7 walking tours for discovering Montreal

by Jacques Bérubé
Always scurrying, packed like sardines on public transport, stuck in traffic, eyes lowered, lit only by the glow of our cell phone screens during our commute across the Island of Montreal. Rarely do we really see our city. If you enjoy walking, then why not discover Montreal, its many neighbourhoods, their histories and some of their surprising secrets on foot. The choice of guided walking tours is varied. Some are even seasonal. Here are a few in the Montreal area that will leave you wanting for even more!

Both a walker and a foodie? During this food tasting tour you’ll explore streets typical of Montréal’s Mile End district, brimming with trendy boutiques and cafés; where culture, art and business thrive under a panoply of languages. The many gourmet stops en route will simply tantalize your palate with new flavours: bagels, vegetalian falafels, ice cream, chocolates and more! Bon appétit!

Organizer: Local Montréal Tours
Duration: 3 hours

Maybe you’ve already met them: they lurk in buildings, dark passageways and haunt the streets of this beautiful, historic neighbourhood. Lift the sinister veil of Old Montreal’s hidden history with this guided walk.

Organizer: Guidatour
Duration: 90 minutes

With its factory smokestacks, large families, and hardworking labourers too weary to escape their impoverished lives, Saint-Henri was, in its day, Montreal’s quintessential working-class neighbourhood. Dating back to the start of the industrial age, Saint-Henri was a place of belonging and human warmth – nestled beneath opulent Westmount and its stately mansions, owned by the captains of industry.

Organizer: L'Autre Montréal
Duration: 90 minutes

Long ago the Italian community transformed this corner of Montreal by embedding into the neighbourhood its language, grocery stores, restaurants, music, churches and cafés – where fans of Calcio, the ultimate Italian football championship, still gather to cheer on their heroes. Without a doubt, La Piccola Italia (as we say in Italian) is as Mediterranean as it gets!

Organizer: Kaleidoscope
Duration: 2 ½ hours

Situated on the slopes of Mount Royal, Westmount rises above the clamour and bustle of downtown and the working-class districts. Alongside lavish homes of Montreal’s well-to-do, there is a Native American trail to discover, Saint Joseph’s Oratory, and many spectacular lookout points of Montreal.

Organizer: Randonnées Plein Air
Duration: 2 hours

Graffiti, murals, mosaics, tags, often permitted but even more likely spontaneous, illegal, even primal. Urban art mingles with street art, structured and formal, seamlessly blending into the surroundings and public buildings. Throughout the city, formal art juxtaposes with street art, and challenges our sense of aesthetics and creativity, innovation and rejection, abstraction and meaning, conveyed through the use of compelling, dynamic imagery.

Organizers: L'Autre Montréal
Duration: 3 hours

Two routes are offered to give you a break from this hectic time of the year. The Downtown route is sure to dazzle as it follows the twinkling decorations on McGill College, down to the sparkling trees at Place Ville Marie. Following the one in Old Montreal, not only will you meet Santa at the World Trade Centre complex, but you’ll be awestruck as you stand at Place Jacques-Cartier across from Montreal’s City Hall, lit up in all its holiday glory. And if it happens to be snowing, all the more magical!

Organizer: Kaleidoscope
Duration: 90 minutes

A completely crazy walk that takes place the Saturday before Halloween! Zombies are to gather at Place des Festivals near Jeanne-Mance and Balmoral streets. All the undead will start their dusk-to-dawn walk around 4:00 PM. No registration required. You need only dress as a zombie. For anyone who prefers to transform on site, makeup services will be available for a small fee. The route follows de Maisonneuve Boulevard west, McGill College Avenue south, and then Sainte-Catherine Street east, ending at Place des Festivals.