Old Montreal

Old Montreal is a preserved colonial-era quarter between the Saint Lawrence River and downtown, covering roughly one square kilometer. Cobblestone lanes run between buildings from the 17th through 19th centuries with grey stone facades and steep copper roofs.

French settlers founded Fort Ville-Marie at this site in 1642 as a trading post and mission station. The Sulpicians took over administration in 1663 and guided the settlement's development for two centuries.

Place Jacques-Cartier forms the heart of social life with street performers, artists and flower vendors during the warm months. Restaurants in former merchant houses serve French-influenced dishes in rooms with stone walls and heavy wooden beams.

Three metro stations on the orange line provide access to the quarter: Square-Victoria, Place-d'Armes, and Champ-de-Mars. Several bus routes connect the area with other parts of town and stop at different points along the main streets.

The quarter was saved from an expressway construction project in the 1960s after residents and architects like Daniel van Ginkel organized resistance. This movement led to official protection status and changed urban planning policy across Canada.