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Free guided tour of the Quartier des Spectacles

Discover the cultural heart of Montreal

Press release - For immediate distribution

Montréal, May 2, 2016 – From May 5 to October 2, regular and occasional visitors to Montreal’s cultural heart are invited to take a free guided walking tour of the Quartier des Spectacles. Participants will enjoy the many surprises of the Quartier’s 1 km², home to North America’s most diverse and concentrated collection of cultural venues. With some 40 festivals, 80 cultural venues, interactive installations and bold lighting, the Quartier des Spectacles is a destination where there’s always something new to discover.

For the fourth year, the walking tour of the Quartier des Spectacles reveals the history of this part of downtown, which has been a cultural hotbed for more than a century, and explains the vision behind what is considered the cornerstone of Montreal’s status as a cultural metropolis. Offered by the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership, the tour is given three times a week in English or French.

“The Quartier des Spectacles has gradually shaped itself into an essential destination. It boasts every element of an exceptional urban cultural experience, while remaining a living neighbourhood and a hub for the advancement of knowledge. A guided tour of the Quartier reveals these artistic and social aspects, as well as the excellence of the district’s planning. The Quartier is also an enormous open-air theatre and Montreal’s cultural heart, and walking through it is undoubtedly the best way to explore its roots and history,” says Jacques Primeau, chair of the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership’s board of directors.

EXPLORE THE QUARTIER

Led by one of our four guides graduate from the Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec, Montrealers and visitors will explore the Quartier from west to east, from the Place des Festivals to Les Jardins Gamelin, discovering the district’s cultural highlights and the Luminous Pathway. They will see lively public spaces, temporary installations and the inside of some of Montreal’s iconic cultural venues such as the Monument-National and Place des Arts. Participants will also discover La Maison du développement durable, an ecological construction, and learn about current cultural events in the Quartier.

SELECTED SITES AT A GLANCE: 1. Place des Festivals — 2. Place des Arts
3. Maison du développement durable — 4. 2-22 (La Vitrine) — 5. Monument-National
6. SAT — 7. Grande Bibliothèque — 8. Place Émilie-Gamelin

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

From May 5^th to October 2nd

In English: Saturdays, 4 to 6:30 p.m. In French: Thursdays, 5 to 8:30 p.m. Sundays, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Free reservations and information:

English tours: quartierdesspectacles.com/walkingtour
French tours: quartierdesspectacles.com/visiteguidee

For a fee, private tours can also be arranged for groups and/or at times outside the regular schedule. visite@quartierdesspectacles.com, or 514-879-0009, ext. 295

ABOUT THE QUARTIER DES SPECTACLES

The Quartier des Spectacles is Montreal’s cultural heart, boasting North America’s most concentrated and diverse group of cultural venues. The district is the year-round host to countless festivals and events, many of which include free outdoor shows and activities. The Quartier also hosts innovative urban installations involving cutting-edge lighting design, immersive environments or interactive digital spaces. The Quartier des Spectacles is an international showcase for new multimedia technology, making Montreal a global leader in the urban exhibition of digital content.

For more information, visit quartierdesspectacles.com.

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