We found the old city of Quebec charming and impressive. One of the first cities established on the Saint Lawrence river, it has a storied military history as both the French and British fought for control of the strategic location as early as the 1600s.
The Château Frontenac, built in 1883 by the railroad to encourage travel, dominates the hilltop. We enjoyed walking around the city, seeing the basilica, old city walls, parliament building, and walking on the huge historic boardwalk overlooking the river from high on the bank.
We also enjoyed the charming streets and shops below the hill in the Petit Champlain district. We tried maple syrup taffy at one of the shops, which is made by pouring the syrup over crushed ice (or snow in winter) to make a sweet, chewy treat. It was really good! We also discovered “queues de castor” (beaver tails), delicious!
Before leaving Quebec City the next day, we visited Montmorency Falls which is just north of town. We hiked all the way to the top climbing (and then descending) over 600 stairs!
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