Quebec City, Quebec — Where to Go
Quebec City Sightseeing Overview
The future of North America turned on one historic battle that took place just outside Quebec's walls in 1759. British forces overcame a French defense on the Plains of Abraham, which eventually led to the fall of New France and the transfer of most of its land to British control. To prevent a similar future attack, the British constructed the Citadel, an enormous star-shaped fortress and one of Quebec City's most popular attractions. When Canada became an independent country in 1867, Quebec City became the capital of the province of Quebec.
Today, Quebec City is a delightful place for visitors to wander around for a few days. The main areas of interest are in Vieux-Québec (Old Quebec), which is divided between Haute-Ville (Upper Town) within the city walls and Basse-Ville (Lower Town) at the foot of the cliff on which Upper Town stands.
Attractions in Upper Town include many museums devoted to recounting historic events and those set up by religious organizations, such as the Musée des Augustines de l'Hôtel-Dieu de Québec - recounting the history of the nuns who founded the first hospital north of Mexico.
In Lower Town, the charming Quartier Petit Champlain is a cobblestone street filled with restaurants and boutiques. It is supplemented by history museums and the renowned Musée de la Civilization, which hosts excellent archaeological and anthropological exhibitions. The nearby Vieux-Port (Old Port) has a promenade bordering the St Lawrence River.
The imposing Citadel was added to supplement the fortifications guarding Old Quebec, protecting it from attack across the Plains of Abraham, which stretches as far as the Musée National des Beaux-Arts du Québec. Parallel to the plains and separated from it by the bars and restaurants of Grande Allée is Parliament Hill, where the provincial legislature sits in the ornate Second-Empire Hôtel du Parlement.
Summer hours for attractions typically begin on the Fête St-Jean (24 June) and end on Labor Day weekend in early September. Visitors should note that most attractions are closed on Monday during the winter.
Quebec City Tourist Information
Québec City Tourism
835 avenue Wilfrid-Laurier
Tel: (418) 641 6290.
Website: www.quebecregion.com
Opening hours: Daily 0830-2030 (late Jun-early Sep); daily 0830-1830 (early Sep-mid-Oct); Mon-Sat 0900-1700, Sun 1000-1600 (mid-Oct-late Jun).
CenterInfotouriste de Québec
12 rue Sainte-Anne
Tel: 1 877 266 5687.
Website: www.bonjourquebec.com
Opening hours: Daily 0830-1900 (late Jun-Aug); daily 0900-1700 (Sep-late Jun).
Quebec City Sightseeing
The Quebec City Museum Card is valid for three days and gives free entry to 10 museums and attractions, reduced entry at many other venues (including the Parc Aquarium du Québec), discounts at some shops, and free bus transportation within the city. It can be purchased at participating museums, tourist information centers and some hotels.
Quebec City Sightseeing
The Quebec City Museum Card is valid for three days and gives free entry to 10 museums and attractions, reduced entry at many other venues (including the Parc Aquarium du Québec), discounts at some shops, and free bus transportation within the city. It can be purchased at participating museums, tourist information centers and some hotels.
Key Attractions in Quebec City, Quebec
Vieux-Québec:Haute-Ville(OldQuebec'sUpperTown)
The Old Town's Haute-Ville (Upper Town), where the towering Château Frontenac is located, is one of Quebec City's major draws. This hotel was built in 1893, although the tower that gives it its distinctive appearance was added in the 1920s. Tours are available (tel: (418) 691 2166; www.tourschateau.ca). It sits between Place d'Armes (a central square with the narrow lanes leading off it filled with street artists and an artist's market) and the Dufferin Terrace (a wide wooden boardwalk offering a terrific view of Lévis, on the opposite shore). The Dufferin Terrace is filled with street entertainers and visitors milling around or promenading past the cannons and kiosks that predate the Château Frontenac. Nearby, the Place de l'Hôtel de Ville is dominated by the Basilique-Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-Québec, the city's main Catholic cathedral.
UNESCO site: Y.
Vieux-Québec:Basse-Ville(OldQuebec'sLowerTown)
The oldest part of Old Quebec, Lower Town, is clustered on the narrow streets between the ramparts of Upper Town and the Old Port, linked to Upper Town by the funicular, the escalier casse-cou (breakneck stairs) and the steep Côte de la Montagne. At its center, Place Royale has been faithfully restored to its former glory, the 17th- and 18th-century houses surrounding the one-time market square now in pristine condition. The Center d'interprétation de Place-Royale displays period artifacts and has panels that illustrate the area's history. The historic Maison Chevalier recreates domestic scenes in the 17th century. One block over, the rue du Petit Champlain is a lively and romantic cobblestone street full of shops and restaurants.
UNESCO site: Y.
FortificationsdeQuébec(QuebecFortifications)
One of the city's most unique features is the 4.6km (2.9-mile) rampart encircling the Old Town, making it the only walled city in North America. It is possible to walk along the top of the fortifications, which offer sweeping views of the city and the St Lawrence River. Near the Citadel, at Porte St-Louis (one of the four surviving city gates) is the Center d'interprétation des Fortifications-de-Québec, which includes displays on the city's history and a restored powder magazine. Continuing clockwise, the walls adjoin the Parc de l'Artillerie (Artillery Park), which was built by the French to defend the city from attack, before becoming the garrison for British officers until 1871, when it was turned into a munitions factory. Further along, cannons are ranged along the wall, overlooking the St Lawrence River and the opposite shore.
UNESCO site: Y.
LaCitadelledeQuébec(QuebecCitadel)
The Citadel, dating from 1820, is one of Quebec City's most distinctive features and a legacy of the British occupation. On the heights of Cap Diamant, the star-shaped fortress was built to withstand a repeat attack on the city from across the Plains of Abraham to the southwest. Today, visitors can do a one-hour guided tour of the site (included in the admission fee), which includes the powder magazine and a former prison that now houses a small museum. Separate, free tours of the Governor General's residence are also available. In the summer, the daily ‘Changing of the Guard' takes place at 1000, with the Regimental Band and the Citadel's mascot (‘Batisse', the regimental goat) joining the garrison personnel. The pomp continues on selected evenings, when the Royal 22nd Regiment performs TheRetreat as part of the flag-lowering ceremonies.
Cap Diamant
Tel: (418) 694 2815.
Website: www.lacitadelle.qc.ca
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1600 (Apr); 0900-1700 (May-Jun); 0900-1800 (Jul-Aug); 0900-1600 (Sep); 1000-1500 (Oct); tour at 1330 only (Nov-Mar).
Disabled access: Y.
Admission charge: Y.
UNESCO site: Y.
Parc des Champs-de-Bataille Nationaux (National Battlefields Park)
Southwest of the Citadel, the National Battlefields Park occupies the 108-hectare (267-acre) Plains of Abraham. It was the site of the decisive battle of 1759, which saw the British, under General Wolfe, defeat General Montcalm's French forces. Today, it is a wide green space popular for summer concerts and strolls. For those with a taste for history, the Discovery Pavilion (in the same building as the tourist office) has a large diorama of the site and the Odyssey historical multimedia exhibition. Midway through the park, Martello Tower No 1 has costumed guides who explain the role of these defensive structures (summer only). Abraham's Bus connects the sites, with the driver providing commentary as it winds through the park daily from late June until mid-September.
Website: www.ccbn-nbc.gc.ca
Musée National des Beaux-Arts du Québec (Quebec National Museum of Fine Arts)
The most important collection of paintings and sculpture by Québécois artists is held by the Musée National des Beaux-Arts du Québec. A selection of works are displayed related to three main periods - the beginnings of Québécois art (largely influenced by religion), the European-influenced modernist period up to 1945, and the period of figurative and abstract art from the mid-20th century onward. These are supplemented by traveling shows and permanent exhibitions that focus on the art of Quebec City, abstract painter and sculptor Jean-Paul Riopelle, and other topics, as well as the Brousseau collection of Inuit art. The museum's site at the southwest end of the Plains of Abraham is dotted with sculptures.
Parc des Champs-de-Bataille
Tel: (418) 643 2150.
Website: www.mnba.qc.ca
Opening hours: Thurs-Tues 1000-1800, Wed 1000-2100 (Jun-early Sep); Tues-Sun 1000-1700, Wed 1000-2100 (early Sep-May).
Admission charge: N (except for temporary exhibitions).
Disabled access: Y.
Musée de la Civilization (Museum of Civilization)
One of the city's strongest museums, the Museum of Civilization, in Lower Town, hosts excellent temporary shows in addition to its three permanent exhibitions. One of these focuses on life in the province of Quebec throughout the centuries of European inhabitation, with displays of artifacts, photos and recreations of historic and domestic scenes. Another is a tribute to the First Nations peoples who live in the province, with videotaped oral histories, birch bark canoes, teepees and many smaller artifacts. The third, produced in collaboration with the National Film Board of Canada, looks at Quebecers' relationship with the land.
85 rue Dalhousie
Tel: (418) 643 2158.
Website: www.mcq.org
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1700.
Admission charge: Y; free on Tues (Nov-May) and Sat 1000-1200 (Jan-Feb).
Disabled access: Y.
Further Distractions
Muséedel'AmériqueFrançaise(Museum of French America)
The Museum of French America occupies part of the vast Séminaire de Québec. The museum details the history of the seminary and showcases part of its diverse collection of artworks and religious and scientific objects. Summer concerts take place in the former chapel. For American visitors, the highlight is the exhibition on the dispersal of their ancestors from New France throughout the USA.
2 côte de la Fabrique
Tel: (418) 692 2843.
Website: www.mcq.org
Opening hours: Daily 0930-1700 (end Jun-early Sep); Tues-Sun 1000-1700 (early Sep-end June).
Admission charge: Y.
Disabled access: Y.
ObservatoiredelaCapitale(CapitalObservatory)
The best view of the city is from the Capital Observatory, 31 floors above the Hôtel du Parlement. Information panels give a good recap of Quebec City's history, linking events to the buildings spread out below. From here, the plan of the defensive fortifications stands out, as does the layout of the Citadel.
1037 rue de la Chevrotière
Tel: (418) 644 9841.
Website: www.observatoirecapitale.org
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1700 (Feb-mid-Oct); Tues-Sun 1000-1700 (mid-Oct-Jan).
Admission charge: Y.
Disabled access: Y.
Parc Aquarium du Québec
Visitors can see walruses, seals, polar bears and other animals from northern maritime regions in an open-air environment, as well as tropical fish and other delicate creatures indoors. The aquarium is divided into seven sectors, focusing on regions such as the banks of the St Lawrence and the North Pacific.
1675 avenue des Hôtels
Tel: (418) 659 5264.
Website: www.sepaq.com/ct/paq
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1700 (Jun-early Sep); daily 1000-1600 (early Sep-May).
Admission charge: Y.
Disabled access: Y.
