Overview

Cosmopolitan, stylish, elegant, sophisticated...all the best adjectives apply to this island city that in many ways feels more European than North American - especially when you begin your visit with a walk through romantic Vieux Montreal, the Old City. From the Place Jacques Cartier, the café-lined plaza at the heart of the district, stroll past street performers, flower vendors, and horse-drawn carriages to the riverfront park at the Old Port, and gaze across the waters of the St. Lawrence River to Parc Jean Drapeau, a pair of sister islands (Ile St Helene and Ile Notre Dame) that host the Canadian Grand Prix in summer and legions of ice skaters in winter.

The island of Montreal is some 24 miles long, and throughout it is an isle of contrasts, from cobblestone streets and 18th-century architecture to skyscrapers and trendy clubs. Culture? Just park yourself at the Place des Arts, a vast performing arts center that is home not only to the city's symphony orchestra, ballet company, and opera, but also the world's largest jazz festival each summer.

Language (two-thirds of the city residents speak French, more than any city outside Paris) shapes the cultural landscape, but the dining scene tells you this is a multi-ethnic metropolis. And, yes, the winters can be brutal, but you can always take refuge in the warmth of the "Underground City," a maze-mall of some 2,000 shops and restaurants (and Metro stations) stretching for 18 miles beneath the city streets of the new Montreal.

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DINING

Is there a city with more exceptional French cuisine in North America? Not likely. Of the 5,000 or so restaurants in Montreal, a growing number are taking traditional French cuisine in new directions; it's sometimes called "French-Fusion", and gourmets will discover California/Pacific Rim nuances at Toqué, generally regarded as the city's finest restaurant. (Do make sure your credit card isn't near its limit.) For more down-home fare, stop in at bistros where you can BYOB of wine, or sample more than 60 varieties of cheeses that can rival their unpasteurized French cousins, and tarte au sucre, a maple sugar-flavored pie.

NIGHTLIFE

From pubs and jazz bars, to discos and strip clubs (legalized in 2001), always-lively Montreal offers Canada's best after-hours entertainment. If you're in the mood for a Pernod, take a taxi to Boulevard St. Laurent, where you can dine in a bistro and then hop from one dance club to another and never leave the same block. A short stroll away is the French-flavored Latin Quarter, where open-air cafés, bars (last call at 3 a.m.), and clubs along Rue Denis provide the summer backdrop for the Montreal Jazz Festival.

BICYCLING

A couple of years ago, Montreal was Bicycling magazine's pick as the best cycling city in North America -- and it's easy to see why. For starters, a 200-mile network of bike paths allows many city dwellers to commute by bike (or roller-blade). You can ride all around the island (a complete bike path guide is available in most bookstores), but start with the 7-mile section along the Lachine Canal. And, oh, yes, you can take your bike on the Metro...

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