Montreal, a university & cultural city

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Montreal is a blend of old world charm and new world style. The old world charm comes from its 300 years of English and French history, while its 'new world style' is reflected in the rich tapestry of ethnic communities, multicultural food, music and arts. It is the largest bilingual city on the North continent. From the cobbled stone streets lined with quaint cafes and trend setting galleries and nightlife, Montreal is dynamic and almost as diverse as Sydney.

It's certainly a university town. One of the highlights during our stay there, was stumbling across a peaceful student protest over hikes in university fees. More than 3000 students across several surrounding universities gathered to protest against a $600 increase in fees over the next 5 years. It was amusing to witness the huge affair it had become for such a small gathering. Police organised helicopters and sent in a riot squad in order to make sure it stayed peaceful!!!

Montreal, the bigger of Canada's two French-speaking cities, probably has more to offer in terms of museums eateries and entertainment, but its culture, history and charm is unparalelled to Quebec City's.

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