Montreal – A city with European Vibe – Day 3

Having enjoyed all the best attractions in Montreal for 2 days, we now came to the last few places on our must-visit list: Mount Royal, St. Joseph’s Oratory & The Notre-Dame Basilica.

We had decided to Hike to the top of Mount Royal. Mount Royal is said to have formed as a result of volcanic activities some 125 million years ago. This large land mass 4km long and around 2.5km wide houses Mount Royal Park: one of the largest green spaces in Montreal. Oh yes, another interesting fact: Montreal is named after Mount Royal (In the 16th Century, Real was a variant of Royal).

It has many interesting facts:

• People walk up the hill during summers and other seasons but during winters it is a snow park
• Mount Royal was designed by the person who designed the Central Park in New York, USA
• The AMT runs through a tunnel which cuts Mount Royal
• The Mount Royal cross on top of Mount Royal is a monument that illuminates and changes colors and has a historic importance
• The plaque installed near the cross in 1992 will not be opened until 2142 (Many children have portrayed what Montreal looks like in 2142)
• No buildings can be taller than Mount Royal (Montreal)

and many more are hidden in this mountain.

A short walk along Rue Peel from the Peel station took us to the base of Mount Royal hill. From here one can choose to drive uphill on a proper paved road or take one of many trails this hill has to offer. We took the trail of course. J We chose a trail that was shorter and more steeper that went through thick green stretches on the hill side. One can also choose to take the less inclined, longer trail that is more like a gentle uphill walk to the hilltop. A 30 min hike took us to the Mount Royal Chalet, a large building that can hold various events and a larger courtyard in front of it overlooking the Montreal’s skyline. Now the rule: ‘No building in Montreal can be taller than Mount Royal’ made complete sense. From the lookout area, one can see really far and wide. The entire Montreal city southwards of Mount Royal, the St. Lawrence River with Jacques-Cartier bridge on the east & Honoré Mercier Bridge. The view from here was really fantastic. There was a lady selling ice-creams on a cart. After a tiring hike we couldn’t resist the temptation to try out some locally made ice-creams. Cool breeze through the hills made our quick break more relaxing. The northern half of Mount Royal is basically a cemetery but it is nice to walk through it.

Public transit buses frequent the north part of Mount Royal and a quick bus ride from here took us to the St. Joseph’s Oratory. This is a Roman Catholic basilica and is Canada’s largest church. It is a multi-storied complex that houses a large prayer hall, some shrines and an observation deck that overlooks the Montreal city. Apart from this, the oratory has some small outdoor gardens.

We now headed back to the city to visit the Observatory Place Ville Marie. This is the only tallest building in Montreal with 47 floors (188 Mts). It has a 360 degree observation deck on the top which gives a pleasant view of cities attractions and landmarks. It gives striking views from St Lawrence River to the Mount Royal. Presently it is the headquarters of RBC. Downloadable audio guides provide you a detailed historical explanation of the place as you walk around.

Trying to soak in the 360 degree views of Montreal we walked towards Notre-Dame Basilica. With a CAD6.00 entrance fee, the basilica offers access to a massive church that has hundreds of intricate wooden carvings and has vaults colored in various shades of blues, purple, reds, silver & gold. For first time visitors, Notre-Dame Basilica is literally jaw-dropping beautiful. Built in 1824 and restored and improved several times since then, this place has a captivating display all over. The walls have large stained-glass paintings depicting Montreal’s history. The basilica also houses an organ instrument: The Great Casavant Organs that was constructed in 1891. Its current composition is around 7000 pipes: the largest one is around 10 metres while the smallest 6mm. This organ plays musical compositions on special occasions. The Notre-Dame basilica is truly a work of art. We were spellbound by the beautiful architecture, the play of lights and colors inside the basilica. The basilica also has a light & sound show called Aura that is said to be an extraordinary sensory experience (that’s for another day.)

We then walked to the Old Port. The weather was pleasant and we wanted to tick off the last two things we had planned for the day: Ziplining and Quadricycle. This was my first Ziplining experience and the phobia of heights made me unsure about trying this. I finally made up my mind not to forgo the opportunity. This is the first urban Zipline circuit in Canada at 1200 feet (365 mars) above the ground. We were all set to feel the adrenaline rush. The phobia increased as we walked up the stairs to the top. Luckily the crew was very friendly and she gave us a few tips. As I took the leap, I felt like a superhero flying over the city viewing Montreal and Bonsecures Island from the top. I must agree it was worth trying! The quadricycle ride was relaxing and fun. We took a last glance at the Old Port and Old Montreal before we returned back to the hotel.

I am sure Montreal has a lot to offer apart from the city experience alone. Waiting till I can come back again and explore more.