Things to Do in Montreal

Montreal is the second-largest French-speaking city in the world after Paris, with about 70% of residents speaking French as their first language.

The city sits on an island in the Saint Lawrence River and was originally founded by French colonists in 1642 as a missionary settlement called Ville-Marie.

Montreal hosted the 1976 Summer Olympics, and the distinctive Olympic Stadium with its tilted roof remains one of the city's most recognizable landmarks.

The Underground City (Réseaux souterrain) connects over 32 km of tunnels beneath downtown Montreal, linking metro stations, shops, offices, and museums—perfect for navigating harsh winters.

Montreal bagels, baked in wood-fired ovens and traditionally smaller and denser than their New York cousins, have been a local staple since Polish Jewish immigrants arrived in the early 1900s.

The city experiences dramatic seasonal swings: summers can reach 26°C (79°F) with outdoor festivals galore, while winters drop to -10°C (14°F) with significant snowfall.