traveldk.com

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 colossal fortification was originally built by Royal Engineer Dubois Berthelet de Beaucours in 1693. The complete star-shaped bastion seen today however is primarily the work of English Colonel Elias Durnford, constructed between 1820 and 1832 (see La Citadelle, Québec City).

This beautiful Neo-Classical domed structure was once home to Canada’s parliament but is today used variously as a produce market, art gallery, concert venue, reception hall and shopping mall. The symmetrically designed gem of Vieux-Montréal features a Greek Revival portico and cast-iron columns made in the early 1800s (see Marché Bonsecours).

Montréal’s oldest public square (1657) is located on the site where the city was originally founded in 1642. It features the Pointe-à-Callière museum (see Musée Pointe-à-Callière), a gift shop and outdoor events. The residence of Louis-Hector Callière, a French governor, was also once located here, as was the 19th-century Royal Insurance Building and Montréal’s first Customs House.

The magnetic center of VieuxMontréal, this square offers a variety of stores, clubs and restaurants, whilst being enlivened by street performers and horsedrawn calèche rides. This is a wonderful spot to arrange meetings, take breaks from sightseeing, sit in the sun with a good book or simply people-watch. Look out for an entertaining troupe called the Old Montréal Ghost Trail located just south of the square, who offer tours of the city’s eerier past (see Place Jacques-Cartier & Place de la Dauversière).

While visiting Montréal’s World Fair in 1967, French president Charles de Gaulle made history from the balcony of this building by announcing “Vive le Québec – Vive le Québec Libre !” (“Long Live Québec – Long Live Free Québec”), proving his support for the province’s separation from the rest of Canada (see Musée de la Civilisation de Québec). Sign up for a guided tour to fully enjoy the grace of this historic town hall (see Hôtel de Ville).

An elegant heritage museum sits across the street from the Hôtel de Ville in an 18th-century former governor’s home. Artifacts from Aboriginal societies through to the arrival of British and French colonizers up to 1900 are on display. The gift shop has unique souvenirs and the comfortable café terrace faces onto the Jardins du Gouverneur and Place Jacques-Cartier (see Musée Château Ramezay).

A Victorian home, restored by Parks Canada as a National Historic Site, contains marvelous interactive exhibitions inviting visitors into a typical 19th-century parlor. Enjoy theatrical re-enactments portrayed in shows such as “A Victorian Christmas,” “A Servant Confides,” and “Elegance and Propriety: Etiquette at the Cartiers,” all of which offer a fascinating insight into the lives once lived here (see Sir George-Étienne-Cartier National Historic Site).

This park is a commemoration of the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, in which the generals of both sides, English General Wolfe and French General Montcalm, died during a fierce engagement lasting only 30 minutes (see British Takeover). The element of surprise was on the side of the British as no army had ever before managed to scale the Cap Diamant escarpment. A visit Maison de la Découverte (Discovery Pavilion) at 835 rue Wilfrid-Laurier will explain more on this important event and its resulting effect on Canadian history (see Parc des Champs-de-Bataille).

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).