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Why People Keep Coming Back to Montreal Season After Season

Montreal may not be on the radar for some, but those who visit once, most often come back over and over again. A city with something for everyone, this known multicultural metropolis has you easily falling in love with its aesthetic and free-flowing diversity year-round.

Here’s what to expect season after season in the 514:

1. Summer

This season draws in the most tourists and offers the greatest action for those who enjoy spirited days and nights. Eager locals are quick to jump into shorts and t-shirts as soon as the sun smiles and temperatures rise – the city gains a reason to celebrate the beginning of a new time of year, justifying the festival city reputation Montreal is recognized for.

Top 10 Montreal summer highlights include:

Start with a bang – catch the fireworks competition L’International des Feux Loto-Québec on the Jacques Cartier Bridge
Dance outdoors to electro beats on Sundays with locals at Piknic Electronique
Groove to the worldwide renown International Jazz Festival of Montreal
Row a boat in the heart of the city at Beaver Lake in Mont Royal Park
Laugh a lot at the Just for Laughs festival
Catch an international film at the Fantasia Film Festival
Get colourful and celebrate Montreal Pride
Catwalk your way to the Fashion and Design Festival
Then trapeze yourself to Montreal Completement Cirque
Bixi to eat ice cream…lots of it….all over the city

2. Autumn

Fall foliage brings a new life to the city – the splendid colours and whiffs of crisp air welcome sweater weather and pumpkin spice lattes. Students get ready for new books, the streets get quieter and locals gear for cozier days.

Top 10 Montreal autumn highlights include:

Brighten up your day by visiting the Botanical Gardens Lantern Festival
Celebrate Oktoberfest with the Alexander Von Humbolt School and contribute to a good cause
Gather the last harvest at the Jean Talon and Atwater Markets
Try new cuisine at 150 restaurants through MTLàTable
Stroll through the Morgan Arboretum to witness the changing colours
Indulge in fresh apples after hand-picking them at Quinn Farm
Enjoy a magical night at the Water Lantern Festival
Parade like a Zombie at the Montreal Zombie Walk
Get inspired at the World Press Photo exhibit
Discover pumpkin spice lattes and other warm drinks at these cafés

3. Winter

There are many ways to keep warm in spirit and body through Montreal winters. Whether partaking in outdoor sports or toasting warm beverages over candlelight, the snow-covered (and sometimes ice-covered) trees that make the city magical only add to the ambiance.

Top 10 Montreal winter highlights include:

Take advantage of Montreal’s underground city and shop away
Go skating at Parc Lafontaine
Catch some fish ice-fishing in the Old Port
Party hard at Igloofest
Go sledding, snow tubing or snowshoeing at Mont Royal Park
Spend the night at the Montreal en Lumière festivities
Relax at outdoor spa Strøm
Luminotherapie it up at Quartier des Spectacles
Feel spirited at the Christmas Market Village de Noël
Tour town for the best hot cider

4. Spring

Flaunt your most fashionable umbrella and cheers the rain this spring to the budding greenery that begins to enrobe the city. Daylight hours are getting longer for brighter days and it’s getting warm enough to grab a coffee or drink outdoors!

Top 10 Montreal spring highlights include:

Spot a four-leaf clover and join in on the festivities at the St. Paddy’s Day Parade
Check out a new exhibit for free on Montreal Museum Day
Race your way to the Grand Prix events
Walk through colour at the Mural Festival
Drum a beat or picnic at the Mont Royal Tam Tams
Enjoy folk music with water views of the canal at the Montreal Folk Fest
If classical is your vibe, tune in to the Montreal Chamber Music Festival
Venture out to a Cabane à Sucre for delicious maple treats
Watch the butterflies go free at the Botanical Gardens
Get on a terrasse to enjoy a coffee or drink