Montreal

Montreal is Canada's second-largest city, on an island in the St. Lawrence River about 1,600 kilometres inland from the Atlantic. Ships berth at the Grand Quay in the Old Port, directly below Old Montreal. Cobbled streets lead up to Place Jacques-Cartier and to Notre-Dame Basilica, completed in 1829, with its deep blue and gold interior. Pointe-à-Callière, the city's archaeology and history museum, stands on the spot where Montreal was founded in 1642. Mount Royal, the hill that gives the city its name, has a park laid out by Frederick Law Olmsted and a lookout over downtown, about 15 minutes away by taxi. The Mile End district is known for its wood-fired bagels, and Schwartz's on Saint-Laurent Boulevard has served smoked meat sandwiches since 1928. Poutine, chips with cheese curds and gravy, is sold all over town. French is the main language, though most people in shops and restaurants switch to English easily. The Canadian dollar is the currency.