In Montreal, tradition and dynamism are one and the same: cosmopolitan yet welcoming, Quebec's largest metropolis is a blend of cultures, flavours and stories coming to life in a relaxed atmosphere. A small French colony founded in 1642 once stood on the site of present-day Old Montreal, a district where you can take the pulse of a historic past. In the Old Port, among fashion boutiques, trendy restaurants, microbreweries and wine bars, Place d'Armes — home to the statue of the city's founder, Paul de Chomedey — and Place Jacques-Cartier preserve the city's foundations.
From the top of Mont Royal, which rises serenely right in the city centre, Montreal unfolds at your feet. Beyond downtown, the city as a whole, renowned for its open-mindedness, is a mosaic of neighbourhoods with varied architecture and influences: Chinatown, the Latin Quarter and the Village make Montreal, above all, a city of distinct boroughs.
