Must See Sights and Landmarks in Hudson Area

"Why: Perhaps one of the most famous and prominent churches in Montreal, the Gothic Revival of the Basilique Notre-Dame de Montreal is a breathtaking centrepiece to the Place d'Armes square that was built between 1824 and 1829 and is quite reminiscent of its namesake in Paris."

"A grand Gothic Revival basilica with stained glass depictions of Montreal's religious history has only one soul resting in its crypt."

"The gigantic oratory honors St Joseph, Canada’s patron saint. The largest shrine ever built in honor of Jesus’ father, this Renaissance-style building was completed in 1960 and commands fine views of the northern slope of Mont-Royal. The oratory dome is visible from anywhere in this part of town. The oratory is also a tribute to the work of Brother André, the determined monk who first built a little chapel here in 1904."

"Driving around Montreal, you might notice a big, rounded, green roof standing tall on the horizon. That roof belongs to St. Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal, the largest church in Canada and a popular destination for locals and visitors alike. At 97 metres, that huge roof — the dome of the Oratory basilica — is the second highest in the world, behind only Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome."

"Another one of Montreal’s impressive religious buildings, Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral (Cathédrale Marie-Reine-du-Monde) lies in the downtown area and stands as the third-largest church in the province of Quebec. Modeled after Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome, the construction of this prominent Baroque Revival cathedral took place from 1870 to 1878 and from 1885 to 1894."

"Why: Another classic church from Montreal's downtown core, Mary, Queen of the World Basilica was build in the late 1800s and renamed in 1955 by Pope Benedict XV."

"For over a century this elongated two-story building, inaugurated in 1847, housed the main agricultural market for the Montreal area. With its tin-plated dome and neoclassical style, it's considered one of the ten major achievements in the history of Canadian architecture. After standing idle for a few years there was some talk of tearing it down, but that changed in 1963 when it was re-purposed as a place for exclusive boutiques selling everything from authentic Canadian crafts to jewelry, leather, and hand-blown glass, all designed and made in Québec."

"The beautiful domed tower of the historic Marche Bonsecours is one of the most recognizable buildings in Old Montreal. It shares the same name as the nearby church. In the past, this building has served as a public market, a concert hall, Montreal's city hall and even the Parliament of Lower Canada."

"You can visit Montreal’s historic sights on this guided walking tour including Notre-Dame Basilica, Place Jacques-Cartier, Bonsecours Market, Montreal City Hall and Champ de Mars (to name a few). Old Montreal Food Tour"

"This stately church, located downtown, was built in the mid-19th century to accommodate the arrival of Irish immigrants seeking a place of worship. The ornate interior – specifically the fleur-de-lys and shamrocks – blends French-Canadian culture with Irish traits. It’s also where Québécois poet Émile Nelligan was baptized on Christmas Day back in 1879."

"Why: This Irish Catholic church was opened in 1847 and its spire can be spotted throughout the city, a mark of its Gothic Revival style. Pope John Paul II raised the status of this church to a Basilica in 1989 "because of its historical importance as the mother church of the English-speaking Catholics of greater Montreal."

"» St Patrick's Basilica was built in 1847 for Irish immigrants. Their number increased in Montreal due to famine and other difficulties in Ireland. »  Initially, the New Gothic church was built at the cape that has a view of the city."

"If you find yourself humming "Getting to Know You" as you explore Mont-Royal Cemetery's 165 acres, blame it on the graveyard's most famous…"

"This entertainment and sports complex is the third most visited attraction in Montreal. It was opened in 1996 and is the home ground of the Montreal Canadiens, one of the ice hockey teams of the National Hockey League. The Bell Center is one of the busiest arenas in the world and one of the most highly attended ones in the country."

"While visiting the Old Port (Vieux Port) area, it's hard to miss the towering Ferris wheel known as La Grande Rou de Montreal. Standing an impressive 60 meters high, the giant wheel has 42 climate-controlled (heat in winter, A/C in summer), eight-passenger gondolas. The views from the top over Old Montreal and the rest of the city, including the Jacque Cartier Bridge, the Saint Lawrence Seaway, and the old Expo site, are breathtaking."

"No matter the season, you can always count on La Grande Roue to liven up your Insta feed. The magnetic Ferris wheel simply elevates any photo."

"You will end up at Place Jacques Cartier, a large, pedestrian-only square. Here you will see street artists, restaurants, cafes and many ice cream shops. At the top of the square you will see City Hall and Chateau Ramezay."

"Plus, after eating at La Banquise you’re basically already in one of Montreal’s lovely green spaces, Parc la Fontaine, where you can rent boats on a small lake or just sit and people watch. I also really loved cycling around the neighborhood here, with its cute alleyways and houses. I used the network of Bixi bikes during my stay in Montreal, which is extremely convenient and affordable, and definitely my favorite way of getting around the city (weather permitting)"

"Follow this pretty street lined with trees and Victorian homes to Parc Lafontaine. This is one of Montreal’s nicest parks with lots of trees, a man-made lake (skating in the winter), ducks and many spots to sit and people watch."

"In fact, if you’ve put “feed the bears” on your list of what to do in Montreal, you only have one real option: the Ecomuseum Zoo. The Ecomuseum Zoo is a small zoo located on the very tip of the Island of Montreal. It isn’t fancy, and it doesn’t have state-of-the-art facilities like some of the bigger wildlife facilities in Canada."

"This restaurant is truly a hidden gem with some of Montreal’s best Chinese dumplings!. It’s hard to deny that dumplings are one of the better foods to eat by yourself, which is why Mai Xiang Yuan made it onto this list. With over 35 flavours of authentic and revolutionary dumplings and a perfectly modest atmosphere, you are sure to feel satisfied."

"What is it: Chef Matt Winnicki and frontman-brother Alex started this Singaporean street food joint with love, and it’s the kind of love that keeps on giving. Their high octane services dish out just as many delicious classics like pork buns, laksa soup and chicken satays as they do inventive creations that meld Filipino, Chinese, Indonesian and Malay roots together. Singapore treats eating as a national pastime, and Satay Brothers is doing them justice at breakneck speeds."

"In addition to their small stand at Atwater Market, the « frères brochettes » opened a second restaurant to meet the needs of their growing number of customers. It’s an ideal place to have fun and meet people. There’s always a party atomosphere at Satay Brothers."