McGill University

An internationally renowned university

Noteworthy for: McGill is Montreal's oldest university, and one of only three English speaking universities in Quebec.

Talk of the town: An interesting McGill tradition is for Canadian students to jet off to Cuba for spring break, to the chagrin of American counterparts who cannot follow suit.

McGill is one of Canada's most internationally recognised universities, a research-intensive school known for its strengths in engineering, law and medicine. The university was founded in 1821 by James McGill, a wealthy Scotsman, and patronised by the rich residents of the Golden Square Mile, many of whom donated land and premises to the school. This has helped McGill grow into a large university with over 37,000 students.

McGill has a beautiful campus, filled with grand Victorian buildings and framed by Mount Royal in the background. In a fitting gesture to its original patrons, McGill has saved many of the Golden Mile mansions either by acquiring them or by helping to convert them for corporate use. Visitors to McGill should take the opportunity to visit the Redpath Museum, a charming natural science museum that is free to view.