Québec
Independent City Discoveries: A Taste of Montréal
Program No. 18521RJ
Discover Montréal with experts, learning the story of this cosmopolitan city through its renowned cuisine, must-see cultural sites, grand architecture and famed Notre-Dame Basilica.
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DATES
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PRICES
Oct 3 - Oct 7, 2024
Starting at
1,449DATES
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Oct 3 - Oct 7, 2024
Starting at
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5 days
4 nights
6 meals
4B 0L 2D
2
Vieux Montreal, Notre-Dame Basilica
Montreal, QC
5
Wrap Up Discussion, Program Concludes
Montreal, QC
At a Glance
Let local experts lead you on an intimate journey of Montréal, with its 16th-century cobblestone streets, Victorian elegance and laid-back francophone culture. Dive into the city's rich history, culinary traditions and its artistic passion. Experience the historic European charm and Montréal’s quintessential joie de vivre.
Activity Level
Let's Go!
Urban walking of two miles or more over varied terrain; some stairs.
Independent City Discoveries
Learn with a Group Leader and enjoy educational programming while also getting substantial independent time to explore on your own. Most Independent City Discoveries include lectures, self-guided excursions and passes for public transit and museums.
What You'll Learn
- Participate in a tasting exploration of Montréal’s fine delicacies from the cultural communities that enrich the city.
- Gain insight into the city’s rich history, from settlement to current economic and cultural powerhouse.
- Join local instructors who will lead you to out-of-the-way, favorite neighborhoods with great tips of areas to explore on your own, such as the grounds of McGill University and the Golden Square Mile.
General Notes
This program includes substantial free time, outlines for self-directed field trips, a pass for entry to five major museums and a three-day metro pass.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
Andrée Girard
Andrée Girard has been an active figure on the arts scene in Québec and in Canada for over 25 years. She worked as a broadcaster for CBC radio and television before becoming programming director for CBC French radio’s Chaîne culturelle for several years. She was also a founding member and director of the Conseil québécois de la musique. Over the course of her career, she has been associated with the creation of the Opus Prize, as well as the development of the Canadian Conference of the Arts.
Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Andrée Girard
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Andrée Girard has been an active figure on the arts scene in Québec and in Canada for over 25 years. She worked as a broadcaster for CBC radio and television before becoming programming director for CBC French radio’s Chaîne culturelle for several years. She was also a founding member and director of the Conseil québécois de la musique. Over the course of her career, she has been associated with the creation of the Opus Prize, as well as the development of the Canadian Conference of the Arts.
Michel Jutras
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Originally from Montreal, Michel Jutras holds a master's degree in the management of cultural organizations and has extensive experience in leading educational excusions. Passionate about researching history, especially the history of the dietary and culinary traditions of Quebec, he is working on a large collection of ethnological texts, the first volume of which has already been published, while the second is currently being printed.
Françoise Baby
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Françoise Baby loves to share her enthusiasm about Montreal with visitors. She has a penchant for great food — her mother is French! — history, and architecture. What she enjoys most about being a local expert is interaction with Road Scholars. Her wish is that they come away with a cultural experience. The two most frequently asked questions Françoise gets are whether she is a native Montrealer and what is her favourite “thing” about the city. The answers are “yes”, and the multiculturalism that best defines Montreal.
Suggested Reading List
(7 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Independent City Discoveries: A Taste of Montréal
Program Number: 18521
A People’s History of Quebec
A People’s History of Quebec is a lively guide to a little-known part of North American history. It tells of the settlement of the St. Lawrence Valley, as well as the Montreal and Quebec-based explorers and traders who travelled, mapped, and inhabited most of North America.
Where the River Narrows
This novel sweeps across the centuries, from the French royal court to the founding of Québec City in 1608, from the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918 to the FLQ Crisis. Against this rich panorama, the daily lives of the Tremblay family unfolds over generations.
A Short History of Quebec
A Canadian classic, A Short History of Quebec offers a concise yet comprehensive overview of the province from the pre-contact native period to present-day constitutional struggles. The authors bring a refreshing perspective to the history of Quebec, focusing on the social and economic development of the region and its diverse peoples.
The Two Solitudes
First published in 1945, and set mostly in the time of the First World War, this story revolves around the life and times of the fictional character Paul Tallard and his struggles in reconciling the differences between his English and French Canadian identities.
Montreal & Quebec City Guide – Lonely Planet
Montréal and Québec City really serve it up. You've got old-world grandeur, new-world sensibilities and big-city charms - there's enough neighbourhoods, restaurants and festivals to keep you mon-dieu'ing for months. This guide, penned by Montréal-based authors, gets you straight to the action. The Lonely Planet website has options to buy and download individual digital chapters from this book in addition to the full guide.
Shadows on the Rock
Set in seventeenth-century Canada, an evocation of North American origins highlights the men and women who struggled to adapt to the new world even as they clung to the one they left behind. The novel covers one year of the lives of Cecile Auclair and her father Euclide, French colonists in Quebec.
Champlain's Dream
In this enthralling biography, acclaimed historian David Hackett Fischer brings to life the remarkable Samuel de Champlain—soldier, spy, master mariner, explorer, cartographer, artist, and Father of New France.
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