Montréal – The cultural capital of Canada

Montreal, the second-largest city in Canada, was founded in 1642. However, several Native American tribes had been settled in the area for 8000 years. After Paris, the metropolitan area of Montreal, also known as “Greater Montreal”, is the second-largest French-speaking city in the world. Today, Montreal is world-famous for being one of the most important cultural centers in North America. In addition, the city hosted the Olympic Summer Games in 1976. Since 1967 (with the exception of 2009), the Canadian Formula 1 Grand Prix has been held in Montreal.

Montreal has the largest underground city, La Ville Souterraine, in the world. It covers more than 12 km², while the underground shopping malls exceed 32 km. It connects the major cultural centers and tourist attractions in Downtown Montreal. You can enter the underground city by several public access points, six metro stations, two train stations, or via the bus terminal.

The city is known for its huge variety of theaters, orchestras, ballets, and operas. The major center for performing arts is the Place de Artes. Not less than five different theaters are located here, and the new concert hall for the Montreal Symphony Orchestra is planned to be opened next year. The majority of the theaters show their performances in French, while English theaters usually face more difficulties. The different orchestras in the city belong to the most important symphonic orchestras in the world.

The most important ballet of Canada, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal, was founded in 1957. It shows the classics of the 19th century and the modern works of the 20th century. Every season, four new performances are shown. Some of the world’s most famous dancers started their careers in this company. In addition, many international ballet companies perform their shows in Montreal.
Although the Montreal Opera is a relatively young ensemble, it was founded in 1980 and belongs to the 15 most important opera companies in North America. It shows a mixture of modern and classical opera masterpieces.

But Montreal is not only a center of classical music, but it is also known for its famous International Jazz and Pop festivals. On the occasion of its 30th birthday, the Jazz festival featured in 2009 more than 500 concerts by more than 2000 musicians. More than two million visitors came to the city to enjoy the outstanding music performances during the first twelve days in July. Some of the concerts were held in small pubs and in theater halls all over the city, but almost every second concert was an open-air concert. Some of the concerts were seen by more than 200,000 music enthusiasts as visitors. It is certainly the most important Jazz festival in the world.

During the summer, another spectacle takes place in the city: the Montreal Fireworks Festival. It is a major international fireworks competition. During the competition, several pyrotechnical companies present their shows of 30 minutes long. During each show, approximately 6000 fireworks are set off. In total, more than 3 million visitors enjoyed the fascination of these shows. Maybe next year, you will be one of them.