Old Québec

Vieux-Québec

A French-style old city, the only one north of Mexico with its city walls fully intact, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Both the clifftop Upper Town and the riverside Lower Town are best explored on foot at a leisurely pace.

Old Quebec began in 1608, when Samuel de Champlain founded a settlement at the narrowest point of the Saint Lawrence River. It was inscribed as the Historic District of Old Québec in 1985 and covers about 4.6 km of city walls. It is the only fully preserved fortified city north of Mexico. The old city has two levels.

1. Upper Town (Haute-Ville) sits atop the Cap Diamant cliff. It is home to Château Frontenac, Dufferin Terrace, Place d'Armes, the Notre-Dame de Québec Cathedral (built from 1647 and the oldest cathedral in North America), the site of the Séminaire de Québec and the former Université Laval, and La Citadelle, the star-shaped fortress at the southern end of the walls. La Citadelle is the garrison of the Royal 22e Régiment of Canada, and a changing of the guard takes place at 10 a.m. in summer. Admission is about CAD 20. Outside the Citadelle lie the Plains of Abraham (Battlefields Park), where the decisive 1759 battle between the British and French was fought, and which is now a large grassy park. You can walk along the top of the city walls through gates such as Saint-Louis Gate and Saint-John Gate, and the walls are free to access. The main streets of Upper Town, Rue Saint-Jean and Rue Saint-Louis, are lined with restaurants, shops and century-old houses. Aux Anciens Canadiens is a long-established restaurant where you can try traditional Quebec dishes such as meat pie and maple sugar pie.

2. Lower Town (Basse-Ville) includes Petit-Champlain and Place Royale, the birthplace of the city.

The best way to visit is to stay within the walls and stroll the empty cobblestone streets in the evening and early morning. The old city is small and entirely walkable, but the difference in elevation between Upper and Lower Town is steep, so wear comfortable shoes.

Old Québec

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Places to eat nearby