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| City Guide - Montreal - Excursions | ||
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Excursions For a Half Day Le Pôle des Rapides: Leading west from the Old Port is the historic Lachine Canal (1825), which originally allowed boats to bypass the Lachine Rapids. Today, there are 14km (nine miles) of bicycle paths along the canal (see the Bicycle Hire section) and a couple of interesting historic sites: the Maison St-Gabriel (tel: (514) 935 8136), which dates from the end of the seventeenth century, and the Fur Trade at Lachine National Historic Site (tel: (514) 637 7433 or 283 6054; web site: www.parkscanada.gc.ca/fourrure), which houses a permanent exhibition on the fur trade. The most popular options, though, are the jet-boat and rafting trips on the Lachine Rapids offered by Saute-Moutons (tel: (514) 284 9607; web site: www.jetboatingmontreal.com; cost: C$49) and Les Descentes sur le St-Laurent (tel: (514) 767 2230 or (800) 324 RAFT; web site: www.raftingmontreal.com; cost: C$36-42). The former departs from the Clock Tower Pier at the Old Port; the latter offers a shuttle from the Centre Infotouriste on Square Dorchester to the rapids. For a Whole Day Cantons de l'Est: The Eastern Townships lie some 80km (129 miles) to the east of Montreal, on the border with New England. Some of the province's most picturesque countryside is here, dotted with nineteenth-century villages settled by Loyalists from the United States who refused to rebel against King George III. In the winter, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling and downhill skiing are all possible. The town of Magog and nearby Mont Orford make a good base for exploring; the best way to get there is by car along Highway 10. Tourisme Cantons-de-l'Est (tel: (819) 820 2020 or (800) 355 5755; web site: www.tourisme-cantons.qc.ca) can provide more information. Laurentides: Better known in English as the Laurentians, this region, to the north of Montreal, is one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world and now a major North American skiing centre and a popular spot for hiking and cycling. Despite recent tourist development in the region, there is still a huge amount of untouched wilderness to be explored, particularly in the Parc du Mont-Tremblant, about 130km (81 miles) from Montreal. At 935m (3068ft), Mont-Tremblant (web site: www.tremblant.ca) itself is the highest mountain in the region and a major ski and outdoors centre. Trendy Mont St-Sauveur (web site: www.montsaintsauveur.com/htm/mont_saint_sauveur.htm), offers terrific night skiing and is popular for its proximity to Montreal - about 60km (37 miles). The Association touristique des Laurentides (tel: (450) 436 8532 or (514) 990 5625 or (800) 561 6673; web site: www.laurentides.com) can provide more information; and the Laurentides can be reached by car along Highway 15. |
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