Top 5 Spring Activities in Montreal

Photo credit: Mountain Park Labradoodles

Spring is finally upon us in Montreal, Canada. After close to five months of cold, snowy weather, it's high time to put away your winter jacket and take out your sunglasses and sunhat.

Staff and teachers at E-QIP Montreal have put together a short list of fun springtime activities that you can enjoy alone or with your friends and family.

1. Drinks on a terrace (recommended by Cédric, intern)

There's no shortage of fun bars and pubs in the city. As soon as the temperature climbs to double-digits, Montreal terrasses (the French way of pronouncing it, which is actually more common to hear) go up in an instant, providing Montrealers with lunch, beer, and a spring breeze. It's honestly the most magical thing to experience after a winter of indoor dining and overheated restaurants. Here's a list of cool bars to check out.

Photo credit: Tourisme Montreal

2. Chilling on the mountain (recommended by Rachel, English teacher)

Head on over to Mount Royal Park for an afternoon picnic and game of Frisbee! Mount Royal Park is one of the most famous spots in Montreal, and from way up there you can enjoy some pretty awesome views of the city. Best of all: it's absolutely free!

Photo credit: Expedia.ca

3. A bike ride along the Lachine Canal (recommended by Melissa, community coordinator)

For those who may want to embrace outdoor exercise now that the snow is clearing up, there's nothing more relaxing and rejuvenating than a leisurely bike ride along one of Canada's National Historic Sites. This bike path runs along the canal mainly in the Sud Ouest, LaSalle, and Lachine boroughs. Bring your own bike or rent a BIXI (Montreal's only bicycle-sharing service: more info here).

Photo credit: Flickr/ Matthieu Guyonnet-Duluc

4. NDG PorchFest (recommended by Simi, English teacher)

If you happen to live in the NDG neighbourhood of Montreal, there's a really cool community activity known as Porchfest happening in mid-May. Basically, you can walk up and down the streets of NDG for the entire weekend and listen to local musicians who are playing music on their front porches. It's a great way to discover local acts and there's music playing on almost every corner. Make sure to wear comfortable shoes!

Photo credit: do

5. Butterflies Go Free Exhibit at the Botanical Garden of Montreal (recommended by Sodary, French teacher)

HURRY! This exhibit is wraps up on the last weekend of April. It takes place in the main greenhouse in the botanical garden, where hundreds of colourful butterflies fly all around you! Nature experts are also there to offer more information about different butterfly species. Overall, it's a truly mesmerizing and relaxing experience.

Photo credit: Espace pour la Vie

There you have it, folks. E-QIP's top five springtime activities that you can enjoy in Montreal. Share your favourite thing to do in the springtime in the comments below! We'd love to hear from you.

Melissa