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Parc Mount-Royal is a public park in the center on Montreal. Parc Mount-Royal is a hill of only 234 m (767ft) high but is regarded as a mountain and there is a law that no building should be higher than Mount-Royal. Mount-Royal Park was landscaped by Law Olmsted, the same man who designed New York’s Central Park. He built several lookout points and tried to keep the park natural. Today, it is known as the Belvédère Kondiaronk, named after a chief who signed a major peace treaty with the French government in 1701. There is also a second lookout, facing east toward the Olympic Stadium.

There are two important monuments in this area - the Georges-Étienne Cartier on the Park Avenue side and an illuminated cross, dating from 1919 and 1924, respectively. Most of the trees in the park are less than fifty years old because many trees were cut down to discourage trysting in 1954. The Beaver Lake and the lookout chalet were projects designed to increase the employment rate during the Great Depression. The Beaver Lake was completed in 1958. In 1924 a large steel cross was erected on the top of the mountain. The cross is lighted in the evening and is 31.4 m (103 ft) high.

A sculpture show took place in the park in 1964. Some of the pieces that were on display then can be seen here to this day. With time, the perimeter of the park is becoming smaller and smaller because of construction sites encroaching upon it. An ice storm destroyed a lot of the trees in 1998. The park was declared a permanently protected area by the governments of Quebec and Montreal in 2003, but that has not solved all the problems. On the bright side, the park has become a lot more accessible.

The park features a wide variety of exciting cross-country ski trails, skating facilities, and hiking opportunities. You can come here simply for a walk and a nice breath of fresh air, or to go jogging. The park gets crowded in summer, with visitors and locals heading to the highest peak for biking, hiking, and water-related activities. Families enjoy having picnics in the summer as well. The site is teaming with snow – shoers, tobogganers, ice skaters, and cross-country enthusiasts in the snowy weather. Tourists can rent at the park the items they need for seasonal activities, for example, paddle boats, bikes, cross country skis, small sleds, and other items. At night, young couples come here to escape from the constant surveillance of parents and siblings. The park is open to visitors all year round, and there is an interpretive center.

The Smith House is also found in the park. It used to work as an art center, but at present, it is the main shopping site for visitors who want to learn about the history of the city and the park. Two chalets, one at the bottom and another at the top of the mountain, sell cold and hot beverages and snacks.

The hill offers spectacular views of Montreal and is a nice place for rest and stroll.


How to get to Mount-Royal : Subway Orange line to Mount-Royal

Opening hours: Daily from 6AM to midnight


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