Jean Drapeau Park (Montreal)

Jean Drapeau Park is located to the east of the city and is Montreal’s most popular leisure destination for locals and tourists. It is a huge municipal park made up of two islands on the St Lawrence River known as Ile Sainte-Hélène and Ile Notre-Dame. There is a wealth of things to do here and lots to see, and while on cheap city breaks in Montreal, you can easily spend the best part of a whole day here, especially during the summer. Developed during the 1967 World Expo, Jean Drapeau Park will keep youngsters happy for hours in both the enchanting La Ronde amusement park and aquatic centre complete with swimming pools, an artificial beach and water slides.

 

On short breaks in Montreal, when braving the chilly winter months you can also enjoy ice skating and exciting fun at its snowboarding park. This huge urban park also hosts the Canadian grand prix formula one race each year and has been the setting for numerous large scale music concerts. Other major annual happenings include the immensely popular Snow festival, a raucous heavy metal music festival and a children’s festival weekend. Despite its vast array of facilities and attractions, there is lots of space to disappear out of sight and enjoy woodland strolls, tranquil flower gardens and cycling paths which are often deserted during the week.

Other notable attractions include the David Stewart Museum, housed in a pre-war fort and the fascinating Biosphere museum and eco study centre. Wherever you wander within the park you will also encounter lots of interesting follies and photogenic modern sculptures. The two islands are connected by footbridges both to each other and the downtown area of Montreal, and it is relatively easy to get around on foot; however you can readily hire bicycles from a number of kiosks. There is no better place to be during summer city breaks in Montreal, and even after dark the action doesn’t let up with regular free concerts, poetry jams, film nights and fireworks displays.