Montreal - A city with European Vibe - Day 1
It was a long weekend and it was Montreal this time. Montreal can be best described as Canada’s cultural capital. I believe everyone would agree with me on that! We had read a few things on the internet and we thought it would be a best bet to buy the MTL pass at the tourism centre in Montreal. It was a 3 day pass and would cover around 28 attractions/activities in Montreal. We were here to spend 3 days in the city with a charming European vibe.
We started our day by visiting the museums. The cobblestone streets and the very old huge architectures welcome you. Most of the museums are located in Old Montreal and it was a pleasure to catch every glance of it. The museums are very different from one another. Every street is filled with history and has a story to tell. It gives an experience for those who love history, antiques, arts and designs. We could see many people on horse driven carriages and the coachman explaining them the importance of every place as they pass by.
On the same day we also visited the Olympic park, the planetarium and the insectarium. We took the metro train to Viau station. The ground level is the Bio dome which has display of five ecosystems. The Montreal Observatory tower was a site of 1976 Olympic Games. This historic site is one of the best preserved towns in North America. It was used as a baseball stadium and now you can see many concerts and fairs being held here.
The observatory holds a Guinness book of records as the ‘tallest manmade leaning tower in the world’ (45 degrees inclined and 165 mts). It is accessible through glass encased funicular and gives you a great view up to 50 miles of Montreal from the top. There were many binoculars and you could view panoramic view in 360 degree.
The Planetarium was amazing too. It took me 15 years back to childhood when I had first visited a planetarium. There were so many bean bags and you could occupy any of them and gaze at the sky above you. The Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium is part of the Montréal Space for Life. You can explore and enjoy the virtual journey into space several light years farther from Earth to stars and galaxies. Thanks to the cutting edge technology for the unique enriching cosmic journey, the aurora show and the Montreal night sky shows offer an unforgettable experience.
Montreal botanical garden is a short walk across the tree-lined street. The award winning Japanese Garden, the Chinese garden and the conservatory houses make the Botanical gardens even more attractive. The garden covers over 190 acres, with over 22000 species of plants. The gardens are so inviting, you easily feel you are transported to the places like Japan, China and First Nations. The entomologists help you discover the diversity of insects displayed in the insectarium. We took the metro back to Old Port to experience the night view of the Montreal skyline from the clock tower beach.
Walking through the streets of Old Port, we realized the night life in Montreal is yet more interesting. The relaxed ambiance, cocktail parties, dimly lit patios & terraces and light music fills the air with resounding notes. The view of Jacques Cartier Bridge from clock tower beach was pleasing to see. The living connection is an interactive concept which activates the bridge by seasons and energy of the city. It comes alive every night and looks beautiful. It is said that the intensity of light changes by the mention on Montreal on social media. It lightens up the St Lawrence River and the Montreal city every night. We sat near the clock tower staring at the Montreal night sky trying to link the show we saw earlier in the Planetarium. It was 11pm but the streets were still filled with people. We left back to our place and had a sound sleep.
