The modern core — Downtown, with its towers, department stores, museums, the underground city, the university and the grand old mansions of the Golden Square Mile, at the foot of Mount Royal. Central, convenient and well-connected by metro, with the shops and museums on the doorstep; the base for travellers who want a practical, central location and easy access to everything, if less atmospheric. A handy, everyday-city base. Practical and well-placed.
A look around
What you’ll be living next to. Swipe through.
€260–480
typical per night in Canada
You pay for the postcode
One of the pricier addresses in Montreal.
Where it sits
The circle is Downtown & the Golden Square Mile and roughly a 10-minute walk around it.
How far is everything?
From the middle of this area to the city's headline sights — pick your own on the city page and these become your list.
- The summer festivals11 min walk922 m
- Notre-Dame Basilica15 min walk1.2 km
- Vieux-Montréal (Old Montreal)18 min walk1.5 km
- Poutine & the food scene19 min walk1.6 km
- The Old Port22 min walk1.8 km
- Street art & the murals22 min walk1.8 km
- The Plateau & spiral staircases8 min taxi2.5 km
- Montreal bagels & smoked meat10 min taxi3.4 km
On your doorstep
What you’re living next to if you stay here.
- 3.Mount Royal Park — The green heart of the city — Mount Royal, the leafy hill (designed by the man behind New York's Central Park) that gives Montreal its name, with wooded trails, a lake and, from the Kondiaronk Belvédère, a spectacular panorama over downtown, the river and beyond. Hike or stroll up for the view, join the Sunday-afternoon 'tam-tams' drum circle in summer, or toboggan in winter. A beloved, free escape into nature right in the city, and the best skyline view; go at sunset. A wonderful, essential highlight. Beautiful year-round.
- 8.Montreal Museum of Fine Arts — Canada's most-visited art museum — the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA), a superb, sprawling complex with a rich collection spanning old masters, Impressionists, Canadian and Inuit art, contemporary works and world-class temporary blockbuster exhibitions, all free for the permanent collection. A cultural highlight in the elegant Golden Square Mile, it easily fills a few rewarding hours; check what major show is on. A wonderful, cultured stop (and a warm refuge in winter). Excellent for art lovers; the permanent galleries are free. A city highlight.
- 12.The Underground City — A marvel born of Montreal's fierce winters — the RÉSO, or Underground City, the largest network of its kind in the world, a vast web of climate-controlled tunnels linking metro stations, shopping malls, food courts, offices and hotels beneath downtown. In the depths of winter you can shop, eat and explore for hours without ever going outside; it's a fascinating, practical curiosity and a lifesaver in the cold. Duck underground to escape the winter chill and browse the subterranean city. A quirky, only-in-Montreal experience. Handy and fascinating, especially in winter.
When are you staying?
Booking.com & Airbnb open searched to Downtown & the Golden Square Mile; flights via Google Flights.