Place Jacques Cartier is an historic square in Old Montreal, named after the French explorer Jacques Cartier (1451 - 1557) - the first person to map the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and the shores of the Saint Lawrence River.
The square, which is quiet during the winter months, comes to life with the arrival of spring when street performers, portrait painters, musicians and other artists arrive to entertain the tourists.
The square is lined with restaurants and cafe's, occupying 17th century houses, making it an idea place to seek refreshment, or simply to rest and people watch.
The Place Jacques-Cartier is unexpectedly home to the world's first Nelson's column (34m height) and Montreal's oldest monument. It was built by the cities English merchants in 1809, three decades before the more famous and larger Nelson's Column in London's Trafalgar Square. A monument to Horatio Nelson, is an unusual site to find in a city of francophiles, and Nelson stands facing away from the square - perhaps nervous of the locals who gather on the square beneath him.
Address
Place Jacques Cartier
Old Montreal
Montreal Quebec
H2Y
How to Get There
Metro: Take the Orange Line to Champ-de-Mars Station.
External Links
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