Page 249 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Canada

GREAT VIEW
From the Top
The Montreal Tower’s
observatory sits some
540 ft (165 m) high,
and offers stunning
city views. Signs point
out sights of interest
as far away as 50 miles
(80 km).

In-situ displays beneath
the floors of Musée 8 "'-=
Pointe-a-Calliere Olympic Park
 B1 ⌂ 3200 Viau St
q Viau, Pie-IX # Jun–Sep:
The steep green bump that rises above 1–10pm Mon, 9am–10pm
the city center is only 767 ft (234 m) Tue–Sun; Oct–May: 1–6pm
high, but Montrealers call it simply Mon, 9am–6pm Tue–Sun
“la montagne,” or “the mountain.” ∑ parcolympique.qc.ca
Designed for the 1976 Olympic
Games, Montreal’s Olympic
of First Nations artifacts and became a park in 1876, when Park showcases a number of
exhibits that illustrate the the city bought the land and stunning modern buildings.
birth of Montreal. The museum hired Frederick Law Olmsted, French architect Roger Taillibert
consists of six buildings that the man responsible for created the Stadium, now
stand above several archeao­ designing New York’s Central known to many Montrealers
logically significant sites Park, to landscape it. Olmsted as “The Big O,” a reference to
showcasing major periods in tried to keep it natural, its round shape. The stadium,
the history of the city, including building a few lookouts linked which can seat 56,000, is used
an old Custom House from by footpaths. Succeeding today for concerts by inter­
1836, the city’s first Catholic generations have added national stars, as well as for big
cemetery, and the remains of Beaver Lake; a 98­ft­ (30­m­) exhibitions, and as a modern
the city’s early sewage and high cross made of steel attraction in a historic city.
river system. The Mariner’s girders; and the Voie Camillien­ Arching up the side of the
House building hosts Houde, a thoroughfare that stadium is the Montreal Tower,
simulated archaeological digs cuts through the park from which is the world’s tallest
that kids will enjoy, and the east to west. inclined tower and offers fine
L’Arrivage Bistro, upstairs in The mountain’s 250 acres views. A cable car can take
the Éperon building, has lovely (101 ha) of meadows and visitors to its viewing deck in
views of the Vieux­Port. hardwood forests still offer under two minutes. Nearby,
Montrealers a precious escape the Biodôme environmental
from urban life, as well as museum (closed for renovation
7 spectacular views of the city. until summer 2019) replicates
four world climates, while the
The wide terrace in front of
Parc du Mont-Royal the Chalet du Mont­Royal Esplanade Financière Sun Life
pavilion looks out over the offers free outdoor activities
 A2 £ Central Station
@ 11, 165, 180 q Mont- skyscrapers of the downtown for all the family on weekends.
Royal # 6am–midnight core. The northern boundary
of the park abuts two huge
daily ∑ lemontroyal.qc.ca
cemeteries: the Catholic
The steep green bump that Notre­Dame­des­Neiges and Did You Know?
rises above the city center is the old and stately Cimetière
only 767 ft (234 m) high, but Mont­Royal (Mount Royal No building in Montreal
Montrealers call it simply ‘‘la Cemetery), where many of is allowed to be taller
montagne,’’ or ‘‘the mountain.’’ Canada’s finest rest. The latter than “the mountain” –
Jacques Cartier gave the peak was designated a National hence the city’s lack
its name when he visited in Historic Site in 1999, just of skyscrapers.
1535, and it, in turn, gave its three years short of its
name to the city. The hill 150th birthday.
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