How to celebrate winter like a Montrealer
If you’ve ever enjoyed Montréal during winter, you already know: you don’t just visit this city, you live it. Spend a few days in the charming, Euro-style city and before you know it you’ll be enjoying top-tier dining, unique cultural experiences and thrilling outdoor fun, just like the locals do.
That cozy cafe on the corner? Say bonjour to your new regular coffee spot. A few days more and you’ll know the snowy cobblestone streets of Old Montréal like the back of your hand. Extend your visit – because why not? – and you may never want to leave. No matter how long you plan on visiting, read on to discover how Montrealers (and Montrealers at heart) celebrate winter in this jewel of a city.
Move at your own pace
Up for a stroll? Montrealers have a deep appreciation for their city’s culture, and it shows—it only takes a wander (or a tour) down Old Montréal’s Saint-Paul and De la Commune Streets to find out why. Whether it’s the city’s dedication to preserving its striking architecture or the shops filled with hand-crafted wares, time seems to stand still along these charming cobblestone streets.
Don’t miss the famous Marché Bonsecours market and its iconic dome, nor the opportunity to visit Montréal’s first official historical monument, the Château Ramezay museum. Meanwhile, the Montréal Museum of Fine Arts is worth a full day’s trip just by itself.
And there’s no winter tradition more Montréal than ice skating through the snow. Parc Jean-Drapeau is home to one of the city’s coolest skating locales, complete with a riverside ice-skating path, and there’s no thrill quite like ice skating in the Old Port just under La Grande Roue de Montréal.
Looking for something a bit closer to downtown? Thanks to the new skating rink at Esplanade Tranquille in Quartier des spectacles, now visitors and locals alike can go for an afternoon or evening skate right in the heart of downtown Montréal. With dozens of restaurants and great cafes a mere stone’s throw away, be sure to warm up with a glass of mulled wine or hot cocoa afterward for a true Montréal après-skate!
Drink in (and eat up) the local culture
Montréal’s European roots certainly shine on every corner, but you may notice the city does drinks a little differently. Enter: the buvette.
Not quite a cafe and not quite a bar, Montréal’s buvettes are often-cozy, always-vibey spots to grab a beverage and a small bite. What makes them so perfectly Montréal, however, is the sheer variety of buvettes you can find in the city; many add their own twist with a specific focus on unique cuisine or local wine.
Take Buvette Pastek, for example. Tucked away in Old Montréal, local gastronomes flock to this all-day spot for its imported seafood conservas and charcuterie. Taverne Atlantic, on the other hand, is a neighbourhood hangout serving up pubbier bites like burgers and craft beer. Up for something else entirely? Luckily, you won’t have to travel far to find a buvette to call your own…
And calling all sweet tooths: Montréal also boasts some of the world’s best upscale pastry shops specializing in everything flakey, cakey, jammy and frosted. Fous Desserts, only a short distance from Sir Wilfrid Laurier Park in Laurier Est, serves up scrumptious croissants and cakes alongside locally sourced and organic confections. Pâtisserie Zébulon, meanwhile, is known for its ultra-stylish and, yes, entirely vegan creations, crafting elaborate, avant-garde desserts that defy convention in the most stunning way possible.
Light up the night
Nighttime is anything but sleepy in Montréal, thanks to the city’s dazzling and energetic nightlife. Old Montréal and Quartier des spectacles play host to dozens of venues catering to those who love to live it up after dark. Warm up by moving and grooving at one of Montréal’s best dance or jazz clubs, or enjoy an intimate meal nestled atop a rooftop terrace (in a heated dome bubble, naturally).
As any local will tell you, Montréal nights truly come alive during winter, with endless lights and delights to be found throughout the city. MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE, the city’s famed annual celebration of art, music and food, illuminates the Quartier de Spectacles with light-and-sound installations on nearly every corner, and celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2024, running from February 22 to March 10. Don’t want to wait? You can catch The AURA Experience six nights a week in Old Montréal. The immersive light show highlights the architectural marvels of Notre-Dame Basilica via a stunning multisensory performance, encouraging visitors and locals alike to see this historic Montréal landmark in a brand new light.
No matter what you’re looking for, you’ll find a winter experience like no other in Montréal. And no matter how long you stay, you’ll feel like a local in no time, thanks to a city that welcomes its guests with open arms.
