As a lifelong Montrealer, I frequently encounter tourists looking for directions to the Underground City. It’s a part of the city that I take for granted so when TourBird offered me the chance to sample their audio tour of this sprawling 33-kilometre network of underground pathways and tunnels that connect the downtown’s shopping centres, office buildings, transit hubs and more than a few landmarks, I couldn’t resist the chance to explore it as a visitor would.
Known locally as the RÉSO, which is a play on réseau, the French word for network, the Underground City is an integral part of life in downtown Montreal, especially during the coldest months of winter.
The network is so massive that there’s no way to explore it all and as TourBird’s audio guide taught me, there are corners of the RÉSO that I have never been to despite living here for 61 years. When TourBird created their audio guide, they knew it was futile to try to describe it all so they instead focused on a specific stretch connecting Place des Art in the Quartier des Spectacles to the World Trade Centre at the edge of Old Montreal, two areas of the city that are especially popular with visitors.
Accessing the tour was relatively easy. Rather than use a specific app, TourBird’s tours use your smartphone’s web browser which means you’ll need a data plan to use it. They are working on version that works offline, but for now, you’ll need a fully-charged phone that can access the internet and it doesn’t matter if it runs iOS or Android.
As I let the narrator guide me along the 1.5-hour tour, I learned tidbits of the city’s history that I didn’t know, like the burial place of James McGill, the founder of one of Canada’s most prestigious universities. I was also frequently reminded at just how much incredible public art can be found in the RÉSO including one of my favourites, the Lipstick Forest in the Palais de Congrès.
What’s nice about using a self-guided walking tour is that you can do it at your own pace which means you can pop outside if you want or take a detour before resuming which is something you’ll want to do because the Underground City features plenty of shopping and dining options to tempt you.
This specific tour uses escalators as you move from place to place, but some parts are only connected by staircases which means it isn’t suitable for wheelchair users.
Other highlights of the tour include the art on display at Place des Arts, the shops at Complexe Desjardins, a view of Chinatown’s oldest building, the colourful windows of the Palais des Congrès and a chance to see a segment of the Berlin Wall.
If you like this tour, TourBird also offers a Square Victoria to the Old Port route that would be a logical add-on as it starts right where their Underground City tour ends.
If you’re in town during the warmer months, their Plateau Maze of Murals and Mile End Walking Tours look like they would be fun. They also offer A Walk Through Saint Henri, a central neighbourhood that is a little more off the tourist trail.
TourBird sells their Underground City tour for $15 (plus $2.25 of taxes) directly from their website at https://www.tourbird.ca.
