Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré

Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré is the oldest pilgrimage site in North America and one of the most moving places in the Québec City region, whatever your beliefs. It lies about 35 kilometres northeast of the city along the Côte-de-Beaupré, the narrow strip of farmland between the St. Lawrence and the Laurentian hills. The shrine’s story begins in 1658, when the first chapel dedicated to Saint Anne, the grandmother of Jesus, was built here; according to tradition, sailors caught in a storm on the river vowed to build a church if they survived, and reports of miraculous cures soon brought pilgrims from across New France. A memorial plaque marks the first church, and the Memorial Chapel recalls the third church, which welcomed pilgrims from 1676 to 1876. The present basilica, a huge twin-spired stone church in neo-Romanesque style, is famous for its mosaics and stained glass and for the columns and walls at its entrance covered with crutches, canes and braces left by visitors who prayed here and felt healed. Around it, the Scala Santa reproduces the holy staircase Jesus climbed to Pilate’s praetorium, which the devout ascend on their knees, and fourteen stations of the Way of the Cross climb the hillside behind. The basilica also holds a copy of Michelangelo’s Pietà. Entry to the shrine is free. Without a car, the easiest way to visit is the Tiqets half-day countryside tour from Old Québec, which stops at the basilica for about 45 minutes alongside Montmorency Falls and Île d’Orléans.

The scale of the place surprises first-time visitors. The basilica is one of the largest churches in Canada, its nave lined with colourful mosaics telling the life of Saint Anne and its windows filling the interior with coloured light. The crutches at the entrance are the most memorable sight: hundreds of them, stacked up the pillars, each one a personal story. Even visitors who come for the architecture tend to leave affected by the sense of devotion, especially on busy pilgrimage days in summer, around the feast of Saint Anne in late July, when crowds and candlelight processions fill the grounds.

How to visit: by car, follow the Route 138 or the historic Avenue Royale along the Côte-de-Beaupré, a lovely road of old farmhouses, bakeries and roadside stands, and combine the shrine with Montmorency Falls on the way. Without a car, the Tiqets half-day countryside tour leaves from 12 Rue Sainte-Anne in Old Québec at 10:30am and lasts about five hours, including park access at Montmorency Falls, time at the basilica, a copper-art museum and a chocolate stop on Île d’Orléans, with commentary from a certified guide. Allow an hour at the shrine on your own; more if you want to climb the Way of the Cross.

Respect and practicalities: the basilica is an active place of worship with daily masses, so dress modestly, keep voices low and avoid walking around during services. Check the shrine’s site schedule for opening times, which vary by season. The town itself is small; the Mont-Sainte-Anne ski area and Canyon Sainte-Anne lie just beyond it for those continuing up the coast. If you are driving, combine the shrine with Montmorency Falls in the morning and Île d’Orléans in the afternoon for a full and varied day on the coast. If you take the half-day tour, you will be back in Old Québec by mid-afternoon with time for a museum or a walk on Dufferin Terrace before dinner.