Located as it is on the St. Lawrence, Montréal has prospered as a cosmopolitan hub of communications and trade. Jacques Cartier landed here in 1535 and took the territory for his King, François I of France, but it wasn’t until 1642 that Paul de Chomedey founded a small mission station here called Ville Marie de Mont-Réal. This original settlement is today Montréal, the second largest French-speaking city in the world. Despite the city’s size, the parts of Montreal that interest tourists are in relatively compact neighborhoods. Major museums and arts venues are in the Centre-Ville (downtown) area, where you’ll find Rue Sherbrooke, probably the city’s most elegant thoroughfare. It is the spine of the city and the location of many museums and other institutions. Rue Ste-Cathérine is Montréal’s main shopping thoroughfare, a busy street lined with department stores, shops, and restaurants.

Vieux-Montreal is where the city began, and its original foundations and streets are preserved in the Pointe-à-Callière museum. This was the heart of the colonial town, and its old buildings make it the most picturesque neighborhood in the city. This is where you’ll find most of the historic attractions, as well as the popular waterfront promenade along the Vieux-Port (Old Port). Fewer tourists spend time in The Plateau, but it is the heart of French-speaking Montreal. Strolling along Rue St. Denis often feels like being in Paris, with its smart boutiques, restaurants, and sidewalk cafes. Some of the city’s most popular restaurants are here, both along Rue St. Denis and elsewhere in this neighborhood that was largely formed by successive waves of immigrants. At its far edge is Mile End, where small groups of streets have distinctly Italian, Portuguese, or Greek atmospheres.