Along the Great Lakes to Montreal

Who it is for

For anyone who likes architecture, museums and markets, and wants the US and Canada together.

Not for anyone travelling in winter without cold-weather clothes, since all three winters are harsh.

The strategy

Chicago comes first, and the trip goes up through Canada to Montreal. Toronto sits in the middle, a short flight from both.

What you will see

• Millennium Park, Chicago. A 99,000 m² park opened in 2004 over a former rail yard.
• St. Lawrence Market, Toronto. The south market has operated on this site since 1803 and in the current building since 1902, built over the old 1845 city hall, whose portico is still embedded in the facade.
• Notre-Dame Basilica, Montreal. Neo-Gothic, built between 1824 and 1829 by Irishman James O’Donnell, who converted to Catholicism so he could be buried there.

Day by day

Chicago

1. 1
   Day 1: The Loop, the river, and the lakefront

   1. 4Chicago Cultural CenterHalf a day or moreEssential
   2. 1Millennium Park and Cloud GateEssential
2. 2
   Day 2: The west and northwest neighborhoods
3. 3
   Day 3: South Side, museums, and a ballpark

   1. 7Griffin Museum of Science and IndustryWorth a visit
   2. 6Field MuseumWorth a visit
   3. Wrigley FieldIf there is time
4. 4
   Day 4: Loop architecture and the lakefront

   

Toronto

1. 5
   Day 5: Downtown, the lake and the market

   1. 9CN TowerOne to two hoursIf there is time
   2. 1St. Lawrence MarketEssential
   3. 2Distillery DistrictEssential
2. 6
   Day 6: Museums, the university and Queen West

   
3. 7
   Day 7: Ravines, the east and the Don Valley · if you have more time

   1. Casa LomaUp to half an hourIf there is time
   2. 8Scarborough BluffsWorth a visit

Montreal

1. 8
   Day 8: The old city, the port, and downtown

   1. 1Notre-Dame BasilicaEssential
   2. 3Pointe-à-Callière and the Vieux-PortEssential
2. 9
   Day 9: The mountain, the bagel, and the Plateau

   1. 2Parc du Mont-RoyalEssential
   2. 7Marché Jean-Talon and Marché AtwaterWorth a visit
3. 10
   Day 10: The Olympic east and the Expo islands · if you have more time