One of the most moving displays in all of Québec province is the medley of crutches hanging from a pair of stone pillars inside the Basilique Ste-Anne-de-Beaupré (sanctuairesainteanne.org; free). In all colors and sizes, they rise in neat rows toward the vaulted ceiling. According to lore, each crutch represents a suffering patient who was cured by praying to the church's namesake: St Anne, the patron saint of sailors.
The town of Ste-Anne-de-Beaupré is home to about 3000 residents, so visitors are often shocked to find such a colossal stone church on its outskirts. With its two Gothic steeples and enormous rose window, the basilica would look perfectly at home in medieval France, yet the ambitious structure was completed in 1944, after 18 years of halting construction. Today the church is a magnet for tourists and pilgrims, who admire its ornate carvings and illustrative stained-glass windows. Three masses are held each day, and the faithful can receive personal blessings anytime between 10am and 4pm.