If you happen to go to PIE
IX station (named after the Olympics in Montreal on the green metro line,
you should discover all the other attractions there are in this area as well.
Below are the ones I visited.
Jardin Botanique
This is pretty much thy place to take your wedding photos at
(and we did see newlyweds and their wedding party come take photos as we were
leaving). Jardin Botanique is a botanical garden that consists of a large Chinese
garden, Japanese garden, and a few other themed gardens and attractions as
well. We only explored the Chinese garden thinking that if we saw one, the rest
would be similar. In addition to the fact that exploring one was enough (as it
covered so much space already and the ambience was exquisite enough to satisfy
our garden viewing). From replicas of Chinese temples, to pots of banzai trees,
large stones with a folk tale behind it, lily pads, and diverse, but eye
catching flowers, this place was quite a sight and I felt like I was
transported back to the garden of a Chinese palace. Walking through the stone
lined paths, you will definitely feel some Asian flair in the air.
Insectarium
None of us were fans of insects, but this insectarium was
within the vicinity of Jardin Botanique, so we thought if it was included in
the admission price, we might as well check it out. When we entered, we
realized it was its own place and you had to pay more if you wanted to go, in
fact, the admission is fairly expensive, so unless you’re a fan of insects,
don’t go!
Biodome
About a ten minute walk away was the Biodome, a place that
replicates the habitats of four distinct environments: Tropical Forest, Sub
Polar regions, Labrador Coast, and one other I forgot the name of. Not to my
surprise, but this place was in the shape of a dome and starting from the
entrance, you will eventually make your away around the four main areas while
sighting exotic animals and experiencing what it’s like to be in four distinct
locations. It felt realistic moving from one destination to another and it was
like a mini zoo with animals from around the world in their manmade
environments. Fortunately, we only had to pay $11.25, which is student rate for
a local resident (the employee figured we were students in town anyways so he
didn’t really care, but a regular student rate is $13.25). It’s a great place for families to take their
kids to, and those who like animals!
Olympic Park
I was looking forward to coming here for the longest time as
Montreal has been one of the host cities of the Olympics. Turns out though, there’s
really nothing special about this place despite my anticipation for it. There’s
one building that looked pretty cool, and another one (not sure if it was made
for Olympics), where it has a tower curving upwards from the middle (you can
pay to ride an elevator from the exterior to go up to the top to view the
surrounding area), but other than that, that was it. All the other buildings
were closed and it’s more of just a symbolic place now rather than an
attraction.
Labels: Montreal
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