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Parc du Mont-Royal
Category: Active Life Parks Parks [Edit]
1260, Chemin RemembranceMontréal, QC H3H 1A2
(514) 843-8240
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
73 reviews for Parc du Mont-Royal
70 reviews in English
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Review from Loli L.
12/13/2011
Loved it! The view from the top was completely worth the trek through the snow. We kept imagining what it would look like in the Spring, Summer, and Fall and figured that people who lived nearby are completely lucky. We passed by children playing in the snow, cross country skiers, people biking (in the snow!), jogging, etc.
The lake was frozen over so there was no boating but some of the other buildings were open and we enjoyed seeing a cute little Lego display of the park by some schoolchildren.
Even if nothing else, it's a gorgeous walk and a lovely view. It would be a shame to go to Montreal and not pay this beautiful park a visit.Listed in: Montreal without a car
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Review from Clare L.
3/18/2012
This rating is based on the condition the Lookout was in. (Not the actual park)
I wanted to show my guests a cool view of Montreal from atop. I had told them how you get this pretty awesome view where you can see the Olympic Stadium, and the stretch of the city to the East. I also let them know that its a pretty busy spot most of the year but it seemed like a good clear day to check it out.
The first thing that disappointed me, was when we got out and walked towards the view, and noticed that everything smelled like beer, but not the nice smell of beer. We are talking when you shut down an old bar, and everyone has left, and the smell of many decades of spilled beer soaked into the bar smell. Oddly enough, we were outside though. The second disappointment was the sign depicting the different landmarks of Montreal, it was completely hidden by graffiti tags.
I hope to see Montreal clean that spot up, it's a beautiful spot that I have enjoyed and shown to many friends that come and visit. This is the first time that I brought someone up there that understood how it could be nice, but felt that it was a shame it was not kept up properly. -
Review from Sam D.
Outremont, QC
4/25/2012
I always go there for a run. Try the famous stairs, which are ridiculously hard to run 2 by 2. Incredible cardio park for runners. Strongly recommended, a Montreal landmark.
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Review from Colleen R.
10/15/2011
Walking up to the lookout point near the top of Mont Royal was a highlight of our trip to Montreal.
The park itself is gorgeous, and was designed by Frederick Olmstead, who also designed NYC's Central Park. In September, it was lush, verdant and filled with just enough people to remind us that we weren't in the middle of the forest -- although we did spot a raccoon hiding in a little hole in the top of a tree!
After walking on the path for a few miles (oops, kilometers) and noticing we were slowly gaining altitude, we took a staircase up (maybe the equivalent of 5 minutes on a StairMaster) and emerged at the Kondiaronk Belvedere (what a badass name), a lookout point -- not the tippy top of the "mountain" but definitely near the summit. From there, we had a great vantage point to take in the whole city, especially the skyline. Fortunately, there was also a chalet open to the public with nice, clean restrooms.
It was only a short walk from the chalet to the Smith House, which sells gifts, and more importantly, sorbet.
Once we made it back down the stairs and down the hill, we emerged back into the city at the doorstep of the McGill campus, enabling us for more urban exploration (i.e. a lot more walking).Listed in: Montreal on the cheap.
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Review from Sara R.
9/29/2011
A hike up to the top of Mont Royal is an experience not to be missed if you're ever in Montreal. It doesn't take too long, but I would recommend leaving enough time to take a stroll around and take in the beautiful scenery. I was able to climb up the stairs (this is the shortcut) in about an hour - starting from the bottom of the street (corner of Peel and Maisonneuve). I stopped a lot along the way, as I wasn't feeling too well that day, so it's probably hike-able in less than an hour if you're full of energy that day. :) The final 100 steps or so are quite steep and nearly a vertical trek up, so it's something to keep in mind.
If you choose to take the leisurely route and stop through other historical spots, it is supposed to take about three hours. It's also allegedly a lot less steep, as the incline is gradual. I highly recommend checking out Frommers' "Walking Tour 3 or 4", which is a detailed self-guided tour through and up Mont Royal.
Once you reach the top of the stairs, you'll be at the Chalet du Mont Royal. It's a breathtaking view of the entire city, and I was lucky to be there on a sunny, but cool day. Even though it was the tail end of summer, the late afternoon breeze up there was quite chilly for an LA native such as myself!
You can continue past the Chalet, through a gravel-ish road that will lead you to the Croix (the cross atop the mountain). It takes about 10-15 minutes to get there from the Chalet, but it's a lovely walk through a visual of greenery that is so worth it.
Location is easy to get to, as the uphill trek starts in downtown area (very close to McGill University and the Peel or McGill metro stops). Do it! -
Review from Yvonne T.
11/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
Being here in November would no doubt limit the amount of activities happening at Parc Mont Royal - but its still worth the trek to get to the top to see the view of Montreal. If my legs weren't absolutely shot from all the walking I'd been doing I would've probably come here and jogged to the top.
The park mostly consists of joggers and walkers now with an insane population of grey squirrels I've ever seen! They are definitely not shy nor hungry as the locals feed them! We had a pack if almonds from the plane so we got some squirrel-feeding action of my own. -
Review from Chris Y.
8/26/2011 5 photos
This park is huge -- it's Montréal's equivalent of Central Park in NYC or Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. There are massive open spaces and wide, groomed-dirt trails for people to walk, bike, or jog. If you take the trails all the way up to the top, there's a huge empty building that looks like it could host giant receptions and galas, with a large patio with a great view of the city.
There's a giant pond with paddleboats in the summer, and ice skating in the winter! Plenty of picnic areas, too.
It's definitely a great spot to check out if you are in Montréal. Especially since the park is FREE! (parking costs money, though).
OHMIGOD - I just realized that the entire city of Montréal is named after this place!!Listed in: The Best Things in Life are…, Montréal in a Day
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Review from Cathy Z.
9/18/2011 1 photo
In case you're feeling a little adventurous, I just want to mention something that may not have been mentioned in previous reviews.
Once you reach the Chalet du Mont Royal with the large circular viewing area where all the tourists linger around and take photos, that's not the highest you can go. If you're facing the Chalet, keep walking behind it up some stairs and you'll see a park. Instead of going around the park along the paved road, cut straight to back of the park and you'll see some unpaved entry way into what looks like a hiking trail. Keep walking and you'll find yourself in a forest. I stumbled upon it by accident because I didn't want to walk along the pavement and was so glad I did. The locals must all know about it because I saw a couple of people jogging in there with their dogs, but it's a heavenly area to be in if you want to take the road less taken. See pic: http://www.yelp.ca/biz....
Once you enter the trail, it'll take you only 15-20 minutes to get to the top. You also have several chances to cut out of the trail and return to the paved road if you want. I may be wrong but once I reached the top, there was no view, but the trail itself is worth checking out. -
Review from Schuyler L.
8/10/2011
Great park! We went twice, once at night. We couldn't stand the teenagers with their weed smoking and their bad francophone pop/rap/thumping music in their Mitsubishis. Also, prostitutes hook at Mont-Royal overlook at night.
During the day it was beautiful and well worth the drive. -
Review from Tim H.
9/10/2011
The hike up from the south or east is totally worth it. The view of the city is spectacular. Awesome photo ops. The park is clean and the paths are nice. The chateau at the top is a great place to chill and eat a sack lunch.
This is a MUST SEE when visiting Montreal. I have only been in late summer but I am sure all seasons in the park are amazing. -
Review from Kevin S.
10/16/2011 1 photo
Ah, Parc du Mont-Royal -- c'est magnifique!
Who doesn't like getting lost in an enchanted forest? A forest inhabited by runners, families, couples, in-line skaters, bikers, children... and squirrels. Lots of squirrels. Really though, if you're entering from Ave. des Pins & Rue Peel, head off the paved Chemin Olmsted as you head up, up and up (but don't take the main staircase that leads up) ... and before you know it, you will be lost (true story)! But have no fear, before you realize it (well actually, after a fair amount of hiking) you will find yourself at le Chalet du Mont-Royal. Step down to the front terrace area and take in the view of the city, turn around and take in the Chalet, and ... exhale. -
Review from Sarah L.
2/8/2012
Great views of the city and tons of great hiking trails. Make sure to walk to the chalet that overlooks downtown Montreal.
Listed in: Montreal Eats
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Review from Jorej Z. E.
Cote-Saint-Luc, QC
8/5/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Mont-Royal park is designed by the same person that designed Central Park in New York. I used to think that when I went to the park I was "going to the mountain" but actually Montreal very much IS the mountain!
So the park area is like central park, meaning there it is right in the center in this case on top of (which is very exciting) this amazing warm artistic creative mysterious city.
Considering Montreal has the largest underground city in the world it is quite a thrill to go deep down into the underground into the tunnels and such, and then come up to the park on top. Where else can you experience a mountain so intimately from on top, underground, and all around.
Take the number 11 bus to to get to Mont Royal park, and be real, it is Mount REAL after all. As well as Mount Royal. Regal AND real :) Nice combination in my books. -
Review from Tom K.
6/1/2011
The first 30 seconds of Arcade Fire's "Wake Up" should be blasting from loudspeakers when you make it to the Chalet du Mont-Royal in the Parc du Mont-Royal.
That audio clip would neatly summarize the experience of increasing awe as your eyes behold the vast expanse of the city.
An Olmsted designed park (see Central Park,Prospect Park NYC), although his influence was more limited here, I place this destination in the "active pursuits" category of parks as opposed to strolling, laying around on grass and doing little or nothing park.
You'll need to be fairly active to ascend the many steps to the 700 foot high mountain at the center. Biking and jogging are two popular ways of traversing the Chemin du Olmstead that wraps around the park.
There's also a beaver lake that hasn't any beavers but does have paddle boats for rent.
And when I finally made it to the Croix du Mont-Royal I felt like I may have been hallucinating-- this is one large cross! I almost expected a Monty Python-esque foot to fall from the sky next but that didn't quite happen.
Lasting impressions on my visit to the Park include:
1. Where was the garbage? Not even a casually tossed coke can? Anybody?
2. A friendly local joking with me in French about having to pay 25 cents to use the water fountain.
3. Not finding the proper stair case to descend from the Chalet and instead scrambling down a muddy incline with my wife, holding on to branches for dear life.
4. The view from Chalet. Truly impressive.
5. The bathrooms in the Chalet. Clean!
6. No vendors selling snacks except for the vending machines I spotted in the Chalet. Maybe that explains point 1, the absence of garbage?
7. I need to relearn how to ride a bike so as to traverse the Chemin faster than walking.
So if you are visiting Montreal for the first or in my case second time, I highly recommend dedicating a sunny afternoon to exploring Parc du Mont-Royal...and it's free!Listed in: Whither Canada? Eats, Shoots…
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Review from Lauren M.
8/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
Fab park to burn off all the poutine!!! Lots and lots of stairs to climb but worth it for a memorable view of Montreal.
They need to improve signage and have trail maps more readily available so women with no sense of direction can avoid getting lost. -
Review from Tiffany Z.
8/30/2011
Ok so this is basically a Gigantic park.
Huge, so pick which part you wanna go to if you don't wanna walk a lot. I say stick to the top, because it has an amazing view of Montreal.
Masion smith is like super tiny.
Excellent for long runs and bikes. Strolls etc...
Oh and it's FREE!!!!!!
Another good point: go all the way up mount royal, there's a spot for parking and the whole city can be seen, great during the day and breath taking at night..and at night it's full of raccoons!!!!!! U can feed them.but obviously be careful -
Review from Caroline W.
Scarborough, ON
5/18/2011
The first time I made the trek to the top of Mont Royal was in the winter. It involved a lot of walking uphill, walking over some tiny streams (that were still running), walking up some steep rocky bits and some flights of stairs, slipping sometimes, but it was worth it. The view from the top is incredible, you can see much of the city. I went during the nighttime, so I could see all the buildings lit up and could point out some landmarks, such as te Olympic Stadium. The way up may have been more difficult, but the walk back down proved to be much easier.
I returned again this spring, and it was a much different experience. It was raining and foggy, but wasn't too chilly or anything. My group took a different route this time. In the winter we had walked up some roads, but this time all we did was take some stairs to walk up (which were the same stairs I took on the way back down during my trek in the winter). Walking up the stairs was lengthy, but again well worth it. Because it was foggy you couldn't see too much of the city, but it was beautiful seeing the rain fall from that high up.
If you love nature like myself, it's a pretty amazing hike to take, being surrounded by the trees. It'l become a place for myself to go to for every trip made to one of my favourite cities.Listed in: J'adore Montréal
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Review from Monica B.
Toronto, ON
1/26/2011
This place is a must to visit if you're in Montreal! I went to this mountain during the winter time, and the mountain looked so beautiful! I'm sure this place is wonderful all year around.
You can hike up the mountain or drive up. My hubby and I drove up and ended up at Beaver Lake. You can take the stairs up as well, which happened to be opened even during the winter season. There was a building there beside Beaver Lake where you can rent skis & skates for a small price. Beaver Lake was frozen and many people were ice-skating on it. Kids were enjoying their time tobogganing and many others were having a great time skiing.
Up on the mountain, there is a boutique and small cafe in the Smith House. The boutique was nothing special; it was like a store you would find at the zoo. Also, on the top of the mountain you have a breathtaking view of the city below- worth seeing!Listed in: Montreal, My Top Rated
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Review from monica c.
3/26/2011 6 photos
Doubting my ability to bear the 10 degree weather for an extended period of time, I carefully bundled myself in about 8 layers of clothes and embarked on my quest up the mountain. Only to realize that in hiking up a mountain, one becomes quite toasty, and thus it's fairly unnecessary to wear every sweater and coat you own.
I've only been during the winter, but it was an amazing hike with ridiculously rewarding views at the top. Except for the red "s" that is so prominent from almost every viewpoint (see pics). Really though, it's a winter wonderland.
Super fun to slip and slide down the closed staircases. I'm pretty sure the whole park would be closed in the US for fear of crazy lawsuits. Props to Canada for keeping it open and trusting people to use decent judgment. Or, if you're like me, use poor judgment but blame it on yourself if anything bad happens.
Can't wait to return this summer and see how it is when it's warm outside. -
Review from Dave H.
8/5/2010 13 photos
From the mount, you've an impressive view of the city, even in poor weather.
Even though there's tons of folks boating, running, and walking, there's still tons of space for you to have space. During the winter, hit up the ice rink for your ice rinking needs.
Check out the public art: sculptures fill at least one field here, and there's ducks all over. (Yes, ducks are public art.) -
Review from Jen H.
8/2/2010
Parc du Mont-Royal is a nice place to escape for a few hours, or the day. It is what you make of it. You can either take the stairs straight up to the Chateau or you can use the path to wanter around more leisurely and see sights like Beaver Lake, the International statue garden, then the Chateau, cross, etc.
There is an information center which sells ice cream, coffee, and snacks near the sculptures. They also have a public rest room and a large grassy area so if you were planning to have a picnic, this is a great spot. Plenty of room for kids (or adults who behave like children) to frolic around and play, have a great view of sculptures, the lake, etc. From this area it is only a short walk (I think it is 0.6km) to the Chateau where you will have a great panoramic view of the city.
The day that I ventured to the top of Mont-Royal I was able to see some band shooting a music video, some tourists, some local families, athletes, and photo bugs. Seems like this park has a little something for everyone. -
Review from Jennifer R L.
London, ON
3/7/2011
This has got to be the coolest park in Montreal and going up Mont-Royal is an amazing experience. When I lived in Montreal years ago, I used to love going up to the observation deck, I have been all weather and season and the scenery has always been beautiful! If you are in Montreal, this is a must-visit attraction!
Cheers -
Review from Jason P.
2/17/2011 3 photos
Nice public park offering beautiful views of the city. But make sure to go on a sunny day, otherwise you won't see anything.
During the winter, there is a free skating rink (skate rentals are also available) and public snow tubing lanes.
Parking is $2.75 CAD per hour or $8.00 for the day. -
Review from Krsna V.
9/6/2008
Stunning views.
A cool late-summer evening, we get out of our hotel room, and take a hike to Mont Royal. I am not going to go in to the history behind it because that is what the Encyclopedia (or WIkipedia, if you are one of the Wiki fans) is for.
It took us about 40 minutes to get to the top. It was an invigorating walk. Definitely wear sneakers. We passed by bicyclists, both leisure and professional.
There is a huge viewing area, once you get to the top. You get a beautiful view of the city and the river surrounding it. It makes for an excellent picnic spot. Too bad, we didn't bring any food. We could have had a great dinner on top of the mountain.
A definite visit when you are in Montreal.
P.S. It is designed by the same guy who designed Central Park in NYC.Listed in: Montreal - The land of hot…
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Review from Joey B.
Montréal, QC
6/29/2010
Every Sunday there is a giant drum circle, with dancing hippies and dozens of craft vendors. The park is huge, but this event, called the Tam Tams (English translation: drum drums, basically), takes place right off Parc avenue cross street Rachel (Rachel doesn't cross Parc at this point, but if it did, it would hit the Tams). Look for a big monument with a winged angel on the top, and you're there. You can take the 80 bus from downtown, or you can jump on a BIXI and ride there. There are two BIXI stands near the Tams, one directly across the street and another at Parc and Mont Royal. They are often full, but they turn quickly, so just wait it out. You can get a free 15 minutes if the stand is full, just poke the dispenser machine.
The Tams are amazing, and very family friendly, too. There are dogs, hippies, girls in bikinis, young people, old people, Rastas, acrobats, jugglers.
Near the Tams, but further in, away from the road, something absolutely bug-nuts awesome happens. People gather on a dirt battle field and wallop each other with medieval weapons covered in foam. Some of them are dressed in pretty impressive battle armor. They take it very serious, and oh man is it a great thing to watch. If you've never seen this go down, check it out for sure.
So, Sunday on the mountain. There's no place I'd rather be, full stop. -
Review from Sami A.
9/9/2011
The park itself is really nothing special. It is your typical northern city park. Apparently there is a hippie drum circle each Sunday called the Tam Tams, so I'm going to have to knock off a star because why would you allow that?
Listed in: Montreal
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Review from Mathieu B.
Roxboro, QC
2/22/2009
You're a Sunday Pothead that enjoys African rythms? You're an upcomming athlete training hard and want to run in a safe Envrionment? You're a family with a car but no money to spend looking for a nice place so kids can enjoy a place to run and have a nice pique-nique? You're simply an amateur of Nature?
Well Parc Mont-Royal is the place for you. An extrordinary panorama of Montreal, It's definietly a Must see in Montreal.
For people who's affraid it might look like a place everybody climbs, the local public transportation takes you up there. If you do have a car, there's a lot of Parking too. -
Review from Derrick V.
7/10/2010
For those of you familiar with the makeshift drum/rhythm sessions at UC Berkeley's Sproul Plaza, you'll find an even bigger and more impressive session happening on Sundays at Parc du Mont-Royal, called Tam Tam Jam.
Come watch and groove to the beats, or bring a cowbell and partake yourself.Listed in: Montreal
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Review from PC W.
8/7/2008
I finally made it to Mount Royal on my most recent visit. It's not the easiest walk up but there are stairs at some parts of the walk. I wouldn't recommend this for the elderly or if you have kids in tow. Once you get to the top, you're treated to the best views of the city. Plenty of photo opps.
The parc's designer also designed NYC's Central Park. -
Review from Amber D.
9/11/2011 2 photos
I went to Montreal over a year before writing this for a week long birthday vacation with my boyfriend. Growing up in the Midwest, United States, I spent most of my life deprived of mountainous regions. Before we even arrived to the city, I was determined to climb my first mountain - Mont Royal.
After experiencing a few days of the city, we made the venture from our hotel in Longueuil to the park (after a brief stop for meat pies at Tourtiere Australienne! YUM!!). Never one to follow conventional wisdom, (or previously marked trails, for that matter) I - the trail guide for the day - decided to bush-wack our way up the side of the mountain. About half-way up, without a trail in sight, we realize that we've gotten ourselves into a bit of a situation. Above us was steep, crumbly dirt that was still wet from the rain from the last couple days. Below us was a slightly less steep drop, but jagged rocks, broken glass bottles, the few trees we'd been using to pull ourselves up, and just as much crumbly ground. With no choice at that point but to continue on, we scaled the side of the mountain by digging into the dirt until we finally found a path to continue on to.
From the grounds around Chalet du Mont-Royal, you can see the whole city spread out in all of it's glory below you. We arrived just before dusk, so we had the immediate transition from the sunny scenery, to the rosy glow lending its light to the vista below.
We found our way in the quickly departing light to the Croix du Mont-Royal - the peak of the mountain, and while I was busy taking pictures of the cross at night, my boyfriend was rummaging through his bag. I turned around to see what he thought of the view as he was getting down on his knee with a small box in his hand. He asked if I would climb more mountains with him, then he asked me to marry him!
The Parc du Mont-Royal, and its namesake mountain will always hold a special place in my heart, but even if you don't have the same sentimental experience, it's still a great place to see! -
Review from Sunny M.
3/10/2009
This is the must thing in Montreal. It's by far one of the most beautiful scenes I've ever seen.
First of all, you do a nice hiking exercise until you get up in there, you might really hate life, or why you didn't run extra miles on the treadmill before you left LA to visit Montreal. But every negative thought is disappeared when you see the WHOLE CITY of MONTREAL before your eyes. Wonderful view!!!!!!
You can spend some time just enjoying the view and the flowers behind you.
Enjoy " ) -
Review from Collin W.
6/27/2011
I did not exactly do any research before heading up here (I sometimes forget that yelp has ratings for anything other than dining establishments. Actually, I often forget that there is more to life than eating in general, for that matter). My thought process was, "Well, I'm only up here for a while and I've got some free time; I should try to make it to the top of that big hill over there." I went up via the two-lane gravel road off of park avenue, coupled with the massive set of stairs. The quicker way, for the record, I found on the way back, which is to go up the gravel switchbacks off of rue pins right behind the McGill campus. Either way, at the top of the steps, going left and up a further gravel path leads one to the Chalet, with some local vendors and excellent views. The better view, in my opinion, is had by going to the right at the top of the long staircase and then following the path there for a couple hundred yards. There's a small platform with sweeping views to the northeast.
I was also interested to see that someone else had alluded to seeing a band shooting a music video up there. When I went up myself (6/27/2011), there was a bigtime video production going on at the top near the chalet, with trucks full of equipment and staff directing people around the filming site. Must be the cool thing to do around here. -
Review from Katya M.
Winnipeg, MB
10/19/2011
Parc du Mont-Royal has probably one of the prettiest views of a city. It is definitely worth going to. Probably one of my biggest highlights.
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Review from Matthew A.
8/7/2008 7 photos
This is perhaps one of my favorite places in Montreal.
I love climbing the mountain, starting off by McGill University and then up to the top for the panoramic view.
One can see for miles and miles on a clear day, just breathtaking.
Fall foliage is the best time in my opinion.
It can be a hearty climb for the young or even a frail elder can walk up the long "s" shaped road to the top.
C'est Bon! -
Review from Dave L.
11/10/2008 2 photos
Stair Master!
Mont Royal is a really nice park with wide trails and great views. You can hike to the top relatively quickly if you take the stairs... a must see stop for tourists. Don't be discouraged by the mountain, it's really not that bad. There's even a big building at the top with bathrooms, banquet hall, and store.
Tips: Stretch before hitting those steps!Listed in: Montreal & More
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Review from Teena D.
8/9/2010 13 photos
Definitely a place you want to check out if you are in Montreal.
You can take the path that meanders up to the top or take the stairs (I took the stairs). The stairs are quite steep and there are a lot of them but the view of the city when you get there is worth the climb! Plus it's a great workout! -
Review from Janel Y.
6/11/2010 3 photos
This is such a large park and not only does it offer green grass for picnickers, dog walkers and sun worshipers, it also provides terrain for those who want a hike, run or bike ride.
We decided to walk the park and didn't really plan on walking to the top, but the more we walked, the more we reasoned that we were just getting closer to the top so we finally decided to just make that our goal.
The walk to the top took us about an hour. The terrain is gravel and it's quite shady. The way to the top is by long switchbacks up the mountain and then a long set of stairs to the top. Once you reach the top, you're rewarded with a view of Montreal (on a clear day) and there's plenty of steps and chairs to sit and rest.
For our way down, we saw a short cut which basically when straight down the mountain via steps. It spit us out behind McGill University so if you don't want to take the long route up (what we did), you can take the short cut (the stairs) and just head straight up to the lookout area.
A fabulous park and nice escape from the city.Listed in: Experiencing the French…
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Review from Amy S.
7/31/2010
Since the city of Montreal gets its name from this hill overlooking the city, I knew that I had to make at least one trip there. I finally got my chance the last day of my trip when a colleague and I took a trip up there for the Tam Tams festival.
It was a lovely park, reminding me of Central Park in NYC or Hyde Park in London but with this also comes the feeling that its maybe a bit too big. I personally found Parc Lafontaine (http://www.yelp.ca/biz...) to be more my style urban park - a bit smaller, a bit more landscaped, and a bit more home-like.
We had problems finding places to sit because it was so popular that most of the benches were taken! We realize that the smart folks brought blankets with them so I'd suggest that if you're heading here, bring something to sit on if you're planning on resting your legs.
But you still must come here if you're visiting Montreal! There are beautiful views of the city and you realize why the city was founded after such a beautiful place.Listed in: Montreal, F-R-E-E, Free (Montreal…
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Review from Jeffrey K.
8/8/2008
I have such great memories from this park. I spent a good part of my youth in Montreal and sadly do not live there now, but try to get up there as often as possible. My grandparents took me there tobogganing, I went there with friends to hang out and explore. It is a magical part of Montreal -- from its peak to its base.
This is such a wonderful -- and huge (101 hectare or nearly 250 acres) -- park with so much to see and do. Everything from hiking, biking, skating, skiing, etc. I have climbed up the mountain and walked all along its trails and never get bored of it.
And don't forget about the views from the parking area at the top of the peak -- the BEST views of this wonderful city are here night and day. You can also start a small hike from here to the lighted cross at the top of the moutain.
Oh . . . and for those of you with religous or historical curiousity, there is also the 100+ year old St. Joseph's Oratory where supposedly 1,000's were healed there throughout the years. There are thousands on crutches on display which are supposed to have come from those who were healed there. Very moving place to visit -- even if you are not Catholic. (and shhhhh . . . don't tell anyone, but my cousin and I used to shoot off caps from the top balcony overlooking the parking area.) And it is gorgeous to look at in the evening when it is all lit up -- I used to love standing in our living room window before going to bed and seeing that lovely church all lit up -- especially in the winter time.
To sum it up, there is SO much to do in this oasis of a park which is in the heart of the city. Montreal would not be the city that is without the beauty of this park. So no matter what time of year you are there visiting -- or if you are lucky enough to be living there -- don't overlook Mount Royal, as there is something to see and do everywhere you turn. Or if you don't want to do anything at all, there is so much open space to just sit and relax.
There is always something going on there -- much like Central Park in NY -- to check out the happenings at Mount Royal, check them here: http://www.lemontroyal... -
Review from May N.
10/19/2010
Gorgeous park to visit in the fall - the leaves were so beautiful in the midst of their changing colors. We took the windy path to the top and skipped the stairs, taking one short cut at one point and beat several pairs we saw along the windy path. However, once we got to the top, we turned, and all we could see were trees and a parking lot. We headed west, and found three paths and a large lake, but never figured out how to get to "the top" for the views of the city skyline. Perhaps one should find a map so one know which trails to go. The few signs we saw were all in French and we don't read French too well.
Oh well, it was still lovely to see and we got a decent work out. Lots of people were jogging, bicycling, and a couple were even using walking sticks. We viewed the peace monument. I learned that hiking through nature tends to give me right knee pain. Not sure whether I'm not walking right or what. I should really stop hiking. There are plenty of benches and cute streams to enjoy if you can't go higher up the hill. Because it's not really a mountain, being only 700-something feet high.
Beautiful scenery. Poor signage.
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