Quebec City Attractions

One of the most lovingly restored buildings on the Place Royale is the little church of Notre-Dame des Victoires (1688), a name which evokes so much in the city's history.

Place Royale, the nucleus from which Quebec City developed, has undergone exceptionally sensitive restoration in recent years. It stands on the site of Québec's actual foundation, the spot where, in 1608, Samuel de Champlain erected his first "habitation", a farm and storage shed. Named in honor of Louis XIV whose bust adorns it, Place Royale is the largest surviving ensemble of 17th and 18th c. buildings in North America.

From Dufferin Terrace the Promenade des Gouverneurs - a footway high (about 90 m (300 ft)) above the St Lawrence in places - leads southwards from the Château Frontenac, past the Citadel and then along the cliffs of Cap Diamant to the Plains of Abraham.

The exterior of Québec's Cathédrale Anglicane / Anglican cathedral is very similar to London's St Martin's in the Fields. It was the first Anglican cathedral to be consecrated outside the United Kingdom (in 1804). The interior has a very fine choir installed in honor of the British monarch, with beautiful choir stalls.

Spanning the St Lawrence River at a slight narrows the massive iron frame of the Pont de Québec, built between 1899 and 1917, became familiar to the world even before its completion. During construction two serious accidents occurred in which more than 80 workmen lost their lives.

Adjacent to the Place Royale in Québec, facing out over the river and encircled by stout walls and palisades, the little Batterie Royale was constructed in 1691. Having been threatened with destruction on a number of occasions over the years by the St Lawrence in spate, a way has now been found of safeguarding what remains.

With its tall chimneys and red tiled roof this fine stone house the wings of which form three sides of a square was built in 1752 for Jean-Baptiste Chevalier, a wealthy merchant. Completely renovated in 1959 it is now used for exhibitions on ethnography.

The Place d'Armes leads into the colorful Rue du Trésor, Québec's equivalent of Montmartre. Like its Parisian counterpart the street is usually crowded with artists exhibiting their work. Paintings and prints in particular are among the many items offered for sale.

The Terrasse Dufferin in Québec, with its oriental-style baldachins (also the entire length of the Promenade des Gouverneurs) affords stunning views northwards to the Laurentians and south-eastwards where, in good visibility, it is possible to make out the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in the north-east USA.

Quebec's winter carnival, Carnaval de Québec, is held in the middle of winter, in late January and early February. The festival covers a wide range of activities and events both during the day and into the evening. Some traditional events at Carnaval de Québec include dogsled races, canoe races on the St Lawrence River, skating, sledding, family oriented games, evening dancing and parades.

The Museum of French America is located in the Musee de la Civilization. As the name suggests, the museum deals with all aspects of the history of French in North America.

There is an excellent collection of work by Canadian artists in the Musée de Québec (in the Parc des Champs Bataille on the former battlefield).

In front of the museum stands an imposing monument to General Wolfe.

The museum features a permanent collection of 36,000 works from the 17th century to present, as well as temporary exhibitions.

The Naval Museum of Quebec was opened in 1995 at the Canadian Forces Fleet School Quebec (CFFS Quebec). It is the first naval museum in the province. Here visitors can learn about Quebec's naval history and gain a more personal understanding of the life of sailors.

Where the little Petit-Pré flows into the St Lawrence there is an old mill open to visitors during the tourist season.

The Petit-Pré mill dates to the late 17th Century and still maintains some of the original works. It has been restored to working condition, grinding flour as it did in the days of old.

The Galerie d'art Indien 5 Nations in Quebec showcases the work of native artists. Visitors can see the works, much of which is in the form of traditional native items such as dream catchers and jewelry, learn about the Iroquois history, and also purchase items in the gift shop.

Artillery Park Heritage Site in Quebec, consists of three buildings - the Arsenal Foundry, Dauphine Redoubt and Officers' Quarters. The Arsenal Foundry serves as an interpretation centre, Dauphine Redoubt was completed in 1712 and features vaults, barrack room and early 19th-century kitchen. The Officers' Quarters has been restored to its 1830's appearance.

Edifice Price is designed after the Empire State building in New York. The building housed the headquarters of the Price Brothers Company, a lumber firm in the 1930s. The building is an art-deco style with 15 floors, which became Quebec's first skyscraper in 1929. Edifice Price has an impressive interior with art showing the history of the Price Brothers Company.

The Insectarium of Quebec offers a glimpse of life for insects. Insect collections from all over the world are on display along with a center that highlights the role of insects in the balance of the ecosystem of the planet.

The Morrin Cultural Centre in Quebec is housed in a heritage site that includes two prisons and a Scottish college. The library of the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec has been located at Morrin Centre since 1868. The collection includes English-speaking materials emphasizing Canadian fiction and history, biographies, and local interest material.

Tours of the Morrin Centre take visitors to the prison cells, the former College Hall, and the library.

Québec's well-stocked aquarium is situated overlooking the Boulevard Champlain at the northern end of the Pont de Québec, the older of the two bridges over the St Lawrence.

The Québec Aquarium feature a wide variety of fresh and saltwater fish, reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates and marine mammals typical of the St. Lawrence River and other Canadian bodies of water.

The Catholic cathedral with its lovely façade was designed by the architect Baillairgé and completed in 1844.

Two previous cathedrals stood on this same site but were destroyed by fire. The first of these was built in the mid 17th Century.

The interior of Notre-Dame de Quebec is very impressive with a beautiful altar, episcopal canopy, and stained-glass windows.

The vast Center Commercial on the northern side of Parliament Hill is Québec's answer to the Underground City in Montréal. The completely roofed over and centrally heated complex with its many arcades is an ideal place for shopping or just walking around, even in the harshest winter weather.

Situated on Québec's northern side, across the Rivière St-Charles, Charlesbourg is an industrial suburb and the site of a large timber processing factory.

Not far from the southern end of the two bridges in the Lower Town of Quebec, a pleasant picnic area has been created at the Chutes de la Chaudière where the Rivière Chaudière plunges over an escarpment into the St Lawrence.

In the basement of Québec's venerable old city hall (directly opposite the cathedral) there is an interesting exhibition on urban life and history. A statue of Cardinal Taschereau (1820-98) stands in the hotel forecourt, which once served as a marketplace. Taschereau, a former rector of Laval University, was the first Canadian to be made a cardinal.

Québec's main railway station near the Palais de Justice was rebuilt a number of years ago. The former station building next to it has been converted into an old people's home.

A short distance north-east of the Parc de l'Artillerie in Québec stands the Hôtel Dieu, an Augustinian hospital built in the 1640s. The small Augustines de l'Hôtel-Dieu de Québec Musem contains some handsome pieces of old furniture and a variety of domestic items from days gone by. There are also displays of old surgical instruments and a collection of religious art.

The hospital's well preserved vaults were used as workshops and stores and also as places of refuge.

Adjoining the Château Frontenac, on its southern side, are the pretty Jardins du Gouverneur. Here Generals Montcalm and Wolfe, adversaries in life but united in death, are honored by a single monument.

Visitors to the old powder magazine near the Porte St-Louis can see a film tracing the various stages in the development of the city's defenses.

The Esplanade Powder Magazine was built in the first part of the 19th Century and has been completely restored.

The Place Royale was once the commercial heart of old Québec and a merchant's shop has been re-created in the Maison Nicolas Jérémie as a reminder of those earlier days.

An exhibition devoted to the city's history is housed in the restored Maison Soumande. Among the displays is a model of Québec at the time of its foundation.

The little Musée du Fort in the Place d'Armes in Québec is well worth a visit by anyone with an interest in history. The story of the city and the various battles for Québec are vividly recounted with the aid of a son et lumière show.

On the lower groundin Quebec, bordering the Rivière St-Charles, is the eye-catching, shimmering green outline of the ultra-modern Palais de Justice.

Not far from one another in the Quebec suburb of Vannier are a sizeable Center Commercial and the Parc de l'Exposition, an exhibition site which is also the location of the city's racecourse (known as the Hippodrome).

The Hippodrome is a horse racing track and amusement centre.

The Place d'Armes (Arms Square) in the Upper Town of Quebec is Old Québec's busy main square.

This square, located in front of the Chateau Frontenac, comes to life during the summer months with performers and entertainers.

The Pierre Laporte Bridge, named for one of Quebec's former Vice-Premier's, Pierre Laporte, who was killed during the famous October Crisis. At the time it was built, in 1970, it was the longest suspension bridge in Canada with a span of 1040 m /3400 ft.

The delightful Quartier Petit-Champlain at the foot of the steps leading to Quebec's Upper Town is nowadays much favored by artists and crafts people, many of whom have set up business there. Indian leather goods and furs in particular, also examples of Inuit art, are among the many items offered for sale.

In addition to the numerous boutiques of Quartier Petit-Champlain are a variety of bistros and other eating establishments.

Narrow streets combined with the old architecture also make this one of the most scenic areas of Old Quebec.

The Rue St-Louis, main thoroughfare of the Upper Town of Quebec, extends south-westward as far as the old Porte St-Louis. Along it are found some of the city's oldest stone buildings including the Maison Kent, Maison Maillou and Maison Jacquet.

South-west of the Plains of Abraham in Quebec lies Sillery, a suburb with attractive villas. Pleasant views can be had from a number of vantage points on the elevated ground sloping down to the St Lawrence.

Terrasse Grey provides a lovely view of the wide St Lawrence River valley.

Having outgrown Québec's Old City the tradition-rich Université Laval now occupies a large modern campus in Ste-Foy. About 25,000 students attend what is the oldest French speaking university in America.

The Voutes du Palais, to the north-west and a little way down from the Hôtel Dieu in Quebec, were once the cellars of the Intendant's Palace. They now house exhibitions on the city's history.

Québec to Ste-Anne de Beaupré-Avenue Royale

Heading north-east from Québec towards Ste-Anne de Beaupré both the newer (and faster) Highway 138 and the older more leisurely Highway 360 follow the direction of North America's first paved road, the Avenue Royale, constructed in the early 18th c.

West of Sillery is the modern residential and commercial suburb of Sainte-Foy.

Sainte-Foy merged with the city of Quebec in the early 2000s. Located within Sainte-Foy is the Unversite Laval.

Also on Québec's north-western periphery is an Indian settlement called Village Huron where traditional art and craftwork is found on sale.