Old Montreal
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
16 reviews for Old Montreal
16 reviews in English
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Review from Dan G.
8/2/2010 8 photos
Vieux-Montreal is far and away my favorite part of town. The city started here in 1642. No tour of this town would be complete without exploring the cobblestone streets that line the South side along the St. Lawrence River. You can actually walk through the old ruins at Pointe-a-Calleire. How cool is that?
This is the place for people watching, trinket shopping and general sightseeing. There are a lot of landmarks around here, so do your research and explore the history of town. Don't worry, just about everyone here speaks English and French and will throw the switch when you say "hello" and you'll be good. I made multiple loops through the Place Jacques-Cartier snacking on some great gelato. My Frommer's led tour was quite insightful and you know what? That building next to Basilique Notre Dame looks just like the Empire State Building. -
Review from Vic C.
1/26/2012
Beautiful place and a must for our first visit to Montreal. Old Montreal has that romantic and picturesque feel as soon as you lay your eyes on this place. With it's European style architecture and cobblestone roads that is parallel to the St. Lawrence River, it makes for a perfect stroll and date night. Even though this place may be a popular spot for tourists, I just didn't feel like it was. It was nice and quiet when we went and it was raining as well, felt like something out of a movie. There are a ton of restaurants and places to shop to buy random stuff and of course souvenirs.
You can take the Metro to get here like we did and venture out and take a ton of photos. You'll be glad you made a special trip out here. -
Review from Rho L.
8/29/2010
Quaint and historic area of Montreal, cobblestone walkways, shopping, little cafes where many tourists eat/drink and spend money on stuff that ends up collecting dust later on, but thats part of the visitor experience.
The streets, alley ways and architecture scream european. You almost forget that you're only a border hop away from the US.. In fact they have those little eye catching details down pat.
They also have horse drawn carriages for those who want to round out their old port experience (and piss off some of the crazy montreal drivers)....Listed in: I'm not ALWAYS eating you…
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Review from Antonio M.
8/17/2010 1 Check-in Here
Seriously? A business listing for a whole city? Really? Wow!
Well since it's here I guess I'll go ahead and review Old Montreal while the whole experience is still fresh in my little dinosaur sized pebble brain...
After driving for over 10 hours from the DC area to Montreal, visiting Old Montreal feels like my car magically sprouted wings and crossed the Atlantic at some supersonic speed. I could rub my eyes and pinch myself, but my senses and aforementioned little brain would still tell me, "Hey fatty, you're in some European town...check out the history! The sites! The smell of the food and the little outdoor cafes!"
To which I'd reply to my brain, "Hey, shut up you! I'll teach you to think on your own...here, have a tasty cerveza!"
"Cerveza! Yes! YES! YES!! Give me more fat boy! Umm ummm umm...*"
And then the voices in my head would slowly quell until they altogether ceased. And me sitting there with an impish smile and trace signs of drool pooling at the edge of a grin...as North America fades away into the background of common sense and I give into the notion that I am indeed in Europe.
Old Montreal is a mix of the old, the new and the very "Oui Oui". Walk for 5 minutes and you're bound to leave the old cobble stone streets to a newer more modern area as if to encase the historical pedigree of Montreal with a wall of high rise buildings and corporate letters. Walk another five minutes and you'll pass through the Chinatown arch with colorful reminders of yet another culture that is part of the Montreal melting pot.
There is so much to see, so much to do and so so much to eat. I just wish that I had a little more time in this city to enjoy a tasty brew at an outdoor table or to slowly sip a small cup of espresso as the citizens and tourists danced the dance of pedestrian life flowing between here, there and who knows where...
That my friends, is what Montreal means to me. :-) -
Review from Amy S.
7/29/2010
Warning - tourist trap ahead!
I like 'old' but I'm not sure that I would call Old Montreal 'old.' Maybe 'older' but not 'old.' There is certainly plenty to do here (shop, eat, drink) but most of it seemed more geared towards tourists than locals. When I travel, I tend to like to go where the locals go and avoid the touristy places so I didn't spend much time here after checking it out.
Most of the restaurants here serve the same things, for the same prices, but it is nice to be able to sit out on the patios and enjoy some nice weather.
Definitely check it out, but don't plan your entire trip around it.Listed in: Montreal, F-R-E-E, Free (Montreal…
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Review from Perky L.
7/4/2011
We thoroughly enjoyed our vacation to Montreal and this was the high point of the trip. Pedestrian friendly, abundance of cafes, nicely landscaped, lovely shops filled with French linens, soaps, ceramics, etc. Striking, old buildings, gorgeous river views and lots of points of interest. As many have probably said, for North Americans, Vieux Montreal is a European experience w/o the jet lag.
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Review from Tina C.
1/24/2010 6 photos
Bonjour les Américains!
As my good friend/kindred spirit who we share the same date/year and husband were tour guides to myself and my former love, I felt like I was transported back to Paris, France once again. Cobblestone streets filled with shoppes/small boutiques, restaurants, and old buildings with ornate detail of French flair architecture. The streets are immaculately clean! Old Montréal contains so much history as you're walking through an European village indeed. For history buffs and architects you will be intrigued.
Oui, Old Montréal is a must not miss! -
Review from Lindsey J.
6/11/2009
I'm not really going to review this...there is too much to review except to say if you find yourself with just a few hours in Montreal, this is probably the place to spend them. Check the other reviews for things to do.
I found the Montreal city website dedicated to a walking tour of Old Montreal incredibly helpful for learning the history of the area one building at a time. http://www.vieux.montr.... (With Pictures!) -
Review from Janel Y.
6/12/2010
On a nice day, you should head down to Old Montreal and walk on the cobblestoned streets. It's a great place for pictures, for souvenir shopping, for eating and for just people watching.
When you're done with this area, head over to the Old Port area along the water and do some more walking along this area. If you're tired of walking, you can always pay for: a horse-drawn carriage ride, a double/triple/quadruple seated bike or go to the water and rent a paddle boat.
A lovely area that even the locals appreciate, for we saw 4 pairs of newlyweds getting their photos taken around the area. -
Review from Roger G.
8/12/2008
Easily my favorite part of Montreal.
The old stone buildings and narrow cobblestone streets give you that very quaint feel of walking through an old European village.
The cafes provide plenty of opportunity for people watching while sipping on coffee or chomping down on your croques-monsieurs. If you manage to get a patio seat at one the restaurants on Place Jacques-Cartier you can even take in a show presented to you by street performers.
Art lovers can give their wallets a good workout at any of the many galleries that line up along Rue Notre-Dame.
The Basilica Notre-Dame is a must see for only $5 and for another $5 you can catch the light show which I hear is very beautiful.
If you tire of walking there are horse carriages waiting to whisk you away on a tour of the old town, the car drivers stuck behind it won't enjoy it so much however. :)
There is so much more to do, including the old port, but the above is a good start. -
Review from Jenni B.
5/14/2009 1 photo
Not to be missed is this historic area of Montreal, which if you love old buildings and architecture as much as I do, you will have your camera out and be taking photos non-stop!
Aside from the buildings there are many restuarants with lovely patios, shoppes to check in to, and if you want to be a really good tourist there are horse drawn carriages.
A must see in this city! -
Review from Andy H.
8/6/2008
When you walk the cobble stoned streets of Old Montreal, you feel like you are walking down a European street. So beautiful, so quaint and is a must for any person visiting Montreal. Great dining in the area.
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Review from jen d.
8/16/2008
Fabulous area of town to walk through - don't forget your camera. Unlike any "old" or historic part of any city in Canada (that I've been in anyway... Victoria, Vancouver, Toronto... I'm not sure if any part of Calgary is old...). An amazing feel to this area of Montreal, and lots of places to eat or drink coffee.
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Review from David B.
5/24/2010
Old Montreal is my favorite part of the city. If you like to view or purchase art for your home, love small coffee shops or even a good bar then this part of the city is the place for you to check out. There are the touristy spots there but the old feel of the city has not been lost there. Check out the City museum located near the water front. If you are staying downtown take a taxi or walk to the old city. Parking in this area is hard to find especially in the evening and weekends.
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Review from Paige C.
10/8/2008
C'est la meilleure région de Montréal! Les batiments, les shoppes, les galeries d'arts - tous sont très à la européenne
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Review from Chloe Y.
9/6/2009
I spent a couple days in Montreal, and Old Montreal was absolutely the best! It was beautiful and had such great character. I highly recommend going down to the Port.
