It is a steep climb up to Parc Mont Royal. From Rue Peel there are steps leading all the way to Le Chalet. From there you have a great view over Montréal. Then you can go to the peak, if you so desire. A bus (number 11) leaving from the parking lot behind Le Chalet takes you down to Park Avenue and onwards to Station Laurier.

The first European to climb the hill was Jacques Cartier in 1535 and he managed without the stairs, but with help from local guides from the village of Hochelaga. He named the hill Mont Royal after his king and patron, King François I of France.

The name for Montréal is derived from the name for the hill Mont Royal, or as it was written in 16th century French: Mont Real.