Vieux-Port de Montréal, or the Old Port, is part of the Vieux-Montréal area of the city. Along with…read morethe adjacent area that's filled with shops and restaurants, this is one of the top destinations for tourists visiting the city. There's a lot to see and do here; the promenade is quite long, and is filled with great views of the water and surrounding architecture. One of the main focal points here is La Grande Roue de Montréal - a large Ferris wheel that sits right on the water's edge. Additionally, there are carnival rides, food trucks, ziplining, and a beach that's open seasonally. Since I was there in autumn, most of the attractions and beach areas were closed for the season. It was still a great experience though because there were clear views of the water and foliage in the background. I also found myself sitting, people watching, and soaking in the aesthetics. No matter what time of the year, though, it's definitely worth stopping here during your time in Montreal.

During our last visit, we spent some time just relaxing and hanging out around the Old Port. My…read morehusband and stepson got on the ferris wheel (La Grande Roue de Montréal) and had a great time, being able to see far from atop. The tickets were $28CAN per adult. There are also places to rent paddle boats and many benches to sit and enjoy the scenery. There are food trucks in one area of the Old Port and shops in another section A great place, day or night to hang out and people watch...

Wow! Just wow! I work for the city as well in a different borough, and it was the first time I ever…read morecame to this city hall. I went for Les jeux de montreal, the closing ceremony. It was huge and so beautifully! Truly a lovely experience.

The five-story Montreal City Hall (French: Hôtel de Ville de Montréal) is the seat of local…read moregovernment in Montreal. It was built between 1872 and 1878 in the Second Empire style. It is located in Old Montreal, between Place Jacques-Cartier and the Champ de Mars. The closest Metro station is Champ-de-Mars, on the Orange Line. It's open for public tours and it's a favorite spot of many guided tours.

"Mother, do you think they'll drop the bomb? Mother, do you…read morethink they'll like this song? Mother, do you think they'll try to break my balls? Ooh, mother, should I build the wall?" (Pink Floyd) It stood from 1961 through 1989. It was 87 miles long and stood between 11.5 and 14 feet high. It fully encircled West Berlin and separated it from East Berlin and East Germany It had 116 watchtowers that were manned 24 hours a day by armed guards to prevent East Germans from fleeing into West Germany. Over the years, somewhere between 100 -200 people were gunned down by guards trying to escape to the West. David Bowie in 1987 and Bruce Springsteen in 1988 held "pro-freedom" concerts at the wall. On June 12, 1987, President Ronald Reagan famously challenged Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev with the iconic words: "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" Two and a half years later, the wall became a thing of the past as public pressure against East Germany and mass protests from a growing populist movement led to the end of the wall. Crowds of East Germans on one side, and crowds of West Germans on the other side stormed the wall, climbing on it, pushing it over, and smashing it with hammers and pickaxes. Soon, the two governments began to officially dismantle and demolish the wall. Many Germans kept pieces of the wall as souvenirs, and larger sections traveled around the globe as pieces of public art and monuments. In 1992, this segment of the wall was donated by the city of Berlin to the city of Montreal on Montreal's 350th anniversary. The wall is covered in spray paint and graffiti and measures nearly 4 feet wide and 12 feet tall. It incongruously sits in an indoor office park mall on the lower level of the Centre de Commerce Mondial de Montreal. What an unexpected piece of history to run into.

You can see a real piece of history within the Centre de Commerce Mondial de Montreal…read more A segment of the Berlin Wall was given to the city of Montréal in 1992 for its 350th birthday. This segment of the wall comes from a location near the Brandenburg Gate. It was a bit surprising to find this in Montreal when I was there but it is rather cool.

The busy square of Place d'Armes is very much in the city center. The twin towers of Notre-Dame…read moreBasilica front the public space, as does the historic Bank of Montreal and its small museum. The Old Seminary of Saint Sulpice, adjoining the Basilica, dates from 1685. Place d'Armes is a key piece of Montreal, historically and aesthetically speaking. It is the oldest stone dwelling in a city where originally most buildings were constructed more cheaply and simply in timber. History is everywhere- At its center is a majestic Gothic fountain, a beautiful monument to Paul de Chomedey, the French military officer who founded Montreal. and it's surrounded by what seems like a "best of" Montreal monuments: Notre-Dame Basilica, the Saint-Sulpice Seminary, and the majestic Aldred building, an Art Deco icon built in 1931 for the New York-based Aldred & Company. The 23-story, tiered building has been called Canada's answer to the Empire State Building

Amazing square in Old Montreal! It is right in front of Notre Dame and has plenty of great…read moredecorations and sometimes has music playing.