You’ve probably heard of the Montreal International Jazz Festival, but you might be surprised to learn about the existence of the Montreal Circus Festival or the Nuits d’Afrique Festival. Hundreds of festivals take place in Quartier des Spectacles. It’s also home to Salles du Gesu, the oldest theater in Montreal, and Grande Bibliotheque, the most-visited library in Canada. Its centerpiece is the Place des Arts, a performing arts center that hosts an orchestra, opera house and world-famous ballet troupe. Home to everything from sculpture galleries to film conservatories, it’s the beating heart of Montreal’s art scene. The Quartier des Spectacles is the arts and entertainment district of downtown Montreal.

You should definitely hop on a carriage and take a ride!Ĭheck details, prices and reviews here. You won’t find anywhere else like it in the city, and it’s the sort of tourist attraction that you’ll fondly remember as a vacation highlight for years to come. This particular landmark is one of the most famous in Canada: It receives more than 11 million visitors per year, only slightly less than the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris.ĭo you want to experience history firsthand?Ĭheck out the Chateau Ramezay, a museum where all of the staffers dress up in period-appropriate clothing, or stop by the Old Port where you can listen to the boats blow the same horns that were heard hundreds of years ago.Īll in all, Old Montreal is a place where you can rewind time. It boasts churches and chapels that date back to the 15th century, and its stunning centerpiece is the Basilique Notre-Dame de Montreal, the Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal. There’s also a lot of history to be appreciated in Old Montreal. Its streets are crammed with shops, bistros, museums, galleries and sidewalk vendors, and you might expect a baker to pop his head out of a window at any moment and announce the day’s fresh bread. Unlike the gleaming skyscrapers of the business district, it favors a quaint, cheerfully-crowded kind of look.

This historic neighborhood is filled with the commerce, culture and architecture of generations past, and it aims for authenticity right down to the horse-drawn carriages that slowly ramble down the street.Ī different kind of atmosphere runs through Old Montreal. There’s a distinctive sound in Old Montreal that you can’t hear anywhere else in the city: the clatter of horseshoes on cobblestone streets. Getting the sauce on your shirt because of Schwartz’s Deli is practically a rite of passage in Montreal.Īddress: 3895 St Laurent Blvd, Montreal, QC H2W 1X9, Canada 2. You haven’t really experienced the city until you’ve bitten into one of their thick, dripping sandwiches. Schwartz’s Deli is one of those Montreal attractions that you have to visit at least once. Previous customers of both establishments have included Stanley Lewis, Leonard Cohen and Celine Dion, but Celine Dion officially declared her loyalty to Schwartz’s Deli when she bought into it.

The two restaurants are in a constant battle over who makes the best meat and who can attract the most famous clientele. In addition to the smoked brisket, you can order ribs, steaks, chicken and even salami.Įverything comes with customized side dishes to ensure a perfect balance of tastes.Īnother fun fact about Schwartz’s Deli is that it’s located right across the street from its longtime rival Main Deli Steak House. Schwartz’s Deli is also considered something of a meat lover’s mecca. People travel for miles to get a taste of the fatty, meat-loaded sandwiches, especially when they’re paired with fries, coleslaw or sour pickles. Schwartz’s Deli specializes in Montreal-style smoked meat that’s cured for 10 days before being cooked in a brick smokehouse and seasoned with secret spices. The most famous things on the menu are the sandwiches. It’s one of the oldest, most renowned restaurants in Montreal, and it has the kind of zealous following that gives it weight as a genuine cultural icon for the city. Schwartz’s Deli is more than just a restaurant.

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