.

The following morning, we departed Montreal and began our journey home. However, before leaving the city, we visited Fairmount Bagels. Founded in 1919 by Isadore Shlafman, a Jewish immigrant, Fairmount Bagel is a historic and iconic bakery. Renowned for its hand-rolled, boiled, and wood-fired bagels, Fairmount offers a unique Montreal-style bagel known for its slightly sweet taste and denser texture compared to its New York counterpart. The bakery operates 24/7, providing a variety of bagel flavors and maintaining traditional baking methods. This makes it a beloved institution in the city and a must-visit spot for both locals and tourists. There is often a debate over the best bagels in Montreal, with St. Viateur and Fairmount being the top contenders. I couldn’t tell much of a difference between the two—both are outstanding and better than any bagel I’ve eaten in the United States.

Exterior view of La Maison de l'Original Fairmount Bagel in Montreal, a renowned bakery set in a traditional red brick building, with colorful banners promoting their famous bagels, on a sunny street corner.

Reflecting on our time in Montreal, it’s clear that the city offers a unique tapestry of culture, cuisine, and history that is vividly alive in its streets and neighborhoods. From the serene views atop Mont Royal to the aromatic bakeries of Little Italy and Mile End, each moment was a delightful discovery. Montreal not only preserved its historical charm but also embraced the vibrant, dynamic energy of contemporary life. As we headed home, we carried with us not just a collection of Montreal’s famous bagels but also lasting memories of a city that truly captivates the heart and the senses.