Quebec, Quebec

Quebec (keh-BEHK) is Canada's oldest city, founded by Samuel de Champlain in 1608. Its name was an adaptation of the Algonquian word meaning "the river narrows here"—Champlain chose this spot for the settlement because the high cliffs and narrowing of the St. Lawrence River offered excellent natural and strategic defenses.

While regarded as the center of New France, the growing North American empire of the French, the colony struggled. The harsh climate combined with the rough terrain failed to attract great numbers of French families to the New World. Further, many of the colony's few settlers were migrants—Couriers de bois—who would come in from the wilderness with furs they had gotten in barter with Native Americans. These men had no interest in taking up permanent residence in Quebec, and often ended up marrying Iroquois or Huron women.

At one point, King Louis XIV had French women sent to New France as wives for the men who inhabited the fledging settlement. These filles de roi exemplified the state of the colony in its early days. In 1666, 58 years after its founding, the population was only 547. Only with increased incentives and persuasion was France able to increase the number of permanent residents to 1,500 by the end of 1690, and to 34,000 by 1730—120 years after the creation of New France.

In the 18th century, the city of Quebec finally began to grow. With a larger population, industry and trade flourished. Couriers de bois continued to bring pelts and furs into the marketplace to trade for other goods, which they could take back into the wilderness. Stores and workshops were built on the river's edge in the Lower Town.

This market area was Place Royale, still one of the Lower Town's most popular landmarks, along with the Notre-Dame-des-Victoires Church. The latter is noted for having its altar shaped as a fort. It was completed in 1688 and stands on the site of Champlain's very first settlement. Meanwhile, the Upper Town gradually began to take its current shape. Houses and schools sprang up within the city's walls as French citizens began to put down roots in Canada. Today, the Upper Town is full of gourmet restaurants, fine hotels like the Château Frontenac, and numerous shops and boutiques. You will also find the Quebec National Assembly here.

As the city grew in size, so did its economic and military importance. The French knew they needed to create a strong system of defenses to protect the capital of New France from the enemy British, ensconsed to the south in the American colonies. What they constructed was the Citadel. Perhaps the most famous of Quebec City's landmarks, it stands 106 metres above the city on Cap Diamant. It was assumed that an attack would come from the river, the city's most vulnerable point, and that is where the cannons were aimed.

Unfortunately for the French, the British surprised the French. General James Wolfe and 4,500 British soldiers scaled the steep cliffs leading to the Plains of Abraham, under cover of darkness from September 12-13, 1759. The French commander, Lieutenant-General Louis de Montcalm, ordered his “army” (a combination of French regulars and poorly-trained militiamen) to meet the enemy. In a battle that lasted 15 minutes, the British routed the defenders. They battered the city with cannon fire until the French army retreated to Montreal, where they would be defeated a year later and New France would fall to the British.

The surrender of Quebec was followed by a period of military occupation and martial law until 1763, when a peace treaty was signed in Paris. With New France now secured as British North America, immigrants arrived to occupy existing cities and to build new ones. The large influx of British, Scottish and Irish immigrants into Quebec City created considerable tension, but it also fostered the international flavor the city still retains. A mingling of cultures over time has resulted in a unique lifestyle and atmosphere.

With the British came order and wealth, and the city grew in leaps and bounds. New sectors of the city were built with their own architecture and character. Agriculture flourished and trade routes extended deeper into the heart of the continent and into the American colonies. But beneath all the British influence remained the "French identity." Citizens refused to give up their language or their culture to the English speaking authorities.

This patriotic fervor has only increased over time. In 1774, the British passed the Quebec Act, which allowed the French citizens to practice Roman Catholicism and to use French civil law. Still, French-speaking citizens struggled to preserve their culture. During the debates on Confederation in 1867, Quebec representatives refused to join unless guarantees were made to protect the identity of French-speaking people in the newly formed Dominion of Canada.

Quebec City has continued as a hotbed of political activity for those who feel that the French influence in Canada is not strong enough, or that the French are poorly represented and inadequately supported by their government. But despite its strong French identity, Quebec remains a city rich in diverse cultural flavors, styles and history. It is a city of passion. Its residents are not only passionate about their politics, but about their desire to enjoy life to its fullest.

One of the beauties of a Quebec City vacation is that the city's compact nature allows you to stay in any number of architecturally and atmospherically distinct regions while remaining steps away from all major attractions and restaurants. As such, the best way to experience the old-world charm of the city is undoubtedly on foot.

A typical walking tour might begin and end at the Dufferin Terrace, overlooking Place Royale and the St. Lawrence River, with the Château Frontenac hotel looming in the background. From here you have easy access to the three main areas awaiting exploration in Quebec City: the lower town, comprising the Vieux-Port and Place Royale; Vieux-Québec, or the area inside the fortifications; and the Upper Town, especially the area stretching along the Grande-Allée.

Place Royale and Vieux-Port There are two ways down from the Dufferin Terrace—the stairs and the Funicular. Each has its obvious advantages and disadvantages, and the latter is understandably most popular for the return trip! Each brings you out in the heart of Place Royale, near the Batterie Royale and the charming Rue du Petit Champlain.

Wander through the charming shops and restaurants of the Quartier du Petit Champlain, along Notre-Dame, Champlain or Petit-Champlain Streets, towards Place Royale itself. This square, bounded by St-Pierre to the west, Dalhousie to the east and de la Barricade to the north, is where explorer Samuel de Champlain set up a fledgling settlement in 1608. Drop in at the Place Royale Information Center to find historic and practical details on attractions in the immediate area: the Notre-Dame-des-Victoires church and the Museum of Civilization, for instance.

If you wish to return to Vieux-Québec at this point, simply loop back around to the stairs or Funicular back to the Dufferin Terrace. Alternately, you can continue north and west into the Vieux-Port, stopping at the Old Port of Quebec Interpretation Centre, which documents the city's industrial and commercial history, while offering a pleasant environment for many summer activities.

From here you can continue west up St-Paul or de la Canoterie Streets, switching back up and through the fortifications into Vieux-Québec, in close proximity to many key attractions, including the Museum of French America and the Hôtel-Dieu Augustines Museum.

From the latter, you can wind your way along Côte-du-Palais, jog left on St-Jean Street and then right on Côte-de-la-Fabrique, which takes you past City Hall. Hang right on the famous Rue du Trésor and enjoy the diverse, high-quality artwork for sale along this intriguing, narrow alleyway. You will emerge on St-Louis Street, on the other side of the Château Frontenac from where you started on the Dufferin Terrace.

Alternately, from the Hôtel-Dieu Augustines Museum, you can walk west along the fortifications themselves. The Rue des Remparts will eventually take you to the Artillery Park National Historic Site, and then to Place d'Youville and the St-Jean Gate, which links the Upper Town to Vieux-Québec. Place d'Youville is a perfect spot to stop off and enjoy street musicians in the summer, or to make a couple of laps around the skating rink in the winter.

Continuing south along Rue d'Auteuil and then St-Denis Avenue, you will emerge at The Citadel, the linchpin of Quebec City's fortifications, which offers an incredible view over the river and various exhibits chronicling the city's history. From here it is an easy walk back to the Dufferin Terrace and the Château Frontenac.

Upper Town and the Grande-Allée The most spectacular and interesting route from the Dufferin Terrace to the Upper Town is undoubtedly along the Promenade des Gouverneurs, the precipitous boardwalk running under The Citadel and linking the Dufferin Terrace with the National Battlefields Park. Wander around this enormous park, have a picnic and visit the Quebec Museum and attached National Battlefields Park Interpretation Center. Plaques throughout the park detail its tumultuous and fascinating history.

Eventually you will make your way away from the cliffs and arrive at the decidedly urban action of the Grande-Allée. This magnificent boulevard is full of shops, restaurants and boutiques. In the summer, you could while away an entire afternoon over a cocktail at a sidewalk café, but there are many other sights to see in the Upper Town.

Head up Rue de la Chevrotière or any other side street towards the Rue St-Amable and the Marie-Guyart Building, located at the intersection of de la Chevrotière and René-Lévesque Boulevard. For a panoramic overview of your marathon walking tour, ride up 725 feet to the Observatoire de la Capitole. After descending, continue back towards Vieux-Québec along René-Lévesque or St-Amable and you will encounter the ornate Parliament Buildings—or National Assembly, in local parlance. Tours are available every day in French and English. Continue along the Grande-Allée, through the St-Louis Gate, and soon you will be once again faced with the grandeur of the Château Frontenac.

If you have somehow managed to complete this tour in one day, you now owe yourself dinner at one of dozens of area restaurants. In the summer, you could relax among buskers and concession stands as the sun goes down over the Dufferin Terrace; in the winter, you might choose to get your adrenaline going with an ice toboggan ride before warming up with a hot chocolate. Obviously, a day is precious little time to really savor what Quebec has to offer—no matter the duration of your stay. However, it is a pleasure to know that you can ditch the car and explore on foot.

Guided Tours Check out Classic Journey's Quebec & Charlevoix Walking Tour, a six-day exclusive guided trip throughout these breathtaking areas.