Canada's second largest city after TORONTO, and one of the world's largest French-speaking cities. It was settled by the French in 1642 and two-thirds of the people are Roman Catholics of French origin.
Montreal gets its name from Mount Royal, 200 m (656 ft) high, which dominates the city. Montreal stands at the junction of the St. Lawrence and Ottawa rivers and is a major port, although it is 1600 km (1000 miles) from the ocean.
The heart of the city is an island, but development has spread northwards to LAVAL and the North Shore and southwards across the St. Lawrence. Montreal has four universities, a major financial centre, and industries producing electrical goods, aircraft, railway equipment, clothing and chemicals. Vieux Montreal, the old part of the city near the harbor, has been declared a historic area. Other attractions for the visitor include large, temperature-controlled underground shopping areas, Mary Queen of the World Cathedral, Notre Dame church, and a variety of museums and parks.
Locals hypothesize that the legacy of Italian blood and culture in Cologne, colonized by the Romans more than 1500 years ago, makes the people more jovial and lighthearted. Cologne is the largest city on the Rhine.
Kolsch is not only the dialect spoken here but, also the name of their own top-fermented beer. There are more than 4,000 pubs, restaurant's and brewery taverns in Cologne.
Unlike many of the world's large cities, Cologne, with a population of over a million, gets better every day, there are more things to do and see, more new and innovative buildings... more
Travel is an opportunity to learn, whether geography, languages, history or other subjects.
Cologne is situated on the beautiful Rhine River.