A Step Back in Time

We have quite a busy agenda planned for today to take in Vieux-Quebec



Place Royale

Located in the heart of Quebec City, Place Royale is considered the birthplace of French America. It is one of the most important historical and archaeological sites in Canada and played a significant role in the development of the St Lawrence River colony from the 17th to the 19thcentury, both from a social and historical perspective.  Place Royal served as a port to the city until the opening of the Port of Montreal, from which time the area started to deteriorate. In the 1970’s, plans were completed to restore the area’s original French character and construction work revealed fascinating archaeological findings from the colony period – some of which are on display to visitors.

The Place Royale, named in honor of King Louis XIV, is essentially a small plaza which served as the marketplace in the 17th and 18th centuries, but which is now a hugely attractive tourist spot.  Within this area are several unique landmarks, such as the 1688 Notre-Dame-des-Victories church – North America’s oldest stone church - located right in the heart of the Place Royale.  Another attraction is the Masion Chevalier, an historic home and museum which showcases Quebec’s architectural history.  Another place to take in Quebec City’s fascinating history is the Place Royale Interpretation Centre which features exhibits and multimedia shows.

Notre Dame De Victories

Known in English as Our Lady of Victories Church, Notre-Dame-des-Victoires is considered one of the oldest stone churches in Canada. It is located in the Lower Town (Basse-Ville) of Quebec City, where construction began in 1687 to serve the religious needs of the new colony’s Roman Catholic population. The church was finally consecrated in 1723 but was almost completely destroyed by the British during the Battle of the Plains of Abraham in 1759. It took until 1816 to fully restore and remodel the church.  Church Notre-Dame-des-Victoires, so named in dedication to a number of victories over the British through the years, was declared a national monument in 1929 and a National Historical site of Canada in 1988.

The church boasts a number of interesting features, including a circle of dark stones in the front of the building which mark the spot of the second settlement set up by the founder of Quebec, Samuel de Champlain. The interior of the church is a delightful presentation of 19th century art, with attractive décor throughout.  On either side of the altar, you will find late 19th century frescoes which tell the fascinating story of the church and the city.  A reproduction of Van Dyck’s Christ and Crucifixion is among the many paintings.  Suspended from the ceiling is a replica of the ship which brought French forces to Canada in 1664, the Breze, which ultimately led to a victory over the British.  Continuing with the military theme, the altar itself is shaped like a fortress.

Quartier du Petit Champlain

The oldest commercial district in North America is Petit Champlain, a picturesque and historically preserved neighborhood which has been part of Quebec City since its foundation in 1608. The neighborhood comprises narrow streets, cobblestone streets and unique boutiques and bistros, making it one of the most popular attractions in the city. The heritage is maintained by the neighborhood’s artisans and merchants who work as a co-op organization and strive for a community feel. It is the site of Quebec’s first port and has a quaint, romantic feel to it.

The heart of the Petit Champlain district is the giant fresco, known as Murale Creation, which tells the fascinating history of the district’s origins, including fatal landslides, attacks by enemy forces and other major events. The mural, painted in trompe-l’oeil style, is 900 square ft. in size.

There are several places of historical importance worth visiting in Quartier du Petit Champlain, including the former home of European explorer, Louis Jolliet, which was built in 1683 and inhabited by him until his death in 1700. Breakneck Stair, or Escalier casse-cou, were built in 1635 to join the Upper Town with the Lower Town and are particularly steep (hence their name). An easier way to reach the two areas of the town is with the funicular, and the terminal in Lower Town is located in Maison Louis-Jolliet. Another historical home, Maison Chevalier, offers you the chance to see magnificent reconstitutions of old Quebec interiors from 1752.

Old Quebec Funicular

Known in French as Funiculaire du Vieux-Quebec, the funicular railway is located in the Old Quebec neighborhood of the city, linking Upper Town with Lower Town. This historic mode of transport was introduced in 1870 and originally used the water ballast system to move. At the beginning of the 20th century, it switched to an electrical system. A fire in 1945 saw the funicular rebuilt, and over the years renovations have been carried out.  The funicular celebrated its 135thbirthday in 2014.

A trip up or down the Old Funicular provides you with an interesting vantage point of the surrounding areas which include the St. Lawrence River and the Lower Town, as the funicular travels at a 45 degree angle. The entrance in Haute Ville is located on Dufferin Terrace near Le Chateau Frontenac, while access from Basse-Ville begins within Louis Jolliet House in the Quartier Petit-Champlain.

The Old Funicular runs regularly throughout the day and into the night and is a perfect way to access both parts of Old Quebec, saving visitors the need to climb multiple steps.

Terrasse Dufferin

The Terrasse Dufferin is a terrace that overlooks the St. Laurence River and wraps around the Chateau Frontenac, a large historic hotel that dominates the Quebec skyline.


Chateau Frontenac

One of the most photographed hotels in the world is located in Quebec and has an impressive presence on the city’s skyline due to its 177 ft elevation point. The luxury hotel was originally designed to accommodate tourists for the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair but was not competed in time. It opened later in the same year and is named after the man who served as governor of the colony of New France in the late 17th century, Louis de Buade, Count of Frontenac.  The original hotel was designed by the American architect Bruce Price who was inspired by the architectural styles of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, although newer portions were added by local architect William Sutherland Maxwell.

Over the years, Chateau Frontenac has hosted many famous personalities. It also served as the set for Alfred Hitchcock’s movie, Confess, which starred Anne Baxter and Montgomery Clift.  In 2001, after being sold at a cost of $185 million to a company partially owned by Fairmont, the hotel was renamed Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac.  It has over 600 rooms spread across 18 floors, after undergoing a major renovation project in 2014. Due to the hotel’s prime position on a tall cape overlooking the Saint Lawrence River, it affords visitors spectacular views of the surrounding area for several miles.

Upper Town Old Quebec

Quebec City’s Vieux Quebec (Old Quebec) is an historical neighborhood and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The area comprises Haute-Ville (or the Upper Town) and Basse-Ville (Lower Town) and contains some of the city’s most interesting sites, tourist spots and entertainment locations.  The history of the neighborhood dates back to 1608, when Samuel de Champlain, the “Father of New France”, chose Upper Town as the site of the Fort Saint-Louis.  Some of the buildings still found in the neighborhood date back to the 17th and 18th centuries although most were built in the 19th century.  There are many parks still found in and around Upper Town, including the Esplanade, Montmorency Park and Artillerie.  The Lower Town stared off as a habitation, also in 1608, and its original remains we restored. .

Cathedral Basilica of Notre Dame

This cathedral, known as Our Lady of Quebec City in English, is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Quebec and a National Historic Site of Canada. For those of you keeping score, yes this is the fourth church named Notre Dame that we've visited in the last couple of days.

The church is located in the Historic District of Old Quebec, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site itself. The history of the cathedral dates back to 1633 and the church has occupied the same location since that date. Over the years, the cathedral has been expanded, faced two destructive fires, rebuilt and finally named a National Historic Site in 1989. Many renowned artists and architects have worked on the church over the years, including Gaspard Chaussegros de Lery and Raoul Chenevert.  The cathedral boasts magnificent stained glass windows commissioned by the Meyer House in Munich. It also has three Casavant organs, an Episcopal canopy and main alter. The church celebrated its 350th anniversary in 2014, and a holy door – the seventh in the world and the first outside Europe - was constructed.

We hope to time our visit in time to attend Saturday night Mass, then some dinner and we'll hike back down to Lower Town to collapse.