Let’s binge-watch Montréal

The unique flavour of Montréal is what makes it so popular as a travel destination, but it’s always a challenge to describe in words. There’s nothing like seeing it for yourself! That’s why God invented YouTube.

Montréal is a four-season playing field, with a whole new atmosphere to discover and dig into as the weather goes through its travel-worthy extremes.

With activities, museums and outdoor entertainment galore, a million parks and underground shopping for miles, there’s also no better place for the family — your kids would never forgive you for leaving them home.

The food scene? It’s world renowned. From gastonomic festivals year-round to restaurants lauded by international media, you can taste aaaaall of the flavours right here.

Speaking of festivals, the city streets come alive with entertainment, music, dancing, eating and more at the Montréal International Jazz Festival, Just for Laughs, Montréal en Lumière, YUL Eat, Osheaga, Pop Montréal and so, SO many more…

Montréal is known as a city of dance (hello, La La La Human Steps!), circus (this is the birthplace of Cirque du Soleil after all), opera, visual arts and classical music, as evidenced by the beautiful Place des Arts in the state-of-the-art Quartier des spectacles.

The city’s Gay Village is a sight to be seen, especially in festival time with its famous pedestrian walkway along Sainte-Catherine Street under a bright pink canopy.

Risk takers can create their own “adrenalin weekend” and won’t want to miss the crazy stuff that goes down at the Olympic Stadium during the heart-stopping Jackalope Fest.

Montréal comes alive every summer with a whole new crop of street art — because you just can’t contain this city’s artists, like the incredible Zek One, Dodo Ose and Miss Me.

That same unstoppable energy also reigns in fashion, like in the work of internationally adored Montréal treasures Frank Oak (also known as Ethan Song and Hicham Ratnani).

Way beyond the super-fun Just for Laughs festival, live comedy lives in the city all year round — how could it not when wise guys like Sugar Sammy call Montréal home?

For the real local low-down on where to go and what to do, take a page from some of Montréal’s most city-wise drag queens.

Still craving more Montréal? Soak up our playlist of 8 amazing short videos that came out of the #MTLmoments/PESPECTIVES collaboration. The project paired 8 directors with 8 local Montréal Instagrammers to capture the city’s amazing vibe. Cue the popcorn!

Up next:10 Montréal “musts” for first-time visitors