5 must-see Instagram hotspots in Montreal

With its vibrant street art, historic landmarks, lush landscapes and charming cobblestone streets, Montréal is the perfect backdrop for an Instagram-worthy photo opportunity.

Here are some of the city’s must-see locales for snap-happy visitors:

Saint-Laurent Boulevard:

Colourful murals and graffiti-covered walls can be spotted across the city, but Saint-Laurent Boulevard is the leading location for street art fans. The open-air gallery boasts dozens of aesthetic alleyways and large-scale wall murals for the Instagram crowd to capture. The colourful corridor is also the central location for Montréal’s annual MURAL Festival, which means new artworks are created by talented local and international street artists each year. The 2022 edition of the festival resulted in more than 20 new murals created across the city, including a large-scale piece by festival headliner Shepard Fairey, the famed street artist behind Barack Obama’s iconic ‘Hope’ campaign poster.

Pastel Rita:

This rose-coloured café in Mile End attracts a chic influencer crowd with its monochromatic Millennial pink décor. Stylish patrons can snag a prime seat in a pink corner booth and strike a pose with a matcha latte in hand.

The Ring:

Montréal’s newest public art installation was installed this June and is sure to become a must-see addition on the city’s Instagram bucket list. Measuring more than 30 metres in diameter and weighing roughly 50,000 pounds, the large-scale ring is suspended over the steps at Place Ville Marie’s Esplanade and will be illuminated after dark for a glowing nighttime effect.

Dragon Flowers:

One of the city’s most photographed storefronts is a humble Mile End flower shop. The neighbourhood landmark is adorned in colourful hanging baskets, buckets of bouquets, and decorative white bird cages suspended from the balconies above. Gorgeous greenery and floral displays change with the seasons; the shop is particularly photogenic in the fall when towering piles of orange pumpkins are on display.

Farine Five Roses sign:

This remanent of Montréal’s industrial past has become one of the city’s most iconic landmarks. The glowing red and white neon sign poised on the rooftop of an Old Port flour mill is a fixture of the city skyline and can be viewed from both sides of the St. Lawrence River, though is best captured at sunset from the scenic bike path on the Berge des Coursiers. Alternatively, visitors can check out a neon replica of the famed sign at the newly launched Le Saint Motel selfie studio on the second floor of Château Saint-Ambroise.

Photo credit: Tourisme Montréal / Eva Blue

Other articles from totimes.ca – mtltimes.ca – otttimes.ca