6 Best Sights in Quebec City, Quebec

Often regarded as one of the most iconic attractions in the Old City due to its location and stunning views of the neighborhood. But the steepness of the city's first iron stairway, an ambitious 1893 design by city architect and engineer Charles Baillairgé, is ample evidence of how it got its name: Breakneck Steps. No serious injuries have been reported on the stairs, despite their ominous name! Still, those 59 steps were quite an improvement on the original wooden stairway, built in the 17th century, that linked the Upper Town and Lower Town.

The first Anglican cathedral outside the British Isles was erected in the heart of Québec City's Upper Town between 1800 and 1804. Its simple, dignified façade is reminiscent of London's St. Martin-in-the-Fields, and the pediment, archway, and Ionic pilasters introduced Palladian architecture to Canada. The land on which the cathedral was built was originally given to the Récollets (Franciscan monks from France) in 1681 by the king of France for a church and monastery. When Québec came under British rule, the Récollets made the church available to the Anglicans for services. Later, King George III ordered construction of the present cathedral, with an area set aside for members of the royal family. A portion of the north balcony is still reserved for the use of the reigning sovereign or his or her representative. The cathedral's impressive rear organ has 3,058 pipes. Even more impressive is the smaller English chamber organ, built in 1790, which was donated to the cathedral for the bicentennial celebrations in 2004.

Founded in 1639, the chapel and its Couvent des Ursulines is the oldest institution of learning for women in North America. It houses the finest examples of wood carving anywhere in Québec, gilded by the nuns themselves. The exterior of the Ursuline Chapel was rebuilt in 1902, but the interior contains the original chapel, which took sculptor Pierre-Noël Levasseur from 1726 to 1736 to complete. The Ursulines is still an active elementary school today.

Throughout the month of August, an international competition of fireworks performances set to music lights up the skies between Old Québec and Lévis, launched from barges on the St. Lawrence River, near the ferry docks. Special shows are presented on the sites before the first rockets launch.

This 32-km (20-mile) stretch of trails and walkways follows the St. Charles River from its source at Lake St. Charles, to the northwest (which supplies a large part of Québec City's drinking water), all the way to the Bassin Louise Marina, in the Vieux-Port. Many sections are in quiet stretches of forests, or run along wetlands and meadows. The trails immediately west of the harbor offer a green oasis at the heart of the city. The recently-reimagined Cartier-Brébeuf National Historic Site in Limoilou is particularly lovely and explains the various ways Jacques Cartier helped shape the city as we see it today. It's also possible to rent kayaks and paddle over 11 km (6.5 miles) of the northernmost part of the river.

This 4-km (2.5-mile) park along the St. Lawrence River is a local favorite, with an amazing view of the river and the two bridges that cross it to the west, as well as some smart, whimsical, and modern landscape design. On a sunny summer day, the place is busy with strollers, bikers, and in-line skaters, as well as kids playing in the fountains and on the lawns. You will find a café and observation tower toward the western end of the park. In summer, special buses will take you from Lower Town to the promenade.