Marguerite Bourgeoys Historic Site

It may be small, but it certainly packs a punch: the Marguerite-Bourgeoys Historic Site and Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel allows visitors to travel through a whopping 2,400 years of history within its four walls. 

Crowning an ancient promontory above the St. Lawrence River, this 300+-year-old church, which was constructed in 1771, sits atop a former First Nations encampment, and was built on the foundations of the first stone chapel erected in 1675. Religious heritage enthusiasts will love its beautiful interior as well as the one-of-a-kind artifacts in its 18th-century crypt, including the tomb of Marguerite Bourgeoys, Montréal’s first teacher.

You can climb up to the tower of the chapel—known as the Sailors’ Church as of the 19th century—to soak up stunning views of the Old Port as well as the Salle de la mer and its beautiful stained-glass windows.

And here’s a nugget of information to stump your trivia buff friends: the statue of the woman overlooking the chapel is the “lady” Leonard Cohen sings about in his song Suzanne («And the sun pours down like honey of our Lady of the Harbour»).

Finally, find out about our organized group pilgrimages.