Mont-Royal Park is a city park in Montreal. The park is located in the center of the city on the slopes of the mountain of the same name and is probably one of the favorite recreation places for Montrealers and visitors alike.
Park Mont Royal was designed by the famous American architect and landscape designer Frederick Law Olmsted (one of the creators of New York’s famous Central Park). It is worth noting that the original plan as a result underwent significant changes, and some of Olmsted’s ideas were never implemented. The grand opening of the park took place in 1876, despite the fact that the works by this time had not yet been completed.
In 1906 an excellent observation deck known today as the “Kondiaronk Belvedere” was built in Mont Royal Park as a rather imposing semicircular plaza with magnificent panoramic views of downtown Montreal, the St. Lawrence River, and the Monteridge Hills. In good weather, though, the Kondiaronk Belvedere also offers views of the Adirondack Mountains (a ridge in northeastern New York State) and Vermont’s Green Mountains. The second observation deck offers equally breathtaking views of the Mont Royal Plateau and the Olympic Stadium, and is often used for various fairs.
But Mont Royal is not only a famous observation deck and a great place for long walks and picnics, it also has a beautiful artificial lake called Beaver (used as an ice rink in winter), a sculpture garden, great ski slopes, and much more.
The famous Montreal Catholic Cross (31.4 meters high), built by the Society of St. John the Baptist in 1924, is also on the grounds of Mont Royal. The imposing steel structure is equipped with LED illumination and can be seen from almost anywhere in Montreal at night. Next to the cross you will see a commemorative plaque indicating the location of the “time capsule” bricked up here in 1992, which contains the messages and drawings of children depicting their vision of Montreal in 2142, when the capsule is actually to be opened.