Place Jacques-Cartier

Place Jacques-Cartier is where Old Montréal puts its history and its showmanship on the same stage. The square runs downhill from City Hall to the river, a slope that naturally funnels musicians, portrait artists, vendors, and anyone looking to take in the scene. Beneath the noise, the site carries traces of its earlier life: the outline of the long-vanished Château de Vaudreuil sits underfoot, and the city’s oldest public monument—Nelson’s Column—anchors the upper end. In summer, the street is closed to cars, turning the area into an open corridor of terrasses and performers; in winter, it takes on a more austere charm. It’s one of the few places where Montréal’s tourist glare and its deeper past meet without apology.