If you’ve been to Montreal or live here, you’ve probably heard of the city’s vast Underground City network.
It’s a 33-kilometre pedestrian network that is under the heart of downtown, linking metro stations to shopping malls, activities, restaurants, and venues.
And no, it’s not home to any Ninja Turtles.
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Now that the winter weather has settled in, you might want to consider exploring the lifesaver if you want to take a stroll, grab a coffee, or have a bite to eat without having to deal with Montreal’s cold and snow.
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Known officially as le RÉSO (the network), Montreal’s Underground City connects over 1,700 shops, 200 restaurants, universities, movie theatres, metro stations, museums, and even a skating rink.
What makes the network so alluring — besides getting through the city without needing layers of winter gear — is that it follows the same schedule as Montreal’s metro. Meaning most parts of the Underground City are open from 5:30 am to 1 am daily.
(That’s not to say you can go shopping at 5 am — but the literal network paths are open.)
Nobody actually lives in the Underground City
Yes, there is an interconnected network. No, it’s not inhabited by underground mole people.
A lack of subterranean dwellers aside, the name is a wee bit of misdirection as parts of the network are actually above ground. You know, where humans live.
Bad weather? No problem
The entire RÉSO network is temperature controlled, meaning those muggy summer days or freezing winter ones are cozy in the underground.
Don’t get lost
montrealundergroundcity.com
As the biggest underground network in the world, it’s not uncommon to get lost in le RÉSO. The STM does a good job at mapping out the entire network while you’re underground but a quick overview of the interconnected “souterrain” can be found above.
Shopper’s Paradise
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The Underground City connects to three major Montreal shopping centres: The Eaton Centre, Les Cours Mont-Royal, and the Complexe Desjardins (and a bevy of food courts, including Time Out Market Montréal).
THERE’S A SKATING RINK INSIDE
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Open year-round, the Underground City connects to the Atrium Le 1000, a 10,000 sq ft indoor skating rink.
Inaugurated in 1992, the Atrium has an overhead glass dome and is open from 11:30 am to 6 pm.
Did enough walking? How about some skating?
A walkthrough guide for the Underground City
Les Cours Mont-Royal Mall
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Les Cours Mont-Royal is a good place to start. Since the network functions as a loop, you can’t go wrong starting anywhere really but the CRM makes sense, especially if you’re downtown.
Built in 1922, Les Cours Mont-Royal is a former 1000-room hotel that has since been renovated into a mall.
With its crystal chandelier, winding staircases, and selection of high-end shops, you can’t go wrong as a starting point.
Place Montréal Trust & Centre Eaton
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Go from one big underground mall to another (and then to another).
Place MontrĂ©al Trust has over 70 stores, including shopper’s favourites like Zara, Winners, Indigo, DeSerres, and Jack & Jones.
During the holidays, there’s a massive 30-foot indoor Christmas tree.
Place Montréal Trust also connects to the Eaton Centre for the serious shoppers.
The Eaton Centre has more than 125 boutiques, spread out across five floors. Along with direct access to the McGill metro station, the mall hosts the massive Time Out Market MontrĂ©al, which showcases some of Montreal’s best restaurants, all in one spot.
More than 30 million people pass through the Eaton Centre every year.
The Bay & Place Ville Marie
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Are you tired yet? The Underground City is just getting started…
The underground network connects to The Bay and continues eastbound towards Place des Arts and the Complexe Desjardins. Or, you can cut south and head towards Place Ville Marie.
PVM is a longstanding gathering place and is the epicentre of downtown Montreal. If the food at Time Out Market MontrĂ©al didn’t entice you, another spectacular food court might pique your interest Le Cathcart.
Or maybe you want to come up for air and snap a picture of Montreal’s new The Ring installation.
Centre Bell & Place Bonaventure
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The Underground City continues southbound towards the Centre Bell, Montreal’s top venue for popular concerts, events, and of course, the Canadiens.
Place Bonaventure, once the largest building in the world, is now a large office building and is connected to the Bonaventure metro and Gare Centrale — Montreal’s main train station and the launching point to travel via railroad to Toronto or the US.
Palais des congrès
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A striking rainbow-windowed building, the Palais des congrès is a strategically located hub that connects Old Montreal to Chinatown and hosts popular conventions, year-round.
Complexe Desjardins & Place des Arts
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From here, you can head northbound towards the Complexe Desjardins (yes, another mall) and Place des Arts.
The Complexe Desjardins is located in the heart of the Quartier des spectacles, the entertainment district that hosts music, dance, theatre, comedy, and opera — the city’s go-to arts and culture spot.
And guess what? From here, you can connect back to the start and do it all over again or map out your own configuration across the Underground City.
From convention centres to trains outside of the city, hundreds of stores, malls galore, cafes, art pieces, and food courts, the Underground City is simply remarkable — take that, winter weather.
Who needs coats?
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