Montreal – Unusual Attractions and Day Trips

Montreal Off the Beaten Path

Montreal is a very popular place for tourists from within Canada as well as the United States and abroad. The city is walkable and boasts many unique cultural sites.

Parc Lafontaine

This beautiful 19th century park is divided into two halves: English and French. The English side features a serpentine, winding lagoon, while the French side consists of geometric paths and gardens. The park is surrounded by 19th-century townhouses and there are kayaks and paddle boats available for rent on the lagoon.

Fort Chambly

Chambly is a half hour from Montreal and home to historic Fort Chambly. Tours of the fort are available, or you can enjoy the grounds around it free of charge. Visitors to Montreal often seek out interesting destinations in search of one thing and discover another, for example beer enthusiasts visiting Chambly might be surprised to find Unibroue’s brewery, Fouquet Fourchette.

Montreal Botanical Gardens and Insectarium

Adjacent to Montreal’s botanical gardens is the Insectarium, which has live insects in a reproduction of their habitat. Every fall both the Botanical Gardens and the Insectarium hold a tasting where visitors can taste all kind of plants and insects–if you’re feeling adventurous.

Nearby are Chinese Gardens constructed in 1991 under the direction of Le Weizhong, a renowned architect and landscaper. This traditional garden is inspired by the private gardens that were popular in the southern Yangtze River region during the Ming dynasty between 1368 and 1644.

Editor’s Note: The information contained on this page was compiled using real traveler reviews about the best off the beaten path spots in Montreal.