The Cathedral of Saint Joseph is the oldest surviving substantial building in Nouméa, a neo-Gothic structure completed in 1887 on a hill above the city centre. Its twin towers serve as landmarks visible from much of the lower city, and the cathedral's elevated position — a short walk up from Place des Cocotiers — gives fine views across the rooftops and bay.
The interior is modest by European standards but well-maintained, with stained glass windows that filter the Pacific light into coloured patterns on the stone floor. Services are still held regularly and the building remains an active parish church. The hill behind the cathedral is worth continuing up for the views — it is one of several natural viewpoints around the city that the French colonists used for their first surveys of the harbour.