Saint Joseph's Oratory: Canada's Largest Church, Level by Level

Come in the late afternoon: the tour groups have thinned, the light on the dome is at its best and you can finish on the terrace in front of the basilica as the sun goes down over the west of the city. From May to October the Way of the Cross garden adds a quiet green hour on the hillside. Major religious feast days bring big crowds, which is worth seeing but not if you want quiet.

Côte-des-Neiges metro on the blue line is the nearest station; from there it is about 10 minutes on foot along Chemin Queen-Mary to the entrance. If you are coming from the top of Mount Royal, you can combine the two in one day, but the Oratory and the park summit are separate hilltops, so take a bus or taxi between them rather than expecting a short walk.

The shrine itself costs nothing. The museum and guided tours are paid, and tour times vary by season and language. The renovated dome has added a new visitor experience at the top; check the official site for what is currently open, when, and whether it needs a booking.

Most people walk straight into the basilica and leave. Do it the other way round: begin at Brother André’s original little chapel, then the Votive Chapel with its thousands of candles and wall of crutches left by pilgrims, then the crypt, and only then go up to the basilica. The scale of the place only makes sense once you have seen how small it started.

Côte-des-Neiges is a student and residential district, with a handful of hotels near the Université de Montréal and the hospitals. Most visitors stay downtown and ride the blue line in; the Oratory is about half an hour door to door from the city centre.

The Oratory has a café, but the neighbourhood around Côte-des-Neiges metro is one of the most international in Montreal, and the main street is lined with inexpensive restaurants serving the cuisines of its many immigrant communities. It is a good, unpretentious place for lunch before or after.

Children will not care much about the architecture, but counting the 283 steps (on the side flights), spotting the dome from the terrace and finding the crutches in the Votive Chapel make it a game. The elevators are a relief with strollers, and a full visit need not take more than two hours.

The outdoor steps and the terraces can be icy from December to March. Use the elevators or the covered access from the main entrance in bad weather, and save the steps for a dry day.