Verdun is a borough in the south of Montreal, bordered by the South-West borough to the north, LaSalle to the west and by the St-Lawrence river to the south-east. The main commercial streets are Wellington and De L'Église.

Verdun is not a touristic neighborhood. However, the adventurous tourist who seeks an off-the-beaten-track destination will find peaceful streets with typical red brick triplexes, a lively main street, beautiful views of the river and restaurants well worth the detour.

Get in

The green line of the Metro has a few stations in Verdun : Lasalle, De l'Église, Verdun, Jolicoeur and Monk. These stations are about 10-20 minutes from downtown.

Verdun also hasa a few Bixi (bike-share) stations and bicycle lanes.

See

• Maison historique Nivard-De Saint-Dizier. A 300 year-old house, right next to the river, with a museum open from May to October. It is the most extensive prehistoric archeological site on the Island of Montreal. free. 

Do

• Cycle or walk along the river.. A wonderful cycle path stretches along the St-Lawrence river, offering good views and picnic spots. free. 

• Dance lessons near the river, 7000, boulevard LaSalle. May to August. During the summer, drop in the municipal greenhouse any evening for salsa, tango, country or line dancing. Check website for hours and details. free. 

• See a circus show. Verdun circus school is a venue for circus shows. See website for schedule. 

• Swim at the Natatorium. The Natatorium is a huge outdoor swimming pool. 2.25$ adult / 1.25$ child. 

• Swim in the river. Two small piers are accessible for people who want to take a dip in the Saint Lawrence river 

Buy

The main commercial streets are Wellington and De L'Église and features a mix of independent stores and chains, restaurants and services. A comprehensive listing of shop on Wellington can be found on their website. Specialty stores include :

• La Mistinguette, 4537 Wellington. Eco-clothing and jewelry from local designers. 

• La Tienda, d'ici à Compostelle, 4329 Wellington. Hiking gear with an emphasis on the Compostelle trail. 

• Jeux Face à Face, 4425 Wellington. Board games and Magic cards. Hosting Magic tournaments. 

Eat

Wellington street boasts a variety of restaurants and cafés, from fast food to very fancy fare. Here are some that might be worth a detour.

Specialty foods

• Lefebvre et filles. This café-boutique sells local food products, such as high-end chocolates, caramels, vinegars and jams. They sometimes carry the hard-to-find birch syrup ("sirop de bouleau" in French, like maple syrup but made from birch trees). 

• Métro Bellemare. This chain super-market actually boasts an impressive offering of tens of different micro-brewed beers sold by the bottle. 

Restaurants

• Les îles en ville, 5335 Wellington. This restaurant offers specialties from the îles-de-la-Madeleine, mostly seafood and cured seal ("loup marin" on the menu). 

• Blackstrap BBQ. An excellent BBQ joint serving meats slowly smoked for 16 hours. Specialties : ribs, brisket, chicken. A sampling platter (36$+tax) is big enough to feed 2 to 3 people. Their "burnt-end poutine" is a very nice twist on the classic poutine with their signature BBQ meat in it. They also serve local beers. 

• Aka Fuji, 3872 Wellington. Tuesday to Sunday 5pm to 9pm. A well-kept secret, this wonderful tiny Japanese restaurant specializes in sushi. They are excellent, but are cheaper than the ones you can find downtown. Also try the agedashi tofu. 
• Pierrette patate, 3900 De Verdun. A classical greasy spoon, some say they make the best poutine in town. 

• Su, 5145 Wellington. Fine Turkish cuisine and good wine selection. 

Drink

In Verdun, local regulations forbids bars, so do like the locals and go to a bistro where you buy food with your drinks. A special exception was made for the Benelux Microbrewery that opened in May 2013.

• Benelux, 4026 rue Wellington (metro Lasalle or metro de L'église). The only bar in Verdun, Benelux serves beer brewed on the premise. Fantastic terrace at the back, with a big tree and a camp fire at night. 6$ for a pint. 

Sleep

Verdun is not a touristic neighborhood and does not have hotels or guest houses.

Go next

Routes through Verdun

END ← Ville-Émard ←

W  E

→ South West → Downtown