Montreal

With the joire de vivre of France and the easy-going nature of a Canadian, Montréal is a forward-thinking, dance-loving island metropolis of artsy romantics who love to party in French and in English. The sound and energy of Formula 1 which starts from Montréal are palpable and the acrobatics of the world-renowned Cirque du Soleil are mind-bending. Take in the deep sound at the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, a spectacle in the Quartier des Spectacles where film, music, theatre, dance, visual arts and comedy is on offer from 80 venues. The easily walkable cobblestone streets lead to the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal, one of Canada’s oldest museums and holds the largest collection of Tiffany glass outside the US. Summer festivals happen most weeks and can be easily joined. Live local jazz over gourmet food with a French flair is a night to remember in this romantic city where couples hold each other close in the cold winters and kiss openly against historic buildings in the warm summers. Trendy neighbourhoods like Plateau Mont-Royal are abuzz with bistros, clubs, galleries and cafés, of course.

The boutique hotel reigns supreme in charming Montréal; a celebrity spot and sip a maple syrup-infused cocktail or a sweet ice wine paired with one of 300+ local kinds of cheese, in style. The magnificent Basilique Notre-Dame-de-Montréal is a place to explore and meditate, while the Laurentians lie just north of Montréal (1.5 hrs drive) and beckon adventurers to thousands of miles of forests with mountains and clear lakes to explore. In the winter, skiing in Mont-Tremblant is elegant and unsurpassed and in summer, Juste Pour Rire (Just for Laughs) is touted as being the world’s largest comedy festival in this fun French-Canadian city full of love and laughter.