9.30: Kick-start the day the Montreal way with a Quebécois-style café au lait and almond croissant at the Pâtisserie Claude Postel at 75, Rue Notre-Dame West (www.claudepostel.com).
10.00: Explore the streets of the historic Vieux-Montreal, on the banks of the St Lawrence river. This is Montreal’s birthplace and boasts North America’s greatest concentration of 17th- and 18th-century buildings. The area’s focal point is Place d’Armes, which is dominated by Montreal’s finest Catholic church – the magnificent, twin-towered, 3,000-seat Basilique Notre Dame (www.basiliquenddm.org), one of the city’s architectural gems. Combining neo-classical and neo-Gothic design, it dates back to 1829, features intricate woodcarving and stained glass windows from France, and is well worth a visit.
11.15: Head for the Musée d’archéologie et d’histoire de Montréal [Montreal Museum of Archaeology & History] (www.pacmuseum.qc.ca). The museum, which fans out underground below Place Royale, uses archeological and hi-tech audio-visual displays to bring alive the fascinating story of Montreal’s evolution from frontier trading post to world city.
12.30: Lunch at Schwartz’s. This is a true Montreal institution dating back to 1928 which was founded by one of the city’s many Jewish immigrants – Montreal still has Canada’s biggest Jewish community. A small narrow deli serving up giant smoked meat sandwiches, Schwartz’s is an essential part of the Montreal experience and everyone from the Rolling Stones to Céline Dion have dined there. Be warned, though: the queue can stretch down the street at weekends. (www.schwartzsdeli.com)
14.00: Stroll down Rue Sherbrooke. If you have time, pop into the McCord Museum of Canadian History which has an eclectic collection of artefacts about Canadian life. It is worth a peek just to see the fascinating photographs of old Montreal. Then head up Mont Royal, which might be just 234 metres high, but is the nearest thing to a mountain in Montreal – and has a special place in Montrealers’ hearts. Explorer Jacques Cartier gave the mound its name and nowadays a series of paths and wooden walkways make ascending ‘the mountain’ easy enough. It’s worth the climb because the lookouts offer a superb view of the city. The hilltop park also has around 250 acres of woods and meadows where Montrealers escape the city. Back on Sherbrooke, admire the Ritz-Carlton Hotel (www.ritzmontreal.com) – a symbol of the immediate downtown area once known as The Golden Square Mile, because it was home to most of Canada’s millionaires – then make for Canada’s iconic Roots fashion store (1035 Rue St Catherine West) where you can pick up something authentically Canadian.
18.00: Enjoy a cocktail at Altitude 737. Perched high atop Montreal’s famous Place Ville Marie office complex, Altitude 737 is an upscale restaurant, nightclub and cocktail lounge rolled into one, and has views to die for. Attracting a young, hip crowd, it’s a great place to go for a cocktail during Happy Hour (5pm-7pm; Tuesday-Saturday).(www.altitude737.com)
20.00: Dine at one of Montreal’s best-known restaurants, L’Express – a fashionable, discreetly located Parisian-style bistro filled with arty types on Rue Saint Denis. It is famous for its fish soups and home-made desserts. Dinner costs $30-$40 without wine and service.Reservations are essential.
22.00: If you’re a jazz fan, in Montreal you’ve hit lucky for it’s the undisputed jazz capital of Canada. It contains a string of jazz clubs, perhaps the most famous being the House of Jazz in the heart of downtown Montreal. Open late, it has played host to a Who’s Who of jazz stars, and is the perfect place to unwind after a long day. (www.houseofjazz.ca)
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