By Dr. C.D. Sreenivasa Murthy

Recently I had an opportunity to visit Montreal for a second time after twenty-one years and it has changed a lot in the past two decades. Montreal is a vibrant and cosmopolitan city with a rich history and culture. It is the second-largest city in Canada and the largest city in the province of Quebec. Quebec was originally part of New France (French: Nouvelle-France) which was the territory colonised by France in North America. Montreal is located on an island in the Saint Lawrence River and it is home to a diverse population of over 17 lakh people.

Canada is a bilingual nation with English and French as the official languages.  Quebec is a large and the only French speaking province in Canada.  French is the most spoken language in Montreal, but English is largely understood.

 Montreal is a very diverse city with people of all ethnicities and races living in the city. When I took a taxi the first time it was a Moroccan driver, next time it was a man from Iran and the Uber from the hotel to the airport was driven by a man of Bangladeshi origin.

The history of Montreal spans over 400 years and is a rich and diverse one. The city was founded in 1642 by French colonists, and quickly became a major fur trading centre. In the 18th century, Montreal was captured by the British and became a major industrial and commercial centre. In the 19th century, Montreal was the largest city in Canada and played a major role in the development of the country. In the 20th century, Montreal became a major centre for culture and education and hosted the 1976 Summer Olympics.

Popular Tourist Destination

Montreal is a very popular tourist destination and it offers something for everyone. Visitors can explore the city’s historic Old Montreal, visit its world-class museums or enjoy its vibrant night-life. Montreal is also home to a number of professional sports teams.

It is a predominantly Catholic city and home to many grand and beautiful Churches. The grandest of these is the Notre-Dame Basilica (French: Basilique Notre-Dame de Montréal) in the historic district of Old Montreal. It is a masterpiece of Gothic Revival architectural style and was built in 1824-1829. Its twin towers remind us of the renowned Notre-Dame Basilica of Paris. The Basilica is very large and can seat 3,200 people. The Pipe Organ has 6,500 pipes, weighs 25 tons and is one of the biggest in the world. The altar, the stained glass windows  and the forest of wooden hand-carved brightly painted pillars make a grand spectacle,  particularly during the sound and light show.

Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal (French: Oratoire Saint-Joseph du Mont-Royal) is a Roman Catholic minor basilica and national shrine located on Mount Royal’s Westmount Summit in Montreal. It is a National Historic Site of Canada and is Canada’s largest church, with one of the largest church domes in the world. The Oratory is the highest building in Montreal, a popular pilgrimage site and  over twenty lakh people visit the Oratory each year.

VAST Underground City

Montreal, like most of Canada, gets harsh and punishing winters.  To escape these rigours,  the city has constructed a vast Underground City.  Also known as RÉSO, Montreal’s Underground City is a vast network of tunnels and passages that connect over 1,600 buildings, including hotels, office buildings, shopping malls, restaurants and theatres. It is the largest Underground City in the world, and it is a popular destination for tourists and locals alike.

The Underground City was built in the early 1960s as a way to protect people from the harsh punishing Canadian winters. It was also seen as a way to improve the flow of traffic and to create a more pedestrian-friendly environment.

The Underground City is divided into three main sections: The Ville-Marie district, the Vieux-Montréal district and the Quartier des spectacles district. The Ville-Marie district is the largest section and it is home to most of the major shopping malls and office buildings. The Vieux-Montréal district is the oldest section and it is home to many historic buildings and restaurants. The Quartier des spectacles district is home to the city’s theatres, concert halls and museums.

What is in Underground City

The Underground City is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It is a great place to escape the cold weather, to do some shopping or to simply get around the city without having to go outside.

Here are some of the things you can do in the Montreal Underground City:

• Shop at one of the many malls, including the Underground City’s largest mall, Place Ville-Marie.

• It is home to over 2,000 businesses and organisations.

• It has a total length of over 30 kilometres (19 miles).

• It is estimated that over 5 million people use the Underground City each day.

• The Underground City is a popular tourist destination, and it is estimated that over 10 million tourists visit it each year.

The Montreal Underground City is a great place to visit if you are looking for a unique and interesting experience. It is a great way to get around the city without having to go outside.

Museum at Olympic Park

The Biodôme de Montréal is a museum located at Olympic Park and it allows visitors to walk through replicas of four ecosystems found in the Americas. The Biodôme is one  of the largest natural science museum complexes in Canada. The four ecosystems represented in the Biodôme are: The Laurentian Maple Forest, The Sub-Antarctic Islands, The Tropical Rainforest and The Gulf of St. Lawrence.

The Montreal Biosphere is a museum dedicated to the environment in Montreal. It is housed in the former United States pavilion constructed for Expo 67 located within the grounds of Parc Jean-Drapeau on Saint Helen’s Island. The museum’s geodesic dome was designed by Buckminster Fuller, the renowned American Architect and Designer.

The Biosphere is a unique and important resource for learning about the environment. Here we can explore the museum’s exhibits on climate change, water conservation and biodiversity and take a walk through the Biosphere’s greenhouse, which features plants from around the world. The Biosphere’s observation deck offers stunning views of Montreal and Saint Lawrence River.

Entertainment shows

Cirque du Soleil’s shows are known for their high-energy performances, their innovative use of props and costumes and their unique blend of circus arts, dance and music. The company’s shows are family-friendly and visually stunning. Alegria is a high-energy show that features acrobatics, juggling and dance.

Montreal, with its extremely diverse population, gives diverse culinary experiences, with restaurants serving everything from traditional Quebecois cuisine to international fare. You can find restaurants serving up cuisine from all over the world in Montreal, including Chinese, Japanese, Italian, Mexican, Thai and Indian.

The city is a foodie’s paradise and has the highest ratio of cafes and dining places in the world. Being a strict vegetarian, I often find it difficult to get pure vegetarian food at eating places while traveling in Europe and North America. But Montreal is an exception with a very large number of vegan cafes and restaurants.

Cycling

The city is to navigate. There is a wide network of underground metro, with a large number of city buses with the same ticket holding good for both. The city encourages cycling. Plenty of cycle renting shops can be seen bringing memories of Mysuru city decades back. There are separate cycling tracks. Often we see long bikes pedalled by two people, reminiscent of old movies. Montreal is one of the most beautiful cities I have visited. The downtown has skyscrapers interspersed with majestic old Churches and stately public buildings. The old city is typically European with its grand Cathedrals, small lanes with innumerable eating houses, with the majestic St. Lawrence River flowing and the old Port. Montreal is truly magical.