Mount Royal Park

This guide to Mount Royal Park in Montreal follows Frederick Law Olmsted, fresh off splitting with his Central Park partner, as he climbs this mountain in 1874 to plan his first solo commission out of raw rock and thicket. It traces his idea of turning the ascent itself into the experience, and the money troubles that hit just as construction began, forcing the city to build the road faster and cheaper than he intended. Notice how the curve beneath your feet still bends gently around the slope.