One of the staples of Montreal is the Jacques Cartier Bridge. It is a massive bridge that connects Montreal to the South Shore and to Sainte Helene Island (an island full of entertainment).
For the last few years, the Jacques Cartier Bridge has also added a spectacular set of lights which make the bridge especially special to see or photograph in the late evening.
Some of the best spots to photograph the Jacques Cartier Bridge are found in this article. These spots each have a unique viewpoint that is both easily accessible and will allow a photographer to use the elements to enhance their photograph. Make sure to revisit these spots multiple times to get different seasons and times of day as well as different colors of light on the bridge.
Here are the seven best spots to see or photograph the Jacques-Cartier Bridge:
1. Ile Sainte Helene
Easily the best spot on the list, a little less accessible than the other options when the park is closed due to lack of parking. I actually got a parking ticket here because the park was closed when I visited and parked in a no parking zone. Make sure to carefully look at signage or simply visit with a bike. Nevertheless, the view of the bridge here is amazing. If you walk along the parking lot close to La Ronde, you will find a little opening in the bushes with an amazing view of the Jacques Cartier Bridge.
I recommend a wide angle lens if possible because of how close you will be to the side of the bridge to take pictures. If you want to capture a picture of the entire Jacques-Cartier bridge from close-up, Ile Sainte-Helene is your best bet and you will definitely be satisfied with your shots.
2. Clock Tower Quay - Old Port
This is another favorite spot of mine. Anyone visiting Montreal must go to the Old Port, it’s the most beautiful neighborhood in the city. When you do visit, you have to walk all the way to the Canal Lachine shore and walk along the river up to the Clock Tower. From here, you will have some amazing views of the Jacques-Cartier Bridge with the Clock Tower as a foreground element for your pictures.
I would recommend visiting during a sunset and staying until the last light to get the most out of both the Clock Tower and the bridge together.
3. Parc Marie Victorin
I didn’t know this spot existed at all until my partner showed it to me. It’s in Longueil on the south shore of Montreal. There is a parking lot at Parc Marie Victorin and from the parking lot you can walk all the way to the edge of a hill by the river. From the edge of the hill, you can slowly climb down to reach the river and get a good perspective of the Jacques-Cartier bridge as the sun sets.
This spot is a bit further away from the city which means that if you want to get a really great shot, I recommend bringing some kind of telephoto lens with at least a 150 mm zoom or more.
4. Concorde Bridge
The Concorde Bridge is very accessible. It is between Parc Jean Drapeau and Dieppe Park in Montreal. There are some parking spots near Habitat 67 to the side of the bridge and from there you can walk to Dieppe Park and unto the Concorde Bridge with an amazing view of the Jacques-Cartier bridge across the river with a gorgeous view of the city as well.
The Concorde Bridge has a pedestrian path on it so you shouldn’t worry about walking directly on the bridge, it is 100% safe. I recommend a full day to walk the Concorde Bridge as well as Sainte-Helene island to get beautiful views and pictures of the city, Jacques-Cartier bridge as well as the iconic Habitat 67 and Montreal Biosphere.
5. Village au Pied du Courant
Village au Pied du Courant is an awesome spot for drinks with friends on the beach during the summer by the Saint-Lawrence. However, it also has a unique view of the Jacques-Cartier Bridge overhead which is a prime spot for vacation style or travel style hip pictures of Montreal with the bridge in the background and the atmosphere of the village.
I’d recommend coming here a few hours before the sunset to chill back and enjoy the spot before taking some of your amazing sunset pictures. Make sure to bring a wide angle lens to get as much bridge as possible in your shot (a smartphone works too!)
6. Mont Royal Observatory
The Mont Royal Observatory is known for its beautiful overhead view of Montreal city. The Jacques-Cartier bridge is not the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the Observatory but it does have amazing views of the bridge (from the Camilien-Houde Observatory) especially with a telephoto lens where you will be able to capture the beauty of the bridge surrounded by the many buildings that share the Montreal skyline.
7. Avenue de Lorimier
Montreal’s answer to Brooklyn’s Washington Street. Ave de Lorimier has a very similar view of the Jacques-Cartier bridge and it’s a super underrated photo spot in the city. If you take a telephoto lens and zoom into the bridge from far away, you’ll have a super shot of the bridge framed by old school style buildings which is a perfect picture for your Instagram page.
Just be careful because there’s quite a lot of cars that use Ave de Lorimier so it’s not entirely recommended to go there during peak hours. Instead opt for a very early sunrise during the weekend to take some perfect pictures of this spot.
Hopefully, you enjoyed this article. Montreal has so many cool spots for unique pictures and the Jacques-Cartier Bridge is one of the most iconic parts of the city. If you know other spots or you took some pictures based on my recommendations, feel free to comment below!
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