Five must-see spots in fabulous Quebec City
There’s no excuse not to be one of the 4.7 million visitors to historic, beautiful city
Stunningly beautiful, Quebec City is a consistent winner of the most prestigious destination awards, its historic core a designated UNESCO World Heritage site. It is also an easy drive from southern Ontario so there is no excuse not to be one of the 4.7 million visitors who come every year to this great Canadian city. The Citadel On the highest peak in Quebec City, the Citadel offers some of the best views of the historic old town.
Home to Canada’s elite 22nd Royal Regiment, the Van Doos, the Citadel is still an active military base with a daily changing of the guard and guided tours.
It houses the Governor General’s summer residence — the place where president Roosevelt and prime ministers Churchill and Mackenzie King met to plan D-Day. Rue du Petit-Champlain District At the lowest point of Old Quebec City, Petit-Champlain was North America’s first commercial district. It began as a prosperous business hub in the early 1600s, and then became a slum area for Irish immigrants escaping the Potato Famine of the mid-1800s.
Today, it offers a bustling neighbourhood centred around a co-operative of local artists who sell Quebec-inspired handicrafts, art and fashion. The best way to see Petit-Champlain is from the heights of the steep Breakneck Stairs. Notre-Dame-des-Victoires Church Located in Quebec City’s Old Port and built over the site of Samuel de Champlain’s second Habitation, Notre-Dame-des-Victoires Church is situated at the geographic heart of what was then known as New France.
Built in 1688 and dedicated to military victories over British attackers in 1690 and 1711, it is the oldest stone church in North America.
Situated by picturesque Place-Royale, a historic square of shops, restaurants and museums, it provides a glimpse into the past. Aux Anciens Canadiens Restaurant It’s hard to believe that this building was the largest home in Quebec City when it was built in 1675, originally known as Maison Jacquet. It is now the city’s smallest (and oldest) house. It temporarily served as a military headquarters for General Montcalm during General Wolfe’s siege and was also home to the author Philippe-Aubert de Gaspé who wrote Les Anciens Canadiens after whom the current restaurant is named.
Having travelled across the prov- ince several times with my wife, who cooks French Canadian meals, we’ve yet to find a better restaurant for traditional Quebec cuisine. Château Frontenac and Environs Apparently, the most photographed hotel in the world, the Chateau Frontenac opened its doors to wellheeled travellers in 1893. Walking into the hotel’s foyer, with its luxurious interior and elegant shops, is to be transported into the late Victorian era.
Have a drink in one of the hotel’s bars or restaurant, and from its windows watch street performers and visitors stroll in front of the Champlain Monument. Better yet, go out and enjoy the street life that makes Quebec City so hospitable and memorable.