Montreal: Architecture and Panoramic Views at Saint Josephâ€™s Oratory

Canadaâ€™s largest church is the Roman Catholic Saint Josephâ€™s Oratory of Mount Royal (Oratoire Saint-Joseph du Mont-Royal) in Montreal.

I have read about the panoramic views at the top of Saint Josephâ€™s Oratory and although I have been to the Kondiaronk viewing platform where you can enjoy a stunning panorama of Montrealâ€™s skyline, I am still very intrigued to see the views here, in the other side of Mount Royal. I saw pictures of the beautiful church building and the gardens so it looks like I will be seeing a different side of the city.

Getting here is quite easy with a car. I have a GPS with me but there are directional signs as well on the road going to Mount Royal. To get inside the grounds of the church, one must pay a parking fee at the gate. Once you have entered past the gate, you can drive all the way up to the church, however, you can also elect to park below and then climb up on the stairs. I am lazy so I took the car up.

It was a very good decision to visit Saint Josephâ€™s Oratory. The architecture of the church which is Italian Renaissance mixed with modern influences was really nice. It is a massive building and the hollow interior of the church can be a bit intimidating, reminding me of the still unfinished Church of Saint Sava in Serbia which I have recently visited.

The views however here from the church summit were lovely. The gardens were beautifully laid out on the grounds, they looked gorgeous from the top of the church and are just what I needed before going back to the city centre.

Donâ€™t miss this place if you have the time.