The Old Port of Montreal or Old Montreal, Vieux-Montréal in French, is a historic neighbourhood in the city of Montreal in the province of Quebec, Canada. Founded by French settlers in 1642 as Fort Ville-Marie, Old Montreal is home to many structures dating back to the era of New France. The Old Port of Montreal is located south of the downtown Montreal business and city centre hub and is bordered on the west by McGill Street, on the north by Ruelle des Fortifications, on the east by rue Saint-André, and on the south by the Saint Lawrence River.
The Old Port of Montreal is the one place that every visitor to the city must absolutely visit to get a sense for the place, history and culture of Montreal. Its narrow cobblestone streets and variety of structures, architectural styles as well as more modern cultural and entertainment opportunities provide a vivid illustration of the wide spectrum of life in Montreal. The old and the new, the classic and the modern, that daytime activities and the nighttime activities. In short it is a glimpse and microcosm of Montreal and everything it has to offer.
In 1964, much of Old Montreal was declared a historic district by the Ministère des Affaires culturelles du Québec. It is visited by hundreds of thousands every year.
