To visitors from elsewhere in North America, Montreal can feel like a little slice of Europe close to home. As the cultural and financial capital of Quebec, Montreal is the heart of French Canada, and this legacy is immediately apparent to any visitor. From French-language street signs to the French cuisine served all over the city, Montreal feels almost like a French enclave. (Not to fear, though – English is widely spoken as well.)

Montreal’s food is one of the best ways to experience its French heritage. The most famous local delicacy is poutine, a filling dish made from French Fries with cheese, gravy, and often a variety of other sauces. Poutine is sold from hundreds of street vendors in Montreal, all of whom have their own spin on the dish. You’ll find it with meat, vegetables, tomato sauce, and all kinds of other toppings. Poutine is so popular that a CBC poll found that it beat out the Blackberry, the paint roller, and the electron microscope to claim the title of Canada’s Greatest Invention.

While you eat your poutine, you can stroll over to the Biodôme, a huge sphere in the center of town, near the river. The sphere looks like something out of a science fiction movie, but it’s actually a high-tech combination of a zoo and a nature museum. It contains hundreds of animals in simulated environments that replicate their natural habitat, and is one of Montreal’s most popular destinations – not least of all because of its iconic shape.

Rue Saint-Jacques Boulevard Rene-Levesque
Rue Sherbrooke Boulevard Saint-Laurent
Rue Saint-Denis Place Jacques-Cartier
Avenue du Mont-Royal Rue Le Royer
Boulevard de Maisonneuve Rue Notre-Dame