Fodor's Expert Review Fortifications of Québec National Historic Site

Thick stone walls stretching for 5 kilometers (3 miles), connected by four gates, and adjoined by forts, bastions, and even a citadel: with such a special and unique landmark, it's not difficult to understand why the Historic District of Old Québec is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. These nearly intact ramparts, virtually the only ones of their kind in North America, recall the complex history of the French and British regimes in Québec City. French colonists began building ramparts along the city's cliffs as early as 1690 to protect themselves from the British, but they had trouble convincing the French government to take the threat of invasion seriously. And when the British did invade in 1759, the walls were unsurprisingly still incomplete. The British, despite attacks by the Americans during the American Revolution and the War of 1812, took over a century to finish them—and they never saw armed conflict.

From June to September, two guided tours are offered: one starts at Artillery Park and focuses on the social and architectural heritage of the ramparts, while the other is more military-focused and begins at Terrasse Dufferin. Either way, the Dauphine Redoubt in Artillery Park on the northern end of the fortifications should not be missed; it's one of the oldest military buildings in the Americas. The four gates—Saint-Jean, Saint-Louis, Kent and the more modern Prescott—are well worth a stop, too.