Back in 1978, still in search of a permanent home, the Canadian Grand Prix was hosted at the Circuit Ile Notre-Dame in the eastern city of Montreal. How fitting that the eventual winner – one Gilles Villeneuve – would go on to have the track renamed in his honour. This track boasts charisma and character aplenty, with the infamous “Wall Of Champions” ending the races of Damon Hill, Michael Schumacher and Gilles’ son Jacques all within a short period in the mid-1990s. With a phenomenal amphitheatre-like atmosphere in and around the track’s hairpin, there are few better places to enjoy a Grand Prix than on Notre Dame Island.

 

For those plotting this trip, Montreal provides a vast and varied offering of activities to attempt, delicacies to dissect and natural beauty to bask in. The Notre Dame Basilica for example is a lavish piece of architecture essential for the itinerary, bordering somewhere between the sublime and the outrageous. A true visual cacophony, the grand structure illuminates from the inside with an array of colours bursting from its stained glass windows. Statues, paintings and impressive attention to detail on the building itself makes this worth seeing.

 

Whilst on an architectural note, the Observatoire Place Ville Marie is prime position for taking in all of Montreal’s landmarks. From 185 metres high, sight-seers wil be wowed from all angles with a panoramic view of the city, alongside a helpful narration loop which points out a number of historical and cultural keystones. If heights don’t work, taking things in via one of the numerous boating options is a more than suitable alternative. Sail away into the southern breeze via the Montreal Dinner Cruise for example, and passengers can enjoy five courses of gastronomic delight (and a few drinks) whilst passing through Old Montreal and wider Quebec in its evening glory. Whichever way you travel, be sure to take a camera.