Place Royale

Old Montréal

LoginSave

This little square in the west of Old Montréal marks the spot where the first fort, Ville-Marie, was erected. Defense was a key consideration due to lengthy fighting with the Iroquois. In the 17th and 18th centuries this was a marketplace; it’s now the paved forecourt of the 1836 Old Customs House and linked to the Pointe-à-Callière Cité d'archéologie et d'histoire de Montréal by an underground passage.

The neoclassical building looks much the same today as when it was built, but now serves as the museum’s gift shop.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • October 18, 2017: Visitors seated on the grass around a lake in Mont Royal Park during autumn.

    Parc du Mont-Royal

    1.61 MILES

    The charming, leafy expanse of Parc du Mont-Royal is charged for a wide range of outdoor activities. The wooded slopes and grassy meadows have stunning…

  • Montreal, Quebec, Canada - 18 May 2017: Sherbrooke Street West with the Facade of the Montreal Museum of Fine Art. 688955530 fine, arts, culture, exterior, classical, column, sightseeing, outdoor, view, building, construction, scene, american, famous, place, historical, heritage, architectural, chagall, totem

    Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal

    1.26 MILES

    Montréal’s Museum of Fine Arts is an accessible and beautifully updated oasis of art housed in architecturally striking buildings. A visit here is a must…

  • Notre Dame Basilica (Montreal, Canada).

    Basilique Notre-Dame

    0.13 MILES

    Montréal's famous landmark, Notre Dame Basilica, is a 19th-century Gothic Revival masterpiece with spectacular craftsmanship – a visually pleasing, if…

  • May 28, 2017: St Joseph's Oratory on Mont Royal with a woman praying on steps.

    Oratoire St-Joseph

    3.12 MILES

    The stunning Oratoire St-Joseph church built on the flanks of Mont-Royal commands grand views of the the Côte-des-Neiges area and northwest Montréal. The…

  • 1197761248

    Jardin Botanique

    3.85 MILES

    Montréal’s Jardin Botanique is the third-largest botanical garden in the world, after London’s Kew Gardens and Berlin’s Botanischer Garten.

  • Montreal, Canada. July 31, 2019 . Exterior of the basilica of Notre Dame in Quebec. Sunny day. 1219240147

    Place d'Armes

    0.18 MILES

    This open square is framed by some of the finest buildings in Old Montréal, including its oldest bank, first skyscraper and Basilique Notre-Dame. The…

  • The Old Port of Montreal on a sunny day. 613324236 Skyscraper, Photography, Vieux, City, River, Old Port, Canada, Horizontal, Crowd of People, Summer Solstice, Outdoors, Capital Cities, Monument, Crowded, Summer, Montreal, Street, Cityscape, City Street, People, Quebec, Pedestrian, Downtown District, 100326, 60595

    Old Port

    0.38 MILES

    Montréal's Old Port has morphed into a park and fun zone paralleling the mighty St Lawrence River for 2.5km and punctuated by four grand quais (quays)…

View more attractions

Nearby Old Montréal attractions

1. Old Customs House

0.02 MILES

The former customs house was built in 1836 and lies on a historic stretch of Old Montréal.

2. Mariners' House

0.02 MILES

Part of the Pointe-à-CallièreCité d'archéologie et d'histoire de Montréal, the Mariners' House hosts a simulated archaeological dig (great for kids) and…

4. Rue St-Paul Ouest

0.05 MILES

This narrow cobblestone street, the oldest in Montréal, was once a dirt road packed tight by horses laden with goods bound for the Old Port. Today it’s a…

5. Cours Le Royer

0.12 MILES

Montréal’s first hospital was founded on this narrow lane by Jeanne Mance in 1644. Later a huge commercial complex was built here, leaving several…

6. Basilique Notre-Dame

0.13 MILES

Montréal's famous landmark, Notre Dame Basilica, is a 19th-century Gothic Revival masterpiece with spectacular craftsmanship – a visually pleasing, if…

7. Vieux Séminaire de St-Sulpice

0.13 MILES

The seminary by the Basilique Notre-Dame and its grounds are closed to the public, but you can look at them through the gate. The Catholic order of…

8. Rue de l’Hôpital & Around

0.14 MILES

Named for a hospice set up by nuns in the 17th century, the Rue de l’Hôpital and adjoining streets are full of architectural quirks and highlights. On the…