Château Frontenac & Dufferin Terrace

Fairmont Le Château Frontenac

Often called the most photographed hotel in the world, this 1893 copper-roofed castle-style building towers over the cliff. Dufferin Terrace offers views of the Saint Lawrence River below.

Château Frontenac was built in 1893 by the Canadian Pacific Railway as a luxury railway hotel. It is named after Count Frontenac, a governor of New France. American architect Bruce Price designed it in the French château style, with red brick walls, steep copper-green roofs and turrets. The central tower, added in 1924, rises 80 meters and became the centerpiece of the Quebec City skyline. It is often called the most photographed hotel in the world. In 1943 and 1944, Roosevelt and Churchill held two Quebec Conferences here to discuss World War II plans, including the Normandy landings. The hotel is now run by the Fairmont group and has about 600 rooms. You can visit the lobby even if you aren't staying, or have a drink at Bar 1608 with a river view. The hotel also offers a historical tour lasting about an hour (around CAD 30), led by a guide in period costume.

In front of the château is Terrasse Dufferin, a 425-meter wooden boardwalk built along the edge of the cliff. Below it are the rooftops of Lower Town and the Saint Lawrence River, with the city of Lévis on the opposite shore. In summer, street performers and ice cream stands line the terrace. In winter, a wooden toboggan slide, in operation since 1884, lets riders shoot down at about 70 km/h for around CAD 4 per ride. Beneath the terrace, Fort Saint-Louis and the château's archaeological remains are on display, managed by Parks Canada. At the southern end of the terrace, the Governor's Walk connects to a wooden path along the cliff that leads to the Plains of Abraham.

The best spots for photographing the full view of the château are Petit-Champlain street in Lower Town, aboard the ferry to Lévis on the opposite shore, or from the direction of the Parliament Building outside the walls.

Château Frontenac & Dufferin Terrace

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