Québec

Visit date(s): July 1-3, 2024

Nearby sites on trip: No other UNESCO Heritage sites.

Overnight location: <400 m west of the zone

Location(s): The old streets and buildings inside the perimeter, including the following.
Note that the last 3 are operated by Parks Canada and there are fees.

• Entry gates in the walls: St. Louis, Kent and St. Jean
• 47 Rue St. Louis, where Montcalm died (outside only)
• 34 Rue St. Louis, a 1676 home, now a restaurant (where we ate one night)
• Churches, basilica, convents and other buildings (from outside)
• Chateau Frontenac
• Place Royale
• Quartier Petit Champlain (See photo)
• Artillery park buildings including the Dauphine redoubt, $
• Fortifications tour, $
• Saint-Louis Forts et Châteaux archeology, $

Travel method(s): Foot

Travel duration: Minutes to enter the site, but hours wandering about.

Visit duration: Parts of 3 days, 2 days equivalent.

OUV: Excellent example of a fortified colonial town. Somewhat modified over time, but well preserved.

Best of: Walls and remaining fortifications. The walls are undergoing restoration works that are expected to last multiple years beyond 2024.

Worst of: Driving in the old town would not be fun. Walking is the better option.

Québec is a bit of a world of its own, and that makes it a charming place to visit. I did so together with fellow WH traveller Frédéric, who was born and raised here.

The historic center isn’t very large: we walked 9.5km in total, in just under 5 hours. Unfortunately, we didn’t see the city at its best due to persistent rain and (re)construction work going on.

Still, we managed to hit all the sights that I had prepared for:

• Parc Montmorency: an important place in the city’s history (it has been a seat of religious and civil power, a strategic military site, and the site of the first and second Parliament buildings of the United Province of Canada between 1852 and 1866), it's now an underwhelming small park with a couple of statues.
• Chateau Frontenac: the city’s icon will be in most of your pictures and you can see it from different viewpoints. It’s now a hotel, you can enter via the back. The historic boardwalk Dufferin Terrace lies in front of it.
• Côte de la Montagne is a steep, winding street that connects Upper Town and Lower Town. You can take the funicular or the Breakneck Stairs (l'Escalier Casse-Cou).
• Place Royale: the spot where Samuel de Champlain landed in 1608 and founded the first French settlement in North America. It includes the very fine Église Notre-Dame-des-Victoires, considered the oldest stone church in North America. The square and the church …

Québec City was as impressive as I'd hoped it would be when I finally visited in 2011. The city really does feel like a corner of Europe relocated to North America, with an extremely picturesque Upper and Lower Town. I enjoyed the views from the Citadel walls and the Dufferin Terrace next to the iconic Château Frontenac, but the best views of the whole city I found were from the Lévis ferry on the St. Lawrence River and the observatory outside the old city. The historian in me appreciated getting to see sites such as the Plains of Abraham and the historic city walls, since Québec City played a significant role in the 18th century history of the future Canada and the future United States. I also visited the Parliament of Québec, which together with the Museum of Civilization gave me good insights into Québécois identity. Québec City is one of the best World Heritage Sites I've seen in North America, and I would visit it again without hesitation.

Logistics: Walk -- definitely walk around the city. There is also a funicular connecting the Upper and Lower Towns.

I've been to Quebec twice, the second time I got lost and nearly missed the cruise ship. The first time, in 2001, there was a war going on....

The 2001 Quebec City Tear Gas Festival.

by Eric Lurio

Every now and then, even the most patriotic residents of the greatest city in the Western Hemisphere get sick of the Big Apple. So when I saw a flyer posted on the south end of Washington Square Park advertising a bus trip to Quebec City to protest the Summit of the Americas, I was intrigued.

Cool!, I thought, Just the thing I need: A weekend trip out of the country! I thought that while everybody else was protesting, I'd take a look at some of the sites and give myself a sorely needed mini vacation. So I called up and made a reservation.

Unfortunately, the three day weekend special, which left on a Thursday and included a place to sleep, was already filled up, and the only thing left was the day trip, which left Friday night and arrived back in New York on Sunday morning. That cost sixty bucks, which is pretty cheap for a thousand mile bus trip. I decided to chance it.

So at around five-thirty PM, I went to the east side of Union Square and hooked up with the crowd. Here were a bunch of unreconstructed commies if there ever was one. Not that they weren't nice people, I just couldn't have a conversation about politics because …

Quebec is an amazing city. i have fond memories of the 3 days i spent there. the city was founded in 1608 by a Frenchman; Samuel de champlain. there aren't many buildings in quebec, still existing, from the 1600s, but Quebec has a wealth of buildings from the 1700s and on.

most of the old town has been taken up by museums, cafes, shops, and government buildings. not too many people live in the old town.

one of the most interesting things I found, is the contrast between the upper and lower towns; they are really quite different. the upper town has more grand/monumental architecture, while the lower town is less spectacular, but has older buildings. i found that i enjoyed walking around the lower town more then the upper town, the culture soaks in more in the lower town.

the walls which encircle Quebec are famous (they are the only ones in N. American north of Mexico), and delight to walk along. cannons are placed at various intervals along the wall. the wall walk was one of the highlights of Quebec for me.

the chateau Frontenac was built in the 1890s, one of Canada's great railway hotels. this is a magnificent building, easily the most beautiful building in Quebec; and it dominates the town. the Chateau Frontenac can be seen from almost anywhere in quebec.

i recommend going across the river to Levis; the views of Quebec are incredible from there.

Practical Info: Quebec is a 9 hour drive …

Quebec City is Europe in North America. The city deserves several days to visit thoroughly and wander all the streets. The citadel and the upper town are lined with 200 year old cannons and overlook the Palais Royal or lower town. This is the kind of town to enjoy by sitting in an outdoor cafe and watching the world go by, people watching on the Dufferin Terrace high above the St. Lawrence River and practicing your french with the delightful shopowners and innkeepers.

Despite living only 3 hours away from Québec, I have never been to this remarkable city until recently. After having spent a day visiting this walled city, I can conclude that it is definitely worth its place on the World Heritage List. Nowhere else in North America will you be able to see such a city with its unique French taste. Unlike in the bilingual city of Montreal, Québec is almost totally French-speaking! While there in the beginning January of 2007, I managed to visit the citadel on a bilingual tour. From the top, you can see the skyline of the city and the neighbouring city of Levis. It also overlooks the Plains of Abraham. Other places of interest in Québec include the Notre Dame des Victoires chuch, the Notre-Dame de Québec Cathedral, the neighbouring "Musée de l'Amérique française" and of course, the Château Frontenac. Unfortunately, I was unable to visit the interior of either the Notre Dame des Victoires church or the Notre-Dame de Québec Cathedral. I guess this is just another reason to return to this wonderful city! It is celebrating its 400th anniversary in 2008 with many planned events.

Note: There has been a long-standing attempt to separate the province of Quebec from Canada. As such, many signs of separatism can be seen here. For example, the Quebec flag is usually flown instead of the Canadian flag. Also, the Legislative Assembly of Quebec is officially called the National Assembly of Quebec. The welcoming sign of the city …

There a very few historic towns on the North American continent, at least by European standards, but Québec is one of them and could easily hold its own in the Old World. The citadel, the cathedral, all the old buildings like the Chateau Frontenac, cannons everywhere - e.g. on the battlefield of the Plains of Abraham -, even a real city wall (I believe the only one on this side of the Atlantic) give Québec a real medieval feel. Add the fact that this city is about 99% French-speaking and you won´t believe where you are. This city is highly recommended, but only during the warmer months - in winter it must be terribly cold there, even though there is a winter carnival. Could be interesting as well.

I visited Quebec at one of the craziest times of the year- January. I remember walking the streets and the temperature was -40 C (including the windchill). I loved the every nook and cranny of the city, its just too bad I wasnt able to explore the city walls because of the snow. Check out the Musee de Amerique-Francais in the old Seminaire (?), though slightly propagandist, is one of the best introductions of the history of the French in North America.

Not on the WHS list but its also worth checking out the Isle de Orleans for a slice of provincial Quebecois life and tasty maple butter spread!

Quebec City is a bit difficult to categorize. It is superbly French in its architecture and urban design but, it is also the very heart of Quebecois culture: a lively blend of indigenous and European traits. Quebec's location is magnificent, and the towering Hotel Frontenac and Citadel give this city a truly monumental stature. The historic walls and gates, cafe's,churches and museums create an unforgettable ambiance. Spend a week in this place and you will be transported to another time, and another world.