【Travel with Seasons】Around Montreal, Canada (May)

📍 Ottawa · 👁 2 reads · ❤️ 90 likes

In May, the spring breeze brings warmth, and the average temperature has stabilized above 10°C. At this time, Eastern Canada is clear and sunny, with a hundred flowers in full bloom, finally becoming rich and colorful.

However, I will first temporarily pull you away from Montreal to take a look at Ottawa, a neighboring city that is in its most beautiful season of the year.

==Canadian Tulip Festival==

Ottawa is the capital of Canada, and belongs to the province of Ontario along with Toronto. But it is actually closer to Montreal, only 190 km away, a two-hour drive.

Every year, during the second and third weeks of May, Ottawa hosts the annual 10-day Canadian Tulip Festival.

As a symbol of international friendship, the Canadian Tulip Festival was established to commemorate the touching historical event during World War II when the Canadian government helped the Dutch princess, and the Netherlands gave tulips as a royal gift to Canada. It has been held annually since 1953 and is now the largest tulip festival in the world and the largest flower festival in North America.

During the festival, millions of tulips are displayed in the most scenic areas. Ottawa, already peaceful and serene, becomes even more elegant and noble against the backdrop of the vibrant tulips. If I could only visit Ottawa once in my life, I would strongly recommend visiting at this time.

As the main venue of the festival each year, on the scenic north bank of the Rideau Canal, from Commissioners Park to Lansdowne Park, tulips spread like a carpet along the road, stretching for several kilometers.

On one side is the sparkling canal, and on the other are luxurious and quaint mansions. Even on ordinary days, Queen Elizabeth Driveway is, in my eyes, the most beautiful road in Ottawa. Now, with the colorful sea of tulips, it is even more stunning. Slowing down, strolling through it, letting the spring breeze caress your face, and the fragrance of flowers fill your nose — what a wonderful feeling it is.

Several other flower-viewing spots are mostly within a radius of less than two kilometers from Ottawa's landmark, Parliament Hill. Apart from Parliament Hill itself being surrounded by flowers, Major's Hill Park is also a great place to view flowers. Although the tulip patches here are smaller, they act like a spring palette, adding a splash of brilliant color to the background of the National Gallery of Canada, the Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica, and even nearby Parliament Hill in your photos.

Besides flower viewing, there are also different activities held during the festival each year. For example, theme days for a certain country or city, art exhibitions by artists centered on tulips, parades of WWII veterans, and so on.

Moreover, because the Tulip Festival usually coincides with Mother's Day and Victoria Day (May 24th each year), there are also some Mother's Day themed activities. And do not miss the spectacular fireworks show on the Sunday evening before the closing, which brings the whole event to a climax.

Of course, since you are already in Ottawa, it would be a shame not to take the opportunity to thoroughly explore this beautiful city. Below, I will briefly introduce my favorite way to experience Ottawa in just "one sentence" each.

Morning: Enjoy flowers along the canal.

Noon: ByWard Market: only a few hundred meters from Parliament Hill, it is Ottawa's "Wangfujing" with a large farmers' market, the best place for lunch.

Afternoon: Parliament Hill: the Gothic-style Parliament buildings are not only a landmark of Ottawa but also a symbol of Canada.

Evening: Amphibus Tour: Boarding point is beside The National War Memorial, a one-hour tour covering all major attractions in the capital area, then entering the water to become a boat and enjoy the magnificent sunset scenery of the Ottawa River.

【Two-day Trip (with kids)】

--Canadian Museum of Nature: From dinosaur fossils to modern animal models, explore the history of biological evolution and the mysteries of the Earth with your children.

--Musée canadien de l'histoire (Canadian Museum of History): Canada's most popular and visited museum, the best place to trace Canadian history. The "Children's Museum" inside is also very popular.

【Two-day Trip (without kids)】

--Royal Canadian Mint: Follow a guide to witness the coin production process firsthand, and the best place to purchase limited-edition commemorative coins.

--Rideau Hall: A Canadian National Historic Site, a guided tour of the magnificent Governor General's residence and beautiful private gardens.

==Lobster Season==

After our unforgettable trip to Ottawa, let's return to Montreal.

At this time, you should check the supermarket flyers. Because from late May to early June, fresh lobster is in peak season, with significant discounts at major supermarkets. Why not take this opportunity to feast?

If that is not enough and you want to taste more lobster preparations, then head to the Lobster Festival.

Around the last Sunday of May each year, along the Canal de Lachine, over 40 restaurants join forces to present a lobster feast waiting for you. On-site, there will be lobsters cooked in various ways, guaranteed to whet your appetite.

==Museum Day==

The last Sunday of May is Montreal's annual "Museum Day." On this day, you can visit most of Montreal's museums for free. Here, I take this opportunity to list the museums in Montreal that are worth visiting.

--Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal (Montreal Museum of Fine Arts)

Whenever mentioning museums in Montreal, one must mention the Museum of Fine Arts. It is Canada's oldest art museum and ranks eighth in visitor numbers among all museums in North America. Its collection mainly consists of paintings and sculptures from the Middle Ages to modern times, with over 40,000 pieces, including works by masters such as Picasso, Monet, and Renoir.

--Espace pour la vie (Space for Life)

The "Espace pour la vie" alliance is Canada's largest natural science complex, consisting of four top museums near the Parc olympique de Montréal:

Biodôme: Various unique animals and plants build complete ecosystems of the Americas, including rainforest, forest, St. Lawrence, and polar regions, offering a one-stop understanding of American nature.

Insectarium de Montréal: The largest insect museum in North America, with over 100,000 specimens and live insects presenting an incredible insect world.

Planétarium Rio Tinto Alcan: Meteorites, auroras, panoramic starry skies... Using the most advanced multimedia technology to create a realistic space experience.

Jardin botanique de Montréal (Montreal Botanical Garden): The second largest botanical garden in the world. It has 10 greenhouses and 30 themed outdoor gardens, including a Chinese garden, showcasing over 20,000 plant species.

Friendly reminder: Allow a full day to visit the entire Space for Life museum complex. Also, on Museum Day, the Botanical Garden is usually not free.

--Château Ramezay

It was the first building in Quebec to be classified as a historic monument! It has been selected as one of the "1001 historical sites you must see in a lifetime." This residential-style museum displays the life scenes of French upper-class colonists and indigenous people during the New France period, and it rarely offers guided tours in Chinese. Also, don't miss the beautiful private garden behind the castle. It is recommended to visit it together with the Vieux-Port de Montréal.

--Musée Redpath (Redpath Museum)

Located on the campus of the famous McGill University, this museum is free to visit year-round. It may be small but has everything. From Chinese foot bindings and Japanese samurai armor to Egyptian mummies, as well as T-Rex skeletons and various lifelike animal specimens. I strongly recommend strolling around McGill's beautiful campus when you have time, and visiting this very lovely museum.

--Other options include:

The educational and fun Centre des sciences de Montréal (Montreal Science Centre) helps children experience physics, chemistry, and human body knowledge through various interactive devices;

Pointe-à-Callière (Montreal Museum of Archaeology and History) with a fantastic time-tunnel-like entrance, revealing nearly 400 years of Montreal history, along with legends of pirates and trains;

La Biosphère, within the iconic building shaped like a dandelion, discusses the importance of environmental protection.

In summary, May is when a hundred flowers bloom. The Ottawa Tulip Festival is a must-see. The other two keywords for the end of May are "lobster" and "museums."

(A heartfelt work by "Travel Time Treasure," please indicate the source when reprinting. Thank you for your respect!)

Travel Diary Table of Contents

1. Spring Breeze Warm in May, Tulips on Both Banks of the Canal

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