YANA'S WANDERLUST

Montreal is a fantastic city – beautiful and colourful with a unique atmosphere. It’s a big, vibrant megapolis where you can find all kinds of activities, restaurants and shops. But I really liked the contrast between all this energy and peacefulness, which is pretty easy to find here as well.

There are a lot of quiet green areas, and you don’t even have to go far from downtown to enjoy them. That’s priceless – peacefulness within a giant, vibrant city.
I also love the architecture. The mix of old and new is fantastic and sometimes very surprising.

Another of my favourite things about Montreal is the opportunity to experience its beauty from different angles. I’m a views chaser. I strive to find the best view for every new city or town I visit. And Montreal just nailed it!

There are a lot of great locations to enjoy the skyline and the best part – most of them for free. My favorite is Kondiaronk Belvedere. This huge observation terrace on Maunt Royal has the best view of gorgeous Montreal skyscrapers and the St. Lawrence River. It is mesmerizing, especially at sunset.

There is something very unique about this city. And that’s actually my favourite thing about Montreal. It’s the most Canadian city, in my opinion, and I’ll explain why in a minute.

Canada is a bilingual country with two official languages – English and French. But Montreal – it’s the only place you can actually feel it to the greatest extent. I don’t speak French much, except maybe a few sentences, but there’s so much charm in bilingual greeting Bonjour/Hello, which meets you in every coffee shop, grocery store or ticket kiosk. The conversations on the streets that jump from English to French or vice versa are pretty common in Montreal, which is very charming as well. And people in general are very nice and friendly, that’s pretty rare in big busy cities. It looks like no matter how much Montreal grows, it manages to keep its relaxed atmosphere intact.

Visiting Montreal is a unique and pleasant experience, and I would recommend it to everyone. If not for my devotion to the ocean, I would even consider moving here. But I really enjoyed visiting friendly and vibrant Montreal, and I hope you will too. Share your thoughts with me in the comments, and check the Montreal skyline at sunset time-lapse video: