Notre-Dame Basilica – M J Mallon YA Author and Poet

This beautiful basilica is situated in Old Montreal, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The church is located at 110 Notre-Dame Street West and faces the Place d’Armes square.

It is a truly stunning church, perhaps one of the most beautiful I have seen. The colour and splendour of the interior is so dramatic that you can’t help but draw a breath of astonishment as you walk in. Moreover, there is a definite sense of calm in this church, a spiritual feeling which is apparent from the moment you arrive.

I would definitely recommend it as a must see location if you are visiting Montreal.
Here is a short extract from Wikipedia singing its praises:

The interior of the church is amongst the most dramatic in the world and regarded as a masterpiece of Gothic Revival architecture.[1] The vaults are coloured deep blue and decorated with golden stars, and the rest of the sanctuary is decorated in blues, azures, reds, purples, silver, and gold. It is filled with hundreds of intricate wooden carvings and several religious statues. Unusual for a church, the stained glass windows along the walls of the sanctuary do not depict biblical scenes, but rather scenes from the religious history of Montreal. It also has a Casavant Frères pipe organ, dated 1891, which comprises four keyboards, 92 stops using electropneumatic action and an adjustable combination system, 7000 individual pipes and a pedal board.[2][3]

I had the fortune to visit Montreal with my two daughters in May. Here they are in the photo below walking ahead of me taking in the spectacular view…

Approximately 11 million people visit Notre-Dame every year, making it one of the most visited monuments in North America.[4]