photo credit: kalleboo

Has Montreal ever been called the shopping capital of Canada?  If not, it should be.  You can start early with the shops at Dorval Airport.  When snow abounds and it’s freezing outside, you only have to shiver until you get inside the ‘Underground City.’  Below the heart of the city tunnels connect 1700 malls, shops and businesses within 3 and 4 floors deep.  It’s not any different than mall shopping, no windows there either.  If you start to get claustrophobic, just glance up at the glass dome to the outside world and you should be okay.

Downtown you’ll find the shopping strip on Rue St. Catherines (street).  Choose from unique shops to large department stores.  The serious shopper should have strong leg muscles, so find parking and walk.

Old town Montreal is the place to shop if you are looking for true Canadian crafted leather goods and other handmade items. As you walk along the cobblestone street, church bells ring on the hour and the romantic sounds of the French language are heard all about.

Underground City Shopping

Complexe Desjardins is a huge shopping center with 100 plus shops which include a large food court.  Besides underground shopping, it’s comprised of four towers with governmental offices and other companies in the upper floors.

The Bay (The Hudson Bay Company) is an institution of Canada.  World wide it is known for it’s unique blankets.  If visiting Montreal, you can’t go home without at least one Bay blanket or a steiff bear in a Hudson Bay coat.

Stitches is a shop that sells a uniquely Canadian brand of clothing.  The Underground City has stores such as the Gap, Levis, even a Dollar-Rama where you can buy anything in the store for just one Canadian dollar.  It spans 38 blocks and can be entered at various storefronts on the street.   You’ll find an enormous food court where you can buy Poutine.  This is a Canadian dish consisting of gravy and cheese on top of French fries.

Downtown Shopping

Blatter and Blatter moved to Montreal from South Africa in 1907.  If you have cigar or pipe smoker on your list of people to buy for, this store offers the unique gift.  Cuban cigars and hand made briar pipes are found here  To complete the gift, pick up a cigar cutter or lighter.

Dream6 offers original Montreal t-shirts.  Artistic designs you’ll find no other place in Montreal or all of Canada.  Why do they make and sell t-shirts?  In their own words, ” We can’t live without them. T-shirts tell your story. They enter a room before you. They make friends and enemies. When we wear something on our bodies it becomes a personal statement, an invitation for others to think and react.”

Phyllis Friedman is one of the finest antique shops in all of Montreal.  If you can’t make it to their shop, they are now also online.  Their collection includes furniture, ceramics, mirrors, silver, glass, lighting and so much more.  If you are an antique buff, you won’t want to pass an opportunity to stop in this shop.

Eaton’s Center offers over 175 shops, restaurants and a theater in it’s 290,000 square feet.  It has all the name brands, a multi screen theater and 2 food courts.  This shopping center boasts they are the only location open every weekday until 9 pm, year round.

Old Town Shopping

Marche Bonsecours (Bonsecours Market) looks like a beautiful old government building because it was just that.  It housed the Canadian Parliament and Montreal City Hall at one time.  Now, it is Montreal’s main marketplace.  It houses upper-end shops, restaurants, collectables and tourist souvenirs.  For a tip, it’s been said they slash their prices for off-season shoppers.

Boutique des métiers d’art du Québec is an offering of jewelry, pottery, paintings, sculptures and crafts from over 100 of Quebec professional artisans.  All items are one-of-a-kind pieces.

Studio/Boutique gogo.glass features hand-blown glass artists Annie Michaud and Karine Bouchard.  Their work includes candle holders, paperweights, mortar and pestles, and more.  Gift items, light fixtures and sculptures offered by other artists.  They also take custom orders large and small.

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The city of Montreal Quebec, Canada has had human inhabitants for approximately 8,000 years, the first ones were the Algonquin, Huron and Iroquois tribes. In the 1500’s the European explorers reached the area and tried to set up fur trading posts. Even though the initial fur trade was not successful, the fur trade industry would become very important to Montreal and would help the city grow and prosper. By 1832 Montreal was officially declared a city and continued to gain popularity and was eventually held the title of the capital of the United Province of Canada from 1844 to 1849. By this point Montreal was a firmly established port city, important for much trade in the region and with other countries.

Lachine Canal

One of the main reasons that Montreal became so successful and important was the addition of the Lachine Canal which created a direct point of entry to the Atlantic Ocean. It has also been used to supply hydraulic power and as a hub for the manufacturing industry. Currently, the Lachine Canal is undergoing a new transformation and becoming a popular recreation area. You can check out the sites of this historic landmark by taking a boat cruise, going for a walk or bike ride, or just having a picnic and simply soaking up the sites.

Notre-Dame Basilica Montreal

Before Montreal was even named Montreal it was called Ville-Marie and housed a very small chapel run by the Jesuits. Later the Sulpician Fathers would adopt the tiny chapel and begin an ambitious construction project on a much larger Baroque style church. This church still proved to be too small and a new building in the then popular Gothic Revival style was which would eventually be known to the world as the Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal. But this monumental structure was not complete yet, a new chapel would be added in 1889 and a fire destroyed much of the original structure in 1978. A rather modest fee will get you access to the Basilica and brief guided tour, after which you can continue to explore at your leisure as long as there isn’t a service in progress.

Saint Josephs Oratory of Mount Royal

Another religious landmark in Montreal is the Saint Josephs Oratory of Mount Royal. Brother Andre was born Alfred Besette in 1845 and by his 25^th birthday had joined the Holy Cross Order. One of Brother Andre’s duties was to administer to sick students at the College Notre-Dame in Montreal, it was while performing these tasks that he earned a reputation for miraculous healings through his prayers to Saint Joseph. By 1904 he was drawing such a crowd that he worked to raise $200 and build a 15 x 18 foot building. In 1955, after Brother Andre’s death, a proper shrine to Saint Joseph was constructed and the Saint Josephs Oratory still draws quite a crowd. The Italian Renaissance style is used by a bit overblown by the large building. In fact the dome is the second largest in the world with only St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome besting it. In addition to the beautiful architecture and museum quality art pieces throughout you can also get a glimpse of Brother Andre’s embalmed heart in a museum dedicated to his life’s work.

Vieux Montreal/Old Montreal

Old Montreal or Vieux Montreal is the oldest area in the city with some of its buildings dating back to the 1600s. If you’re visiting Notre-Dame Basilica then you’re already in Old Montreal and seeing one of the highlights. Adjacent to the Notre-Dame Basilica is the Saint-Sulpice Seminary, the oldest existing building in Montreal. In the area you’ll also find the City Hall, Bonsecours Market, financial institutions, and some preserved mansions. In the southwest side of Old Montreal you’ll find some archeological remains of Montreal’s first town. One of the best parts of this area is that the historic feel is still there, not only are many buildings restored and maintained, but the cobbled streets have also been restored and horse drawn caleches clatter down the street regularly.

Olympic Park/Biodome

If you’re a sports fan then the Olympic Park is a landmark you shouldn’t miss. Built for the 1976 Summer Olympic Games, the park has transformed and now hosts concerts and Montreal Expo’s baseball games. One thing that hasn’t transformed in the Olympic Park is the main stadium tower, which at 575 feet is the tallest inclined tower in the world. Take the time to ride the funicular to the observation decks and catch the incredible view of the city. The Olympic Park also has the largest Biodome in the world, which is a must see attraction. The building has five different ecosystems; the Tropical Forest, Laurentian Forest, Saint-Lawrence Marine Ecosystem, Artic and Antarctic.

Montreal Place des Arts

If you’re headed to Montreal and are looking for a cultural experience, the Place des Arts is a great stop as it is the major performing arts center in Montreal. Place des Arts is home to the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Les Grands Ballet Canadiens and the Opera de Montreal. The Place des Arts contains five different theaters in a variety of sizes, each hosting a unique production so you’re sure to find something that you enjoy or that would open your mind to new experiences. In addition to the theaters the Musee d’art contemporain de Montreal joined the fray in 1992.

Montreal Theatre St. Denis

For even a little more theater, consider visiting the Montreal Theatre St. Denis, a smaller scale theatre set in the Latin Quarter. This area is mainly frequented by students as the Universite de Montreal is located in this section of Montreal. This means that the theater experience might be a bit more contemporary and will probably be a little less expensive for those tourists on a bit of a budget.

In addition to its incredible history, Montreal is full of historical landmarks that should be perused if you’re taking a vacation to this popular city. Use the preceding guide to make sure you hit the highlights.  However, the first landmark to hit is Hotels Cheap to find the best hotel deals in Montreal.