Montreal to Montreal

A festival and foodie heaven Montreal is a fascinating French flavoured destination of old-time European splendour and glittering urban charm. An elegant place of history pavement cafes and cobbled streets - Montreal wears its French heritage with a healthy dash of on-the-pulse Canadian cool. Set on the banks of the mighty St. Lawrence River you can head to beaches and elegant parks that open out onto the pretty waterfront. Mount Royal is a jewel of the city and on warm days locals spill out onto its sloping grasses to soak up the sun. Rise to the top to look down over the reaching skyscrapers of downtown. The city's massive botanical gardens are alive with the sounds of flowing water and surreal floral sculptures. The vivid colours of the impressive Notre-Dame Basilica's interior add more vibrancy while a diverse set of museums and galleries offer plenty of space for both traditional and contemporary art. The sounds of ivories tinkling and basslines wandering are ever-present in downtown – whether it’s street performers earning a living or jazz musicians riffing in dusty bars. The city’s musical swing ramps up a notch during the famous Montreal Jazz Festival which brings international talent to the city en-masse. It’s impossible to visit Montreal without sampling its ultimate comfort food poutine. French fries smothered in gravy cheese curd and your choice of topping. It’s as Québécois as ice hockey and bagels.

Established by the French settler Samuel de Champlain before the British landed on these shores Quebec City - initially known as New France - is one of North America's oldest cities. Towering over the banks of the Saint-Lawrence River Quebec City relishes in details and eccentricities and has reams of rich history and beautiful architecture - like the famous Château Frontenac. This chandelier-clad castle watches over the city and is said to be the world’s most photographed hotel. The wooden boardwalk of the canon-lined Dufferin Terrace offers stunning views of the city from its elevated standpoint. The French storybook feel has been delightfully protected and preserved in Quebec City's storied old quarter and a funicular links the upper and lower towns of this historic core. The 400-year-old fortified city is unique to North America and a celebrated UNESCO World Heritage Site. Mind your step as you wander through uneven cobbled streets to Place Royale - the charming spot where the city was founded - and between the bistros boulevards and boutiques of the dainty Quartier Petit Champlain area. There’s a wide variety of delicious international food to try and of course – greasy helpings of poutine. Taste local cheeses at the Marché du Vieux-Port indoor market where you’ll sink your teeth into buttery cakes pastries and encounter Canada’s fabled tree sap maple syrup - revered like wine in these parts.

The gateway to the Saguenay Fjord the city lies at the intersection of a triad of sprawling national parks amid some of North America’s most impressive scenery. Embark on adventures to witness leaping waterfalls forest-clad fjord banks and whales crashing athletically offshore. Learn more of Saguenay's heritage with a tour of the picturesque pulp mill which dates back to the 1800s and now houses a museum. Elsewhere the Petite Maison Blanche is a humble wooden house that was one of the few buildings to survive the floods of 1947. It’s the expansive scenery of Fjord-du-Saguenay National Park that draws most visitors to this part of Northern Quebec however and you can venture out to immerse yourself in the immense Ice Age fjord's national park as it gouges through a spectacular 60-mile route before unloading into the St. Lawrence River. Said to be the Northern Hemisphere’s most southerly fjord – and one of the world’s longest - it's 270 metres deep in parts and towered over by steep scenic slopes. Get out to meet the area’s varied wildlife – which ranges from moose and wolves to orcas belugas and blue whales. Sail on the surface in kayaks or take a sightseeing cruise. Earthy trails invite you to hike in the fresh air among fragrant pine needles while daring strung bridges mountain bike routes and climbable rock faces cater to the adventurous. Secluded rocky beaches and rejuvenating spas offer a more relaxed way to experience Saguenay's charms.

One of Quebec’s most northerly towns,Sept-Iles lies on the cusp of wild and wonderful scenery - from island-speckledarchipelagos to rivers flush pink with salmon. This small city enjoys dramaticstaging, perched on a bay overlooking the wide St. Lawrence River, as it beginsto open up into the Atlantic. The heavy industry that powered the city's growthhas gradually been overshadowed by the majesty of nature, and with sweepingpanoramas and dramatic coastline spreading all around, Sept-Iles is one of Quebec'smost attractive assets. Beautiful sandy beaches, with smooth grey rocks emerging from them, spread outbelow fragrant clusters of pine trees, while whales roll through the vastexpanse of the St. Lawrence's waters offshore. Sail out onto the surface to getcloser to marine mammals, or to explore the cluster of islands that wait at themouth of the bay. The Île du Corossol bird sanctuary is set on Manowin Island,and alive with a huge gathering of seabirds – where auks, razorbills and duckswaddle and squark. The colourful beaks of puffins draw many of the visitors -who come to admire the adorable birds, as they cling to the steep cliffs.Learn of the area’s Innu First Nation heritage, who first tamed these harshconditions, and worked symbiotically with nature long before Europeans set foothere. Visit the Vieux-Poste trading post, where they would historically meet totrade fur with the newly arrived Europeans, or the Musée Régional de laCôte-Nord, where the stories of 7,000 years of human history are told.

The otherworldly limestone structures of the Mingan Archipelago await at Havre St. Pierre Quebec's most northerly call. Perched on the northern shore of the mighty St Lawrence River's gaping jaws - and looking out across the vast stretch of water to the distant Anticosti Island - where white-tailed deer stalk dense forests - Havre St. Pierre is a feast of staggering scenery and diverse wildlife. The Mingan Archipelago's monolith treasures have been carefully painstakingly sculpted by Mother Nature's hand - using ocean wind and ice erosion to create towering rock outcrops which stand improbably counterweighted and precariously balanced over the waters. Sail between the scattered array of islands and formations and keep your eyes peeled - you may be joined by pods of friendly minke whales as you weave between skerries and rocky isles. Look out for eagles soaring overhead too and the colourful puffins which nest on the sheer cliffs. Back at Havre St. Pierre stroll isolated river beaches and wander the wooden boardwalk to soak in panoramas of the world's largest estuary - which lures the world's mightiest animal the blue whale to feast in its krill-rich depths. A walk out to the quaint lighthouse which crowns the shore is a pleasant way to spend an afternoon or you can take some time to learn a little more about the culture and traditions of the region's Inuit people.

Plunge into Corner Brook’s thrilling land of adventure and outdoor exploration as you roam an island of pine-fresh scents soaring mountains and roaring rapids tumbling down from the Appalachian Mountains. Corner Brook is the gateway to the some of the wildest wonders of Newfoundland’s West Coast – from epic Viking trails which cut across the rugged coastline to waters washed blue by icebergs and whales. Sat on the banks of the Humber River’s salmon-blessed waters Corner Brook is somewhat dominated by its giant paper mill but its historic inns pin down a far quainter side. Chances are you’ll be escaping the city’s limits to explore the natural wonders before long anyway and adrenaline lovers are primed for a fix in the Humber Valley where zip lines are strung out between mountainsides. Pick your way across the nearby Gros Morne National Park with its tectonic Tablelands and etched fjord and follow the winding Captain Cook trail which meanders along 30 miles of coastline. After all of that hiking and wilding Corner Brook will warm you with hearty Newfoundland cuisine like fried cod tongues cold water lobster and partridgeberry jam. Giants move through the waters of Newfoundland and whether it’s blue whales or wandering icebergs extraordinary natural sights are everywhere. Drink in the bergs – quite literally. Local brewers chip ancient frozen water to make crisp pale beers made using some of the cleanest waters anywhere in the world.

By heading almost due east from Cap-aux-Meules in Canada, it is possible to reach France in about one day’s worth of steaming! With barely 6,000 inhabitants living on tiny St. Pierre, it is the smallest French Overseas Collective. The residents of St. Pierre are predominantly descendants of Normans, Basque and Bretons and the French spoken is closer to Metropolitan French than to Canadian French. Although Basque is not spoken any longer, the influence is still felt through sport and a Basque Festival. Interestingly, this small island has two museums in part dedicated to the Prohibition. The Musée Heritage is St. Pierre’s newest museum with a focus on medical artefacts from the 19th and 20th century. Another claim to fame is a guillotine, the only one ever used in North America. In this quirky village it is easy to find the Post Office; just look for the clock tower shaped like a praying monk.

Surrounded by raw ocean and gorgeous coastal scenery, Cape Breton island's only city is a remote and awe-inspiring place. Formed around a former steel plant, Sydney now thrives on welcoming visitors, ushering them into the very heart of beautiful Nova Scotia. Delve deep into the heart of this scenic island, to see extraordinary natural sights and learn of the customs of the native Mi'kmaq people in Membertou Heritage Park. Wander the tidy new boardwalk, and hike among wild and rugged coastline, capped by flashing lighthouses. A place of thrilling, undulating coastal drives, pretty historic colonial houses dating back to the 1780s, and craggy coastal walks, Sydney is effortlessly easy on the eye. The waterfront is the best place to take a stroll, accompanied by the rustle of washing waves and the gentle melodies of musicians. There’s always a song in the air here, and you can even visit the unique monument to the region’s tuneful talents at the world’s biggest fiddle. The adjacent market will be music to any shopper’s ears. Open-air exhibitions like the Nova Scotia Highland Village Museum, bring together the local culture, while elsewhere you can learn of the coal mining that transformed Sydney into a thriving steel capital. Alexander Graham Bell spent time on these shores in nearby Baddeck – and you can find out more about his life and innovations – which were far more comprehensive than just the telephone - in the dedicated museum. Although Sydney was founded by the British in 1785, there were plenty of tussles with the French over the years that followed. Get an insight into the region’s military past, brought to life at the Fortress of Louisbourg – a massive, reconstructed French fortified city, where soldiers clank along the streets and artisans stir thick bowls of melted chocolate.

Known as the birthplace of Canada owing to its role as host of the conference that would eventually lead to the formation of the Canadian Confederation - Charlottetown is a celebration of all things Great White North. Perched just offshore on Prince Edward Island there’s a small-town charm to the locals’ genuine smiles that is instantly disarming. Despite its capital status the city’s welcoming demeanour pretty timber lighthouses and low-key coastal location make Charlottetown an easy-going idyllic island escape. 1864 saw Charlottetown lead the Confederation Conference welcoming delegations from Nova Scotia New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island to Province House. Together they thrashed out the plan to create the Dominion of Canada which was formally enacted three years later. This key role in the birth of the nation is worn proudly as a badge of honour here and the gargantuan Confederation Centre of the Arts pays tribute to this historic chapter while also providing space for contemporary cultural pursuits to shine. The auburn pigtails of Anne of Green Gables are also a regular sight around these parts. Canada’s much loved longest-running musical premiered right here in Charlottetown in 1965. The abundant natural resources of the Atlantic make Charlottetown a haven for rich juicy seafood - like tender lobster and mussel pots.

A festival and foodie heaven Montreal is a fascinating French flavoured destination of old-time European splendour and glittering urban charm. An elegant place of history pavement cafes and cobbled streets - Montreal wears its French heritage with a healthy dash of on-the-pulse Canadian cool. Set on the banks of the mighty St. Lawrence River you can head to beaches and elegant parks that open out onto the pretty waterfront. Mount Royal is a jewel of the city and on warm days locals spill out onto its sloping grasses to soak up the sun. Rise to the top to look down over the reaching skyscrapers of downtown. The city's massive botanical gardens are alive with the sounds of flowing water and surreal floral sculptures. The vivid colours of the impressive Notre-Dame Basilica's interior add more vibrancy while a diverse set of museums and galleries offer plenty of space for both traditional and contemporary art. The sounds of ivories tinkling and basslines wandering are ever-present in downtown – whether it’s street performers earning a living or jazz musicians riffing in dusty bars. The city’s musical swing ramps up a notch during the famous Montreal Jazz Festival which brings international talent to the city en-masse. It’s impossible to visit Montreal without sampling its ultimate comfort food poutine. French fries smothered in gravy cheese curd and your choice of topping. It’s as Québécois as ice hockey and bagels.