Located halfway between Montreal and Quebec City, where the Saint-Maurice River meets the Saint Lawrence, this community was the one of the earliest colonial outposts of the French in Canada. The Old Town has many historic buildings, including the Ursuline Convent built in 1697. The Old Prison is a fascinating tour, guided by ex-prisoners, it tells the history of this notorious institution built in 1822 and only closed in the 1980s. The Forges du Sainte-Maurice was the origin of the Canadian iron and steel industry, and the nearby Sanctuary of Notre Dame du cap is one of North America’s most important religious pilgrimage sites.