Montreal’s Old Port, in the fall, is golden and rock-gray, and the wind from the river sweeps through the cobblestone streets with a touch of force. The charm is undeniable, and the neighborhood’s neo-Gothic appeal is at its peak in late October. It was the perfect time to take down the scaffolding that had covered the facade of Montreal’s most beautiful church for the past decade.
On October 25, the Notre-Dame Basilica will officially have been given a facelift, and for the past few days, beneath the trees showering yellow leaves on tourists, Montrealers have also been stopping to admire it. The scene is very poetic, and we’re going to go see it as soon as possible.
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NOTRE-DAME BASILICA
Notre-Dame Basilica is the largest church in Montreal and one of the city’s most impressive and romantic structures.
Construction of the basilica began in 1824, and it was designed by New York architect James O’Donnell. The two towers, 69 meters high, were added 20 years later by architect John Ostell. The towers are named Temperance (east tower) and Perseverance (west tower).
In 1888, architects Henri-Maurice Perrault and Albert Mesnard built the Sacré-Cœur Chapel. It was destroyed by fire in 1978 and can be seen today, restored in a more modern style. Yet it still features turrets reminiscent of a medieval castle and the pointed arches of a fairy-tale church.
The starry vaulted ceiling inside, the carved wooden columns, and the façade are must-sees for romantics and lovers of Neo-Gothic architecture.
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We recommend grabbing a coffee to go and stopping by to see it this fall, and sitting in the sun on the steps (all clean and freshly redone) in front of the basilica. And then, of course, taking a guided tour of the interior, which looks like something straight out of a swashbuckling adventure story.
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