Modern Travel - 9 Quirky must see & do things in Montreal

Montreal is a wonderful travel destination through its creative cuisine choices, an astounding arts culture and a plethora of picturesque pockets of the city. This beautiful city also has some interesting and quirky attractions that are certainly worth checking out.

Station F-MR

A free and unique public art exhibit in the trendy Griffintown neighbourhood, Station F-MR utilizes decommissioned métro trains as a venue for a art gallery, a design boutique, a café, a stage and a studio. Smartly, some aspects of the programming are open to develop activities on the site, making it truly community-friendly. Furthermore, local talents have been sourced for art exhibitions, film screenings, creative workshops, concerts, shows and local products markets.

Swan’s at H20

Taking an ordinary pedal boat and adding a fair sized swan shaped and painted body takes a regular visit on the Lachine Canal to a fun, picture worthy experience.
You can find these creative pedal boats at H2O Adventures, where you can also enjoy kayak, paddle-boat or eco-friendly electric boat rentals to admire the city with that’s close to the Atwater Market.

Surfing on the Saint-Lawrence River
If I didn’t see it, I wouldn’t have believed it. Full credit to the locals for making the most of the rapids of the Saint-Lawrence and channeling it into a cool space to catch a wave. River surfing has been done for nearly 50 years and since we all can’t live by an ocean, Montreal folk, along with tons of visitors, have taken advantage of this quirky opportunity to enjoy the waterway.

Habitat 67

In what looks like a massive, creative game of Jenga, the legendary Habitat 67 buildings are a marvel of engineering designed by at the time 23 year old architect Moshe Safdie.  Blending minimalistic and modern design cues, this world-famous attraction is still fully functional and in high demand. Created for Expo 67, this clever use of modular space has been used as inspiration worldwide.

Grévin Museum

With a history spanning nearly 140 years, the Grévin Museum showcases over 120 wax figures of well-known characters from history and pop-culture; and they’re done with eerie accuracy. Located on the fifth floor of Montreal’s Eaton Centre, you’ll experience an array of historical periods, supplemental information and make sure your smartphone is fully charged as you’ll be snapping pictures aplenty.

Monville Robot

The newly opened Hôtel Monville has taken room service to the next level via their very clever and quirky Monville Robot (they’ll give it an official name in late 2018.) The 20-storey, four-star hotel enables guests to place their room service order via their Smart TV and shortly thereafter, this cute robot (through the power of GPS) shows up at your door with your order. While this type of technology is quickly rising in other parts of the world, it’s new to Canada and expect it to become increasingly popular in the coming years.

John Lennon & Yoko Ono Suite  

As a lifelong musician, this is one of my favourite attractions in the city! The famous John Lennon and Yoko Ono suite where the famous 1969 "bed-in for peace" was held is also where the song "Give Peace a Chance" was written and recorded.  Updated for modern day, the suite is reimagined while holding on to historical elements, complete with a virtual reality and audio experience and several in-room surprises. And yes, you can still book the suite, which comes complete with a replica guitar beside the bed.

Portus 360

Montreal’s radiant revolving restaurant, Portus 360 sits high up on the 31st floor of the EVO Building. Elevating a stellar dining experience, this quirky Portuguese-inspired restaurant provides guests a panoramic view of marvelous Montreal as they dine on absolutely delicious food from the owner of this and many other restaurants, Helena Loureiro. Order an appetizer and dessert as it takes approximately two hours for a full 360 degree turn. Good thing the food and service are outstanding!

Bota Bota

Docked at the Old Port, this contemporary spa, was once an old ferryboat and has been remarkably transformed into an attractive, enticing modern attraction for those looking to reenergize and reinvigorate themselves. Available services include several water treatments, massages, Nordic Baths (dry sauna or steam bath, then a cold bath and finally stretching and or time in a whirlpool.)  Whether you’re looking to reduce your stress levels or simply relax and unwind, this spa on the Saint-Lawrence is a hidden gem that deserves a visit or few.

To plan your visit - mtl.org

To use a rent a car service in Montreal - Globe Car & Truck Rental