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Montreal is the largest city in the province of Quebec, Canada. The city is located on a river island and surrounds a hill called Mount Royal. Its picturesque streets mostly bear the names of Catholic saints. Even the city itself was originally called Ville-Marie “Mary's City.” Modern Montreal is the city of skyscrapers, a huge traffic centre, the country’s maritime and air gates and also an important historical and cultural centre.

Local people are mostly French-Canadians, but there are also Anglo-Saxons, Italians, the Irish and many many other peoples living in the city. Even though the official language of Quebec province is French, about one million people living in Montreal are not French native speakers. There are 35 languages and 30 religions spread here. For about 20% of local population native language is English. Other widespread languages are: Italian, Greek and Chinese. Feel free to speak English if you do not know French – they will always answer to you.

As for local climate… winter is long, snowy and cold, whereas summer is sunny and hot. Spring, as European people understand it, lasts for about two or three weeks only – and then summer comes. People often dress unseasonably since many of them own their cars. Still, public transport system is well organised: buses are never late and bus stops are very convenient to the underground stations.

Plus to this, Montreal is renowned for it Underground City – thousand of shops, cinemas, and restaurants are located on different levels and are connected by numerous pedestrian crossings. This is very convenient: imagine a frosty day when you can walk around the whole city centre without coming outside. As for the summer heat, this underground system is well air-conditioned.

Montreal summer is hot and sunny, and it never rains for long. But local climate is rather unstable. Autumn is enduring, relatively dry and very beautiful since there are lots of parks in the city. But winter is rather harsh.

Speaking of Montreal attractions. The first thing you should see at Montreal is its Jacques-Cartier Bridge. Then go to see The City Hall with ruins lying behind it, Notre-Dame de Montréal Basilica, the pilgrimage church of Notre-Dame-du-Bon-Secours, Place d'Armes in Montreal with a statue of the city’s founder, Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuve, La Fontaine and Dominion Parks with numerous sculptures, Ramsay Castle which is now the museum of history…
To get useful information about the city’s history, visit its Pointe-à-Callière Museum, Archaeology museum and historic centre. Other museums worth seeing are: Museum of Fine Arts, Canadian Center For Architecture, Musée d'art contemporain, McCord Museum of Canadian history and many others.
Île Notre-Dame and St Helena Islands house an attraction park, numerous restaurants, a swimming pool, excellent beaches and a renowned casino. The city’s business and commercial life is concentrated within Montreal’s western part, around Dominion square.

For nature lovers there is also something special to see. Rather a short distance from Montreal you will find Laurentian mountains and a national park, known as a wonderful ski resort.

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