Weekend Getaway: Downtown Montréal

The first week of October, the beginning of Fall–boots, wind, the orange, yellow and red of the trees and leaves, hot chocolates, crisp apple tarts and weekend getaways. After a 6 hour drive through the breath-taking fall foliage of New York state, we arrive in the french speaking city of Montréal, Québec, Canada. The city can be divided into four different sections: Downtown, Old Montréal, Mont-Royal Parc and Le Plateau-Mont-Royal and Mile End. In this article, we explore Downtown Montréal. We arrived in Montréal, unfortunately, on a cold and rainy day. We began with a stroll down Rue Sherbrooke known for its art museums and quaint cafés followed by Rue St. Catherine renowned for its shops, hip bar scene, multicultural restaurants and urban vibe. St. Catherine eventually intersects at Square Victoria and opens up to reveal the marvelous architecture of Christ Church Anglican Cathedral.

PHOTOGRAPHY NOT PROPERTY OF SVADORE

As the weather changed from a light drizzle to a light rain, we stopped at Joe's Panini for a quick lunch break. Given the weather, we thought this would be a great opportunity to explore "The Underground City" or La Ville Souterraine. Known for its extremely cold winters, Montréal has built an entire underground city for its people to walk around during its harsh winter snow storms. The Underground City is a bit of misnomer given the fact that it is not an actual city, but rather a network of tunnels and stairs that connect shopping malls, metro stations, offices, schools, hotels and pretty much anything in a big city all underground. From sinking churches to repurposed buildings and public art, The Underground City currently covers over 20 miles of downtown Montréal.

PHOTOGRAPHY NOT PROPERTY OF SVADORE

If you happen to visit Montreal during the cold winter months or during a rainy day, the underground city can provide refuge and enjoyment as one sets out to explore the maze that is La Ville Souterraine. Get insider travel tips and luxury fashion and lifestyle content on the world’s most exceptional destinations and products directly to your inbox. Don’t miss out–sign up for Svadore on the bottom of this page. Follow Svadore on Instagram: @Svadore Follow Svadore on Pinterest: Svadore