Montreal City Hall, Montreal

Architect Henri-Maurice Perreault's magnificent 1872 structure is one of the city's most beautiful and famous. View the exterior either from Notre Dame Street or from Champ-de-Mars, the pleasant patch of greenspace to the north where Montreal's original fortifications once stood. The striking marble Hall of Honour, which is usually open to the public, contains portraits of every Montreal mayor: revered Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau lay in state here in 2001. Other historical events have included Charles de Gaulle's vive le Quebec libre gaffe in 1967, delivered from the imposing balcony.