Upper Town Above the Saint Lawrence
Walking Quebec City's Upper Town (la Haute-Ville) will be a cultural experience that will delight your visual senses. Make a reservation for a guided walking tour and learn the extensive history of this magical village. Stroll along the old, quaint streets and check out the grey stone houses and religious establishments. The stone houses are made from granite, quarried nearby during the 1800s. For much of its early years Upper Town was the political, educational, and religious nerve center of the province and the country.
Soaring above it all is the grandiose hotel the Château Frontenac?. The romantic architecture of the hotel complements its idyllic surroundings, giving the city a distinctive reference point from which to explore. Built between 1893 and 1924, the Château Frontenac is a historical monument in the city's Upper Town.
The Upper Town of Old Quebec (Vieux-Québec) is encompassed by fortress walls. Overlooking the Saint Lawrence River (le fleuve Saint-Laurent), the Upper Town contains many of the city's most famous sites including the Château Frontenac, Place d'Armes, and Basilica of Notre-Dame. Everything here has been well preserved and restored and most of the buildings in this part of the city are at least 100 years old.
What attracts many to Upper Town is the Dufferin Terrace (la terrasse Dufferin), a pedestrian promenade that draws all ages for its magnificent views of the river and its water traffic. Speckled with green and white gazebos, the boardwalk offers a close view of what the area would have looked like 100 years ago.
Don't miss the Musée de l’Amérique Française?, a museum focusing on the history of New France, located at 9 Rue de l’Université. Other attractions to visit include:
Musée de Cire: 22 Rue Ste.-Anne
A wax museum begun in 1945.
Musée du Fort: 10 Rue Ste.-Anne
A museum focusing on the military history of Québec City through a sound and light show, as well as exhibits.
Musée des Augustines de l’Hôtel-Dieu de Québec: 32 Rue Charlevoix
The first hospital north of Mexico, this site doubles as a monastary and has been open to the public since 1958. It honors early religious missionaries in the Quebec area. Exhibits include: furniture, medical instruments, and tapestries that chronicle the history of the area.
Musée des Ursulines de Québec: 12 Rue Donnaconais
Museum that features paintings, sculptures, embroidery works, engravings, archive documents, furniture, and decorative art objects that tell of the life and educational work of the Ursulines in
Quebec City (la ville de Québec) in the 17th century.
Québec Expérience: 8 Rue du Trésor
A multimedia show on the history of
Quebec City (la ville de Québec).
Promenade des Gouverneurs: 20-minute walk from Dufferin Terrace
Pathway that climbs up past
Quebec City's
Citadelle and returns to Dufferin Terrace; takes hikers past the battery of cannons.
Jardin des Gouverneurs: Just west of Château Frontenac
This garden stands on the site of the mansion built to house the French governors of Quebec. The house's ruins lie buried under the Château after it burned in 1834. The park is the host of many shows and musical events during the summer.
Maison Kent: rue St-Louis
Built in 1648, this might be the oldest building in
Quebec City (la ville de Québec). Most famous for being the place in which France signed the capitulation to the British, it also was the home of the Duke of Kent prior to his marriage to Queen Victoria, and is currently the home of the Consulate General of France.
Place d'Armes: rue St-Louis
This central plaza was once the military parade ground outside the governor's mansion. Within this park is the monument to
Samuel de Champlain, who founded Quebec in 1608. The statue has stood here since 1898 and its pedestal is made from stone that was also used in the Arc de Triomphe and Sacré-Coeur Basilica in Paris. Near the Champlain statue is the Quebec City UNESCO World Heritage Site Monument, the only city in North America with this distinction. A tourist information center is also located in the park.
La Rue du Trésor?
This little alley is quite literally a treasure street, showcasing some of the best local art for sale.
Basilique Notre-Dame: 20 rue De Buade
Built in 1647, this cathedral offers a rich interior full of artwork, much of which dates to the French regime; the crypt is the final resting place for most of the bishops of Quebec.
Château Frontenac
La Rue du Trésor
Dufferin Terrace
