19 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Montreal

At one corner of Place Royale in Vieux-Montréal is the Pointe-à-Callière, now marked by a striking modern building housing a museum of archaeology and history.

The Musee des Beaux Arts is the oldest museum in Canada and houses vast collections of painting, sculpture, and new media.

Visited by over one million people a year, the Montreal Biodome is a must-see attraction when visiting — especially if you have children. This massive complex is home to four different indoor ecosystems: the Tropical Rainforest, the Laurentian Maple Forest, the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and the Sub-Antarctic Islands.

Île Sainte-Hélène (named after the wife of Samuel de Champlain) and the artificial island of Notre-Dame were the site of Expo '67. They are now known as Parc Jean Drapeau and have many family-minded attractions.

The Oratoire Saint-Joseph, near the western exit from Mount Royal Park, is dedicated to Canada's patron saint. It is a mecca for pilgrims, with its huge Renaissance-style domed basilica dating to 1924.

Founded in 1656, Montréal's oldest church, Notre-Dame Basilica, stands in a far grander incarnation than the original.

High above the city in the grounds that hosted the 1976 Summer Olympic Games, Parc Maisonneuve (Pie IX Metro) is the site of Montreal's wonderfully imaginative Jardin Botanique.

Mont-Royal rises 233 meters above the city and is the green lung near the city center.

In the summer, boat tours leave from the docks here. If you really want to soak up the sun there is even a man-made beach at the base of the clocktower with views back to the city or out over the river. In the winter, strap on your skates and take a twirl on the huge ice-skating rink.

s you wander around Old Montreal, you'll most likely end up in the lively area by the Saint Lawrence River known as the Old Port (Vieux-Port).