Montréal has 6 main neighbourhoods to explore; Downtown, Old Montréal, the Plateau, Rue St. Denis and the Village, Little Italy and Mile End, and the Lachine Canal and Little Burgundy.
 

Parc du Mont-Royal lies on the hill that dominates the city. It has wooded slopes, grassy meadows, scenic viewpoints and an artificial lake, Lac aux Castors, with an attractive pavilion. It is the vantage point for viewing downtown and the St. Lawrence River (as seen in upper photo.)
 

In the heart of Old Montréal lie the city's finest plazas and heritage buildings, including churches, banks, and converted shops and warehouses. Rue St. Paul is the main pedestrianized street.
 

The Basilique Notre-Dame is Montréal's ecclesiastical treasure, a dramatic example of Gothic Revival architecture, with blue and gold-starred vaults and stained glass windows depicting the religious history of the city.

The 100-year-old sailors' memorial clock tower is in Montreal's Old Port next to a man-made beach across from St. Helen's Island.
 

The Old Port is a park and fun zone that parallels the St. Lawrence River for 2.5 kilometers. It has walking and bike paths, boat tours, a ferris wheel, and a zipline.
 

McGill University, founded in 1812 and located on the slope of Mount Royal, offers degrees and diplomas in over 300 fields of study. Montréal has two other universities.
 

Downtown's modern glass skyscrapers and shopping galleries contrast with the 19th-century heritage buildings.

Rue Sherbrooke is a magnificent boulevard lined with grand historical homes, clubhouses and hotels. It is where the Museum of Fine Arts (Musée des Beaux-Arts) is found along with many galleries and displays of public art.
 

The Musée des Beaux-Arts has a collection of 45,000 pieces laid out in 5 pavilions, spanning Medieval to Modern times, and specializing in Québécois, Inuit and decorative arts.

Throughout downtown and the Plateau there are numerous wall murals, the most famous being the portrayal of beloved musician and poet, Leonard Cohen.
 

Jean Talon Market, in little Italy, is one of North America's largest open-air markets and features fresh and locally grown or produced foods.

The market has kiosks specializing in fruit and vegetables, flowers, artisanal cheeses and sausages, baked goods and local crafts.
 

Montreal hosted an international exposition in 1967, and the Olympics in 1976. Facilities at Olympic Park include a stadium, a biodome and a planetarium. (Roger Hart, Wikimedia Commons)
 

Montréal is especially reknowned for its generations-old bagel bakeries and smoked meat shops, the most recognized being Schwartz's Meat Shop.

130 kilometers north-west of Montréal lies the resort area of Mont-Tremblant known for its outdoor recreational activities, especially skiing.

Mont-Tremblant lies within the Laurentians Mountain Park, an area of lakes, rivers and forests which are especially attractive in the autumn as the leaves change color.