Discover Montréal: Nature's Green spaces nestled amid city life
- Giselle Benson
- May 30, 2024
- 6 min read
I contemplated whether to write a blog post about Montréal, since my idea of a good time often involves vacating the city and venturing towards greener pastures (La Mauricie national park or Mont-Tremblant national park). Upon reflection, I realised that it may be worthwhile to share a few of my favourite green spaces nestled amid the bustling city life for the days when you don't feel like hopping in your car and driving several hours to return to the quietude of Mother Nature. This blog post will showcase that there are indeed spaces of tranquility, peace, harmony, and natural beauty within the stimulating urban landscape of the city of Montréal. You'll also find a list of the best green eateries that empower plant-based, vegan living.
Green Spaces & Nature Sanctuaries in Montréal:
1. Mont-Royal Park
Mont-Royal park is one of my most frequented destinations on the island of Montréal. My favourite time to visit this lush woodland wonder is early morning before the city wakes up. The Kondiaronk lookout at the top of the park is one of the greatest viewing platforms in the city to catch the sunrise, as well as put life in perspective. A great place to enter the park is via the main entrance on Park avenue. You can meander along chemin Olmsted and weave your way into the park, or you could explore one of the many less-travelled mountain bike trails which are nestled amid rich green forests of trees and undergrowth.
When city life begins to feel over-stimulating and noisy Mont-Royal park is a great sanctuary to seek refuge and reconnect with the healing powers of Mother Nature and the elements. If you feel like hanging around for a while, why not pack a picnic, a good book, and station yourself near beaver lake or one of the many grassy spots perfect for cloud-spotting and bird watching. If you visit the parking during spring and summer you'll have the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful flower arrangements and botanical installations organized by the city of Montréal.
2. Botanical Gardens
Having lived in Montréal for about a year and a half I only discovered the botanical gardens last month. I am yet to visit this green space during other seasons, although I can confirm that mid-spring is a wonderful time of year to visit this beautiful park. You'll be welcomed by blooming Magnolia trees, tulips, flowering rhododendrons, and splashes of colour as the Earth begins to bring-forth the healing green hues of botanical brilliance. The park is also home to a family of resident foxes. While we visited, we were fortunate enough to enjoy a moment of meditation with three fox cubs and a mother fox.
A great way to actually get to the botanical gardens is on a bike. If you're coming via Plateau Mont-Royal, Rachel street has a bike path that'll get you right to the entrance of the park. Bikes aren't permitted in the park, although there is ample storage for you to lock your bike up while you stroll the gorgeous gardens of Le Jardin Botanique.
3. Jean Talon Market & Jarry Park
Jean Talon market in Petite-Italie is a great place to explore from mid-spring to late autumn. Here you'll find an abundance of local (and foreign) fresh produce. The markets are a great place to come for Québec-grown strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries. In addition to Nature's harvest, there are numerous coffee shops and food stalls selling a variety of delicacies to enjoy. We recommend riding a bike or renting a Bixie, purchasing your picnic essentials at Jean Talon, then heading to nearby Jarry Park to enjoy your provisions.
5. Le Plateau Mont-Royal
Our final nature-themed activity is a bike ride through le Plateau Mont-Royal. Connect with nature in your own backyard and enjoy the beautiful flowers, trees, and local architecture. We love riding down Drolet towards Saint Louis square. Other streets for bike riding lined with beautiful homes and gorgeous greens are Henri-Julien, Clark (Mile-End sector), Bienville, and west Laurier (Mile-End). Duluth is also a interesting street to ride down, although it offers more commerce than greenery. Give yourself permission to wander and happen upon the many colourful and vibrant streets of Montréal.
1. Green Eateries (Plant-Based Vegan Goodness)
Montréal is teaming with the most delicious and authentic vegan-friendly eateries. Below you'll find a list of my all-time favourites. We'll start off with savoury goodness before making our way into the land of sweet treats. Coming in at number one is Archway in Verdun. This restaurant is wonderful for brunch, lunch, and dinner. The Baklava pancakes are outstanding and their ever-evolving mocktail and smoothie menu provide the perfect pairing for any meal. This restaurant appears to be a little out of the way, although you can turn this into a nature-filled adventure by biking riding to Archway and the visiting the foreshore bike trail in La Salle, and possibly even venturing towards the Park of the Rapids bird and nature sanctuary, before or after your delicious feast. Next up on the list is Damas restaurant in Outrement. Although this restaurant is not exclusively plant-based, they offer many delectable Syrian-inspired vegan options. This is a great place to bring your omnivore friends. If you're in the mood for a vegan pizza, look no further than Zac's Pizzeria in the Plateau Mont-Royal. The best pizza is the Mile-End pesto margherita (in our opinion). If American fast food is your calling Mimi & Jones Diner in the Mile-End offers mouth-watering vegan burgers and Québec-inspired poutine. My omnivore husband also loves Maynard's snack bar for vegan fast food. If you're curious to try some plant-based Japanese fusion head over to Bloom Sushi located in downtown Montréal, or Ohana Sushi in the Plateau Mont-Royal.
If you're wanting freshly baked bread head to Farine et Vanille in the Mile-End . They make the best kamut loaf, an ancient Egyptian grain bread that is perfect for sandwiches. Ask them to slice the loaf for you in-house to make your sandwich prep that much easier. They also make a delicious kalamata olive focaccia bread. If you're looking for something ready-made, their olive focaccia pizza slices with roasted veggies and pesto are certainly scrumptious. Guillaume, also located in the Mile-End, is another great bakery. We love the individual portioned ciabatta loafs perfect to accompany a good meal or to slice in half and fill with your favourite sandwich ingredients. Our favourite flavours are the kalamata olive, French herbs, and the traditional ciabatta.
Okay, now the moment we've all been waiting for: VEGAN SWEET TREATS. Zébulon desserts in the Plateau Mont-Royal is home to the world's best salted, chocolate chip cookies (as decided by a small group of individuals, myself included). They also have beautifully prepared patisseries which look like edible works of art. Vegâteau, also in the Plateau Mont-Royal have great chocolate and salted caramel cupcakes as well as their renowned chocolate opera cake. La Beignerie is the ultimate destination for vegan doughnuts in Montréal. Sophie Sucrée have a variety of sweet and savoury pastries, as well as cakes to enjoy. If you're after vegan ice-cream Swirl and Iconoglace are right up your ally.
Bookmark this list of finger-licking gastronomic destinations for when you next feel like fuelling your body and supporting a local business by choosing to eat at one of the many Earth-loving eateries sharing plant-based vegan goodness in Montréal.
We hope you are feeling inspired to connect with Mother Nature in the heart of Montréal. Wether you've visited Montréal before or you're a local, we'd love to hear your treasured green spaces around the island. Share your favourites below in the comments!
BONUS: Although not included in this list, the old port in Montréal can be another beautiful location in the early morning to catch the sunrise and be close to the water. There are some small, yet beautiful parks lining the Saint Lawrence foreshore. It could be helpful to point out that this is a very touristy place and will become increasingly more lively as the day progresses. If you arrive early enough you can indeed enjoy the morning serenity while the city still sleeps.
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