47 Best Sights in Quebec City, Quebec

In this small park just south of the Château Frontenac stands the Wolfe-Montcalm Monument, a 50-foot-tall obelisk that pays tribute to both a winning (English) and a losing (French) general. The monument recalls the 1759 battle on the Plains of Abraham, which essentially ended French rule here. British general James Wolfe lived only long enough to hear of his victory; French general Louis-Joseph Montcalm died shortly after Wolfe, with the knowledge that the city was lost. On the south side of the park is avenue Ste-Geneviève, lined with well-preserved Victorian houses dating from 1850 to 1900. Many have been converted to inns, B&Bs, and hotels.

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.

A costumed maid or chauffeur greets you when you visit this elegant Grande Allée house, the former home of Louis S. St. Laurent, prime minister of Canada from 1948 to 1957. Within the house, which is now part of the federally owned Plains of Abraham properties, period furnishings and multimedia touches tell St. Laurent's story and illustrate the lifestyle of upper-crust families in 1950s Québec City.

This graded stone house (which is actually three houses brought together) was built in 1752 for the shipowner Jean-Baptiste Chevalier. This location near the docks was popular with import-export merchants and, later, with innkeepers. The architecture is quintessential New France, with its mansards and scarlet roof. Although the building is not open to visitors, it's well worth a look from the outside.

Louis Jolliet, the first European to see the Mississippi River, and his fellow explorers used this 1683 house as a base for westward journeys. Today it's the lower station of the funicular. A monument commemorating Jolliet's 1672 trip to the Mississippi stands in the small park next to the house, which is at the foot of the Escalier Casse-Cou (Breakneck Staircase).

Seemingly floating between Upper and Lower Town, Montmorency Park is a must-see for visitors walking up (or down) Côte de la Montagne. The leafy park was home to Parliaments of Lower Canada, Canada East, and Quebec from 1791 to 1883; while virtually zero surface structure remains to illustrate this role, it's now a national historic site filled with centenary trees and walkways describing the significance of the site. Along the southeastern edge are the ramparts and defensive walls, from which visitors will find a beautiful panoramic view of the Lower Town and the river.

The strategic importance of Artillery Park, part of the Fortifications of Quebec, lies in its prime location overlooking both the plateau to the west of the city, from which an army could lay siege to it, and St. Charles River, where boats could land soldiers. Under French rule, all the lines of defense that were proposed or built passed through this territory. By the end of the 17th century, the park was already recognized as a strategic site and both French and English military engineers erected various fortifications here over the years. The lavish Quartier des Officiers, built in 1712, was used as officers' quarters of the Royal Artillery until the late 19th century, when the Canadian government converted the barracks into a cartridge factory following the departure of the troops. It would go on to play a predominant effort in both of Canada's world-war efforts; several thousand men and women of Quebec worked there.

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.

For centuries, this wide square was used for parades and military events; today, it's mostly strollers, buskers, and visitors enjoying restaurant terraces. On its west side stands the majestic Ancien Palais de Justice (Old Courthouse), a Renaissance-style building from 1887. The plaza is on land that was occupied by a church and convent of the Récollet missionaries (Franciscan monks), who in 1615 were the first order of priests to arrive in New France. The Gothic-style fountain in the center pays tribute to their arrival.

What used to be a vast parking lot across from the Museum of Civilization has been replaced by an elegant and modern park that provides great views of Upper Town and improves access to the river for locals who now linger and stroll here, and also for the cruise ships that often moor here. Even the new multistory parking garage has been dressed up in an elegant wooden façade that gives the area extra character.

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.

Behind iron gates, next to the Notre-Dame-de-Québec cathedral, lies a tranquil courtyard surrounded by austere stone buildings with rising steeples, structures that have housed classrooms and student residences since 1663. François de Montmorency Laval, the first bishop of New France, founded the Québec Seminary to train priests in the new colony. In 1852 the seminary gave birth to Université Laval, the first francophone university in North America.

Today priests still live on the premises, and Québec City's architecture school occupies part of the building. The small Second Empire–style Chapelle Extérieure, at the west entrance of the seminary, was built in 1888 after fire destroyed the 1750 original; its interior is patterned after that of the Église de la Trinité in Paris.

Venture under the Terrasse Dufferin to see archaeological treasures from the official residence and power base of the French and British governors. Two-year excavations unearthed objects from the first château, built under the direction of Governor Montmagny, to the time the Château St-Louis burned in 1834. Wine bottles, kitchenware—even remains of walls and door frames—give clues to the luxurious life of the governors, who were among the most powerful men in the nation. Don't miss the guided tours and activities. History buffs might consider attending one of the in-depth archaeology conferences held here.

Venture under the Terrasse Dufferin to see archaeological treasures from the official residence and power base of the French and British governors. Massive excavations unearthed artifacts from the first château, built under the direction of Governor Montmagny, to the time the Château St-Louis burned in 1834. Wine bottles, kitchenware—even remains of walls and door frames—give clues to the luxurious life of the governors, who were among the most powerful men in the nation. Don't miss the guided tours and activities. History buffs might consider attending one of the in-depth archaeology conferences held here.

The burial place of many of the earliest English settlers in Canada was established in 1771 and is the oldest cemetery remaining in Québec City. Also buried here is Robert Wood, the disavowed half-brother of Queen Victoria. Closed in 1860, the cemetery has been turned into a park. Next door is St. Matthew's Anglican Church, now a recently renovated public library. It has a book listing most of the original tombstone inscriptions, including those on tombstones removed to make way for the city's modern convention center.

Of the 16 Martello towers in Canada, four were built in Québec City because the British government feared an invasion after the American Revolution. In summer, visitors can tour Martello Tower No. 1, and watch a presentation on the history of the four structures. A haunted maze is held for youngsters on Halloween at Martello Tower No. 2, at avenues Taché and Laurier, and a mystery dinner show is available by reservation. Martello Tower No. 4, on rue Lavigueur overlooking the St. Charles River, houses an escape room game, The Tormentor, in the summer months.

Surrounded by a leafy, small park right next to the Château Frontenac, this 50-foot-tall obelisk pays tribute to both a winning (English) and a losing (French) general. More specifically, it marks the place where the British general James Wolfe and French marquis Louis-Joseph Montcalm died during the Battle of Québec in September 1759. Wolfe landed his troops about 3 km (2 miles) from the city's walls; 4,500 English soldiers scaled the cliff and began fighting on the Plains of Abraham. Wolfe was mortally wounded in battle and was carried behind the lines to this spot. Montcalm, who had been famous for winning four major battles in North America, was also fatally injured; he was carried into the walled city, where he died the next morning, essentially marking the end of the French regime in Québec City.

On the south side of the park is avenue Ste-Geneviève, lined with well-preserved Victorian houses dating from 1850 to 1900. Many have been converted to inns, B&Bs, and hotels.