Marché de Bonsecours - Canada, Quebec

Dominating the low skyline of the quay with its silver dome, the Marché de Bonsecours is an important piece of architecture not just in Montréal, but in the whole of Canada. Built in 1844 to "impress upon the traveller's mind an overwhelming image of the beauty and importance of the flourishing City of Montreal", the site was originally home to some of the most eminent personalities of the city's past, under French and British rule, as well as being for a time both the Theatre Royal and City Hall. For over a century though it was the most important public market in Montréal and although not as popular today, this continues to be its vocation with a handful of boutiques, galleries and restaurants whose products are uniquely Québecois. The building, which also comprises ball rooms and event space, is home to the Conseil des Métiers d'Art du Québec, or the Québec Crafts Council which means the products sold by the artisans that trade here are certified. For Québecois fashion, head to Anne de Shalla's Diffusion Griff store where you'll find high quality local clothing for him and her including leather goods, fur and a range of accessories. If it's original glassware you're after, check out Antoine Pelletier's boutique and workshop where the craftsman uses a special process known as glass fusion to create unique pieces such as plates, vases and framed abstract works. Also available are soaps and candles from different parts of the province. La Joaillerie Jules Perrier, founded in 1956 by one of the finest jewellers in Québec and one of the world's leading specialists of the Black Tahitian Pearl, offers a dazzling array of rings, necklaces, bracelets and earrings, many of which feature the craftsman's trademark pearl (quality A, naturally). So, if you are looking for an authentic Québecois souvenir to take home, look no further than the boutiques of this historical monument.