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Once the largest church in North America, the imposing Gothic towers of the cathedral loom over Place d’Armes. Inside, a decorative nave is composed of stained-glass windows, hand-carved wooden statues, ornate goldleaf trimmings and paintings (see Basilique Notre-Dame).

The struggle between the French and British in Europe continued in the New World. In 1759, after a summer-long standoff, British General James Wolfe won claim to the province during the 30-minute siege of Québec City on the Plains of Abraham. However, in 1774 the French were granted language and religion rights (see Musée de la Civilisation de Québec).

A bronze monument commemorates the founder of the Oratoire St-Joseph (see Features of Oratoire St-Joseph).

This award-winning center opened in 1979 to build public awareness about architecture within society; it promotes scholarly research in the field and stimulates innovation in design practice. Its collections, housed in two buildings, one of which is the restored 1874 Shaughnessy House, include models, drawings and photographs of some of the world’s most important buildings. Do not miss the gardens across the street.

Reminiscent of Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome, the cathedral was built in the 19th century to service the local Catholic community. It continues to attract visitors and residents, not least because of outstanding architectural features such as the neo-Baroque copper and gold baldachin above the altarpiece. This grand lady remains firmly at the heart of Montréal’s Downtown activity.

Dion (b.1968) is one of 14 children born into a musical family in Charlemagne. A demo tape made as a 12-year-old led to an agent, René Angelil, a recording contract and eventually to her and Angelil’s marriage. Today she enjoys vast popularity as one of the world’s finest singers.

This richly decorated chapel is the greatest achievement of artist Napoleon Bourassa, grandson of Louis-Joseph Papineau, the father of Québec nationalism. Bourassa studied in Paris, Rome and Venice, returning to Montréal with the desire to create fine art as an expression of patriotism and faith. The chapel was erected in 1876 for the Sulpician Order.

The most photographed landmark in the city, this imposing hotel with its green copper roof is an architectural jewel designed by architect Bruce Price as a French-style château. Since it opened in 1893, the hotel has welcomed the rich, the famous and the noble through its doors and into its plush salons. Guided tours are available (see Fairmont Château Frontenac, Québec City).

The most photographed hotel in the world poses majestically on the heights of Haute-Ville. Built by railroad tycoon Cornelius Van Horne, this elegant château was the first hotel to belong to the Canadian Pacific railroad empire (see Fairmont Château Frontenac, Québec City).