Place d'Armes

Old Montreal's central square has witnessed the city's history since Paul de Chomedey, Sieur de Maisonneuve founded Ville-Marie here in 1642, his statue now surveying the Gothic Revival magnificence of Notre-Dame Basilica and the Victorian grandeur of surrounding bank buildings. The square's architectural ensemble spans three centuries—New France's seminary, Victorian banks, and Art Deco towers—creating a compressed history lesson in Montreal's evolution from missionary outpost to financial capital. The juxtaposition of sacred and commercial architecture reflects the powers that shaped Quebec society, while today's tourists and office workers maintain the square's role as a gathering place.

Notre-Dame Basilica

Montreal's most magnificent church dazzles visitors with an interior of deep blue vaults, thousands of gold stars, and the intricately carved wooden sanctuary that ranks among North America's most spectacular religious spaces. The Irish-American architect James O'Donnell designed the Gothic Revival masterpiece in 1824, converting to Catholicism on his deathbed so he could be buried within its walls. The basilica's AURA light-and-sound show transforms the space after dark while celebrity weddings, including Celine Dion's, have made its altar internationally famous.