Few churches in North America are as wow-inducing as Notre Dame. Everything about the place, which opened in 1829, seems designed to make you gasp -- from the 228-foot twin towers out front to the tens of thousands of 24-karat gold stars that stud the soaring blue ceiling. Nothing in a city renowned for churches matches Notre-Dame for sheer grandeur -- or noisemaking capacity: its 12-ton bass bell is the largest in North America and its 7,000-pipe Cassavant organ can make the walls tremble. The pulpit is a work of art in itself, with an intricately curving staircase and fierce figures of Ezekiel and Jeremiah crouching at its base. The whole place is so overwhelming it's easy to miss such lesser features as the stained-glass windows from Limoges and the side altars dedicated to St. Marguerite d'Youville, Canada's first native-born saint; St. Marguerite Bourgeoys, Canada's first schoolteacher; and a group of Sulpician priests martyred in Paris during the French Revolution. For a peek at the magnificent baptistery, decorated with frescoes by Ozias Leduc, you'll have to tiptoe through the glassed-off prayer room in the northwest corner of the church. Every year dozens of brides march up the aisle of Chapelle Notre-Dame-du-Sacré-Coeur (Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Chapel), behind the main altar, to exchange vows with their grooms before a huge modern bronze sculpture that you either love or hate.

In the evening, the nave of the main church is darkened for "La Lumière Fut" ("There Was Light"), a light-and-sound show that depicts the history of Montréal and showcases the church's extraordinary art.

Notre-Dame is an active house of worship, so dress accordingly (i.e., no shorts or bare midriffs). The main church is closed to tours on Sunday during the 9:30 AM, 11 AM, and 5 PM masses. The chapel can't be viewed weekdays during the 12:15 PM and 5 PM masses, and is often closed Saturday for weddings.

The stone residence on the west side of the basilica is the Vieux Séminaire (Old Seminary), Montréal's oldest building. It was built in 1685 as a headquarters for the Sulpician priests who owned the island of Montréal until 1854. It's still a residence for the Sulpicians who administer the basilica. The clock on the roof over the main doorway is the oldest (pre-1701) public timepiece in North America. 116 rue Notre-Dame Ouest, behind wall west of Basilique Notre-Dame-de-Montréal. Place-d'Armes.

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