Cathedral Square — the historic heart of Christchurch, planned in 1850 as the geometric center of the city; despite its name, the square has a cross shape. Here stands the Anglican ChristChurch Cathedral, severely damaged in the 2010–2011 earthquakes, and the first public statue of a specific person in New Zealand's history — a monument to Canterbury's founder John Godley by English sculptor Thomas Woolner (1867). Around the square, old and new coexist: the cathedral under scaffolding and modern iconic buildings - the Tūranga library and Te Pae conference center, built after the earthquakes.

Firefighters Reserve — an unusual memorial on the banks of the Avon River, dedicated to the memory of 343 New York firefighters who died on September 11, 2001, and firefighters around the world. Its central element — genuine steel beams weighing 5.5 tons, fallen from the 102nd floor of the south tower of the World Trade Center; they were donated to Christchurch by the New York City Mayor's office in 2002. The opening of the memorial was accompanied by a blessing from the elders of the Māori and Muslim communities of the city - at a place sacred to Ngāi Tahu (iwi Ngāi Tahu)

On July 9, 1863, gardener Enoch Barker planted a single oak tree here to commemorate the wedding of the future King Edward VII and Princess Alexandra of Denmark. Today, from this one tree has grown a garden spanning more than 20 hectares.