Things you should know about Montreal

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Montreal perfectly blends the cheeky urbanity of the New World with the romantic charm of its historically flavored European districts. Although its skyscrapers are a testament to the economic influence of Canada’s second-largest city, visitors are most drawn to horse-drawn carriages and strolls through the cobbled streets of Old Town.

Montreal is located on an island, 50 km by 16 km, between the Rivière des Prairies and the Saint Lawrence River. "Discovered" by Jacques Cartier in 1535, the island was already inhabited and was known by the name of Hochelaga. In 1642, Hochelaga was abandoned in favor of European colonization. It was a French colony until 1760, when Montreal "fell" into British hands. Currently 67% of the inhabitants speak French, which makes Montreal the second French-speaking city in the world after Paris.

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The charming buildings of Old Montreal are today the “headquarters” of countless boutiques, bars, hotels and restaurants. The tallest leaning tower in the world can be visited at the top of the Olympic Stadium, a legacy of the 1976 Summer Olympics. In that same area you will find its immense Botanical Garden .

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You will get to know the ‘real’ Montreal in its neighborhoods. Boulevard St-Laurent , cuts you from east to west. It is the liveliest street in the city, where ethnic shops, bars and restaurants draw crowds late into the night . The best time to visit Montreal is in the summer, when even the nights can get sweltering and the entire city is partying at all hours.