French flair, bagels and festivals
Montréal blends French and North American culture like nowhere else. Old Montréal's cobbled streets lead to the Notre-Dame Basilica, whose deep blue interior is breathtaking, and the Old Port along the St Lawrence. Mount Royal, the hill that gives the city its name, has a park laid out by the designer of New York's Central Park. The Plateau's colourful staircases and cafés, Mile End's bagel bakeries and smoked-meat delis are part of the city's identity, and summer is packed with festivals, including the Montreal International Jazz Festival.