| Journal: TWUK | Section: |
| Title: | Issue Date: 08/10/01 |
| Author: | Page Number: 41 |
| Copyright: Other |
Make sure you don’t miss…
Unique: plenty of quality shopping
Olympic dream: the futuristic stadium
The Biodome: housed in the former Olympic Velodrome, the Biodome offersexamples of four separate ecosystems – arctic, tropical, evergreen and oceanographic. Capybaras (the world’s largest rodents) mingle with endangered monkeys and all manner of cute and furry creatures, and a fair few less cute and slimy ones. Next door, the old Olympic stadium is also worth a visit. Still looking futuristic today, it must have looked like an alien spacecraft had landed when it appeared in 1976. Take the lift to the top of the tower for an unforgettable view of the city.
Contact: Biodome: 001 514 868 3008; Olympic Stadium: 001 514 252 8687.
Le Jardin Botanique: when the city gets too much, chill out in the BotanicalGardens, next door to the Biodome. At 180 acres, it’s the second largest in the world after Kew in London. Founded in 1931, it is home to 30 outdoor gardens, 10greenhouses and a 96-acre arboretum.
Contact: Le Jardin Botanique: 001 514 868 3008.
Jet Boating: £23 buys an hour’s jet boating on the Lachine Rapids in the St Lawrence river. Boats take out up to 48 people at a time to bounce over the rapids, but despite the heavy-duty raincoats issued you’ll still come off looking like you’ve jumped in the river with your clothes on. It’s great fun, but you could get the same effect by asking mates to throw buckets of cold water over you, although the boat is much faster.
Contact: Lachine Rapids Tours: 001 514 284 9607.
Forum Pepsi: opened May 4 last year in the city’s old ice hockey stadium, this is the newest attraction in town. In its former incarnation the Forum hosted some of the events of the 1976 Olympic Games, and was also home to the first Canadian Beatles concert. Now it houses a permanent exhibition dedicated to its past events, as well as a 22-screen multiplex and an Imax theatre. Adjoining the Forum is Jillian’s – an entertainment centre with a pool hall, arcade games and conference facilities. There’s also a jazz venue and a nightclub.
Contact: 001 514 904 1250.
The underground city: Montréal gets cold in the winter, so when the weather starts to bite, people go underground. The underground city is a 18 mile-longnetwork of shops and services – definitely worth a browse whatever the weather.