The old city and its attending port are literally a five-minute walk from downtown. During the day much shopping gets done in the shops along Saint-Paul and Notre-Dame Streets, and at night jazz clubs, bars, pubs and boîtes à chansons — friendly bars given over to the singing of French folk songs — rock late and loud.
     One thousand years of history and architecture are recorded in the museums and buildings of Old Montréal. As you stroll along the serpentine cobbles, stop at City Hall to admire its Second-Empire architecture, visit the archaeological crypt under Pointe-à-Callière, Montréal Museum of Archaeology and History, dance with the street performers on Place Jacques-Cartier, and visit the Marché Bonsecours, for its magnificent tin-plated dome, and for its terrasses and designer boutiques.
     From Old Montréal, all roads south lead to the Quays of the Old Port and an up-close-and-spectacular view of the St. Lawrence River. As you stand on the shores of this mighty waterway, you'll see why the fur trading post established here by a group of French settlers in 1611 grew to become North America's largest commercial hub.
     Today, impressive harbour-front facilities include a 2.5-kilometre-long recreational park along the river with promenades for skating, cycling or just strolling about, a state-of-the-art Science Centre, with interactive exhibits, a group movie game and an IMAX® theatre, river cruises for romantic dinners, bouquinistes - vendors of rare books - and warm, friendly bars where you can relax over a drink or a latté with a clear view of the action.