The Underground City (La Ville Souterraine or RESO)

Montreal’s Underground City is a cornerstone of Montreal that is visited by over a quarter of a million people each day. The Undergound city contains hotels, restaurants, galleries,stores, rail stations, Metro stations,cinemas, nightclubs and even a library. This vast network runs under Montreal’s streets, crosses certain plazas and intersects with many Metro stations. You can find busy walkways and quite corners.

Fun Facts about Montreal’s Underground City

Montreal’s underground city consists of 32 km (20 miles) of tunnels spread over an area of twelve square kilometres of downtown Montreal. The underground city includes 60 residential and commercial complexes comprising 3.6 square kilometres of floor space, including 80% of all office space and 35% of all commercial space in the centre. Services include hotels, shopping malls, banks, corporate headquarters, museums, university buildings, seven metro stations, two commuter train stations, and the Bell Centre hockey arena. There are more than 120 exterior access points to the underground city. Nearly 500,000 people use the underground city per day, especially to escape Montreal’s harsh winters. In 2004 the Underground City was rebranded and given the name RESO.

Montreal’s Underground City History

The Underground City began with passageways in and under Place Ville-Marie and it was completed in 1962. Additional tunnels were created to connect to the Central Station. Before you know it, other extensions were created and it has now become Montreal’s busiest neighborhood. New shopping centers and exhibition centers were eventually added to the Underground city. Now the Underground city contains Place Bonaventure, Windsor Station, Les Cours mount-Royal, Place Montreal Trust, the Eaton Centre, Place de la Cathedrale, Complexe Les Ailes de la Mode, the Stock Exchange Tower and the World Trade Center to name a few.

Access to Montreal’s Underground City

You can access the Underground city from many metro stations, with the most popular station being McGill Metro. The Underground city is a great way to escape the season. During the summer months, when it is too hot or humid, or during the winter months, when it is cold and frigid, the Underground city is a perfect place to get away from it all. You can view a map of the Montreal Underground City by clicking here

Shopping in Montreal’s Underground City

The Underground City is famous for its shopping centers. There are many great shopping malls located inside the Underground city. Some of the most famous shopping centers include:

• The Eaton Centre
• Cours Mont-Royal
• Complexe Les Ailes
• Place Montreal Trust
• Place Ville-Marie

You will find all the famous namebrands within these shopping complexes. Some of the big name stores such as The Gap, Old Navy, Jacob, Tommy, Guess, Zara, Mexx, Le Chateau, Aldo, can all be found in the Underground City.

Montreal’s RÉSO vs. Toronto’s PATH

Montreal’s Underground City is often compared to Toronto’s PATH Network. Montreal’s RESO has several several disconnected areas while Toronto’s PATH is constantly connected. Therefore, Montréal’s RESO has the largest underground system overall, however Toronto’s PATH is the longest continuous system. Currently, Toronto’s PATH is 27km while Montréal’s RÉSO is 32km.

Images of the Underground City

The Underground City (unknown)

Place Montreal Trust from The Underground City (unknown)