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Historic District of Old Québec

Québec · Canada

Background

World Heritage since
1985
Type of site
Cultural
Founded by Champlain
1608

Québec was founded by the French explorer Champlain in the early 17th century and is the only North American city to have preserved its ramparts, with the bastions, gates and defensive works that still surround it. UNESCO says the Upper Town on the cliff remains the religious and administrative centre, with the Dauphine Redoubt, the Citadel and the Château Frontenac, and with the Lower Town forms one of the best examples of a fortified colonial city.

Champlain chose the Upper Town for Fort Saint Louis in 1608. The fortifications were built by the French and British between 1608 and 1871, run 4.6 km with four gates, a citadel and three Martello towers, and survived a late 19th-century move to demolish them thanks to Lord Dufferin. Wikivoyage says the name is an Aboriginal word for where the river narrows, and that the compact Old Town is best walked, cobbles and all.

More on the UNESCO listing More on Wikipedia

  1. 1608Champlain founds Québec and Fort Saint Louis
  2. 1759The battle on the Plains of Abraham
  3. 1763The Treaty of Paris cedes New France to Britain
  4. 1871The last of the fortifications is completed
  5. Late 19th c.Lord Dufferin saves the walls from demolition
  6. 1985Inscribed as World Heritage

Find Your Way Around

The main parts of the site, in the order most visitors see them

  1. 1
    Château Frontenac
    The hotel on the cliff and the Dufferin Terrace boardwalk.
  2. 2
    The Citadelle
    The star-shaped fort at the top of the walls.
  3. 3
    The Fortifications
    4.6 km of walls, four gates and three Martello towers; the GoGo guide walks them.
  4. 4
    Petit-Champlain and Place Royale
    The oldest street in North America and the square where the city began.
  5. 5
    Plains of Abraham
    The 1759 battlefield, now the city's park.
  6. 6
    The Funiculaire
    The counterweight railway between the two towns.

Know Before You Go

From Wikivoyage and the GoGo guides

Walk It
Wikivoyage: the Old Town is compact and best on foot, but watch the uneven cobbles and narrow streets.
Ferry for the View
The Québec-Lévis ferry crosses in 15 minutes, up to every 20 minutes, and gives the classic view of the Château from the water.
Via Montréal
Direct flights within Canada are limited; Montréal has more options, and RTC buses 76 and 80 link the airport to the city.
Montmorency Falls
The GoGo guide's day trip, 15 minutes away and higher than Niagara.

Walls, Château and Lower Town

From the GoGo Quebec City guide · Open the Quebec City Guide ›

  1. 09:30
    Château Frontenac and Dufferin Terrace1 hr
    The château and the boardwalk.
  2. 10:45
    Citadelle of Québec75 min
    The star-shaped fort.
  3. 13:00
    Petit-Champlain and Place Royale2 hrs
    The Lower Town.
  4. 15:00
    Walk the Fortifications90 min
    The only city walls north of Mexico.
  5. 19:00
    Poutine and Tourtière Dinner90 min
    Québécois cooking in the Old Town.

Best Time to Visit

Best months: May–Aug. Freezing days in Nov–Mar.

Typical highs

Best monthsRain: wettest Jul (123 mm), driest Feb (64 mm)

Climate: NASA POWER

Sources
UNESCO World Heritage Centre, listing 300 · Wikipedia: Old Quebec · Wikivoyage: Quebec City (CC BY-SA 4.0) · GoGo Quebec City guide · UNESCO listing