Old Montreal Walking Guide

Vieux-Montréal is the oldest part of the city, a grid of stone warehouses, banks and churches running along the river between Rue McGill and Rue Berri. Parts of it are souvenir shops and overpriced terraces, especially around Place Jacques-Cartier, but the side streets are some of the loveliest in North America. This walk takes about two hours without stops. Start at Place-d'Armes metro station.

1. Place d'Armes. The old main square. On one side is the Notre-Dame Basilica, on another the Bank of Montreal's head office with its columned portico, and in the middle a statue of Paul de Chomedey de Maisonneuve, the city's founder. The Aldred Building, an Art Deco tower from the 1930s, stands at the corner.
2. The Notre-Dame Basilica. The Gothic Revival exterior is grand but plain. Inside is something else: a blue vaulted ceiling scattered with gold stars, a carved pulpit, stained glass that tells the history of Montreal rather than Bible stories, and a huge Casavant organ. Daytime visits are ticketed. AURA, the evening light-and-sound show by Moment Factory, runs about 45 minutes and needs a timed ticket bought online. Times and prices change with the season, so check the basilica's official site.
3. Rue Saint-Jacques. Walk west a block. This was Canada's Wall Street, lined with old bank headquarters with marble banking halls.
4. Rue Saint-Paul. Head south and then east along the oldest street in the city, narrow and cobbled, with galleries, craft shops and restaurants.
5. Pointe-à-Callière. At Place Royale, the archaeology and history museum stands on the spot where Ville-Marie was founded in 1642. Much of the visit is underground, walking through excavated foundations, an old sewer and the first Catholic cemetery. Give it at least 90 minutes if you go in.
6. Place Jacques-Cartier. The sloping square with street performers, flower sellers and Nelson's Column at the top. Busy and touristy, and a fine place to watch people.
7. Montreal City Hall. At the top of the square, the Second Empire building with the balcony where Charles de Gaulle shouted "Vive le Québec libre" in 1967, causing a diplomatic row.
8. Château Ramezay and Bonsecours. Opposite City Hall, the 18th-century governor's residence is now a small museum. Walk down to the Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel, the sailors' church, with model ships hanging from the ceiling, and the silver-domed Bonsecours Market next door.
9. The Old Port. Cross to the waterfront. Walk east to the Clock Tower for views of the river and the Jacques-Cartier Bridge, then back west along the quays past the big observation wheel.

In the evening, the Cité Mémoire projections play on walls around the old town, and the streets are calmer once the day-trippers leave. For a place to stay right here, see our where to stay guide. The walk fills the first day of our three-day itinerary.