Lined with outdoor cafes and flower parterres, this charming cobblestone square is lively all summer, especially in the evenings, when street musicians and acrobats entertain the crowds. Created in 1847, the square was named for the famous explorer who, according to tradition, docked his ship here in 1535. Marking the north end of the plaza, a statue (2) of Horatio Nelson (1809) commemorates the British general's victory at Trafalgar. Montreal's Hôtel de Ville (City Hall), an imposing Second Empire building, stands across Rue Notre-Dame. Charles de Gaulle delivered his famous "Vive le Québec libre" speech in 1967 from the balcony overlooking the main entrance. The southern end of the square leads to Rue Saint-Paul, a charming street lined with lovely 19C buildings, and several warehouses transformed into shops and artists' studios. Along with Rue Notre-Dame, this narrow street is one of the oldest in Montreal.