Canada

Québec

WHS Score 3.6
rate
Votes 97 Average 3.81
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Votes for Québec

1.5

  • Stanimir
  • VLabhard

2.0

  • Alexander Lehmann
  • Mihai Dascalu

2.5

  • Fmaiolo@yahoo.com
  • Gordon Mitchell
  • Hubert
  • Jon Opol
  • Solivagant
  • Velvetlapis
  • Wojciech Fedoruk

3.0

  • Carlos Sotelo
  • Daniel C-Hazard
  • John
  • Kevin247
  • merveil
  • Mstrebl1990
  • Robert
  • Tevity
  • Tigreloutre
  • Tony H.
  • Walter

3.5

  • AT8
  • BeyondMonkey
  • boppare
  • Chenzhiwen
  • CugelVance
  • Daniel Gabi
  • Daniel R-F
  • Els Slots
  • Gianmarco
  • Ilya Burlak
  • J_neveryes
  • Klaus Freisinger
  • Lithobates
  • Minkegirl
  • Nolan B.
  • Randi Thomsen
  • Svein Elias
  • Zoë Sheng

4.0

  • ALS
  • Argo
  • bergecn
  • CalvinLoh
  • Carlo Sarion
  • Cody Ayers
  • d.dedisse@vogo.fr
  • Don Irwin
  • Frédéric M
  • Frederik Dawson
  • Gary Arndt
  • halryder
  • Hughes1920
  • I_See_by_the_Web
  • Jasonfd247
  • Jay T
  • João Aender
  • Mazeman
  • Mike
  • Ming_9734
  • Panacci
  • Pchxiao
  • Philipp Peterer
  • Tcchang0825
  • TheShabe
  • Tranvianoruega
  • wrung24
  • Xiquinho Silva
  • Zoe

4.5

  • Anne
  • Antonio J.
  • Can SARICA
  • CascadianRain
  • chenboada
  • DoktorMikel
  • Jim
  • ko9757
  • Lembu
  • nicku
  • Palimpsesto
  • TaiTT
  • ZCTLife

5.0

  • Alexander Barabanov
  • amitlchoudhuryjbp
  • Christravelblog
  • Craig Harder
  • DAB
  • frediehung
  • George Gdanski
  • JobStopar
  • julia.meyers22
  • KeithBailey
  • kent
  • KngAlaric
  • mauralin13
  • Priyaranjan Mohapatra
  • takanenohana

The Historic District of Old Québec is the most complete fortified colonial town left in North America.

Québec (founded in 1608) is one of the oldest colonial settlements in Canada. It served as the capital of New France and that of the British colony in 1763. The Historic District covers the Upper Town (with its administrative and religious buildings) and Lower Town (the district of commerce and the navy).

Community Perspective: “Europe in North America” and almost totally French-speaking. Overall a charming place to visit, with good views. Els has listed most of the individual sights within the old city.

Site Info

Official Information
Full Name
Historic District of Old Québec (ID: 300)
Country
Canada
Status
Inscribed 1985 Site history
History of Québec
1984: Deferred
Because of current discussions regarding "Historic Towns" and nomination criteria
1985: Inscribed
Inscribed
2000: Name change
From "Quebec (Historic area)" to "Historic District of Québec"
2003: Requested by State Party to not be examined
Extension to the Historic District of Québec
2006: Name change
From "Historic District of Québec" to "Historic District of Old Québec"
WHS Type
Cultural
Criteria
  • iv
  • vi
Links
UNESCO
whc.unesco.org
All Links
UNESCO.org
Related Resources
News Article
  • March 17, 2018 straitstimes.com — Historic old Quebec to get tram link
  • Jan. 16, 2010 marketwire.com — Canada's Economic Action Plan at work in the historic district of Old-Quebec
  • April 8, 2008 nationalpost.com — Historic drill hall destroyed by massive fire
  • Nov. 28, 2007 usatoday.com — Quebec to celebrate 400 years with year-long fete

Community Information

  • Community Category
  • Natural landscape: Mountain
  • Urban landscape: Colonial
  • Cultural Landscape: Associative
Travel Information
No travel information
Recent Connections
View all (36) .
Connections of Québec
Individual People
  • Isabella Bird
    Visited Quebec City in the 1850's. Describes the old city's picturesque features, as well as fortifications and citadel in "The Englishwoman in America" (pg 270) published in 1856
  • Captain James Cook
    1759 - participated in the siege of Quebec
  • Gertrude Bell
    Photo taken July 1903
  • Louis XIV
    Bust of him in the Place Royale
Trivia
  • Reportedly haunted locations
    Château Frontenac - "Many people, including the hotel's director, have spotted a man sitting on a windowsill overlooking the city, only to suddenly vanish moments later. This is allegedly the spirit of Louis de Buade de Frontenac, the man that the hotel was named after."

    See creepyquebec.com

  • On Passports
    Pages 24+25 of the Canadian passport have a photo of Quebec City

    See ca.finance.yahoo.com

  • Built or owned by French
    Founded by Champlain in July 1608 "at the site of a long abandoned St Lawrence Iroquoian settlement called Stadacona." (Wiki)
  • Replica in Epcot
    Chateau Frontenac
  • Built or owned by British
    Much of the Citadel is of British construction "The Citadelle of Québec is the most important fortification built in Canada under British rules. It was .. built under the supervision of Lieutenant-colonel Elias Walker Durnford. The construction of the outer walls began in 1820 and it took 30 years to finish its construction." and (Wiki) "The existing star-shaped fortifications were built by the United Kingdom between 1820 and 1831 under the direction of Lieutenant Colonel Elias Walker Durnford of the Royal Engineers, and incorporated a section of the French "enceinte" of 1745. Their purpose was to secure the strategic heights of Cape Diamond against the Americans"
History
  • Located in a Former Capital
    Capital of New France, the area colonized by France in North America
  • Sieges and Battles
    1690 New Englanders (lifted), General Wolfe 1759
  • Congresses and Conferences
    "First Quebec Conference" (codenamed "QUADRANT") was a highly secret military conference held during WWII between the British, Canadian and US " held between Aug 17-24 1943at the Citadelle and at the Chateau Frontenac. The chief representatives were Churchill, Roosevelt and Mackenzie King. "Second Quebec Conference" - (codenamed "OCTAGON") was a high level military conference held at the Citadelle between Sept 12-16 1944. Participants as per the first conference
  • British Military victories over France
    Captured by General Wolfe on 18 Sept 1759 after a siege which commenced June 25. Both Wolfe and the French commander Montcalm were killed.
  • Seven Years' War
    Captured by British forces under General James Wolfe after the battle of the Plains of Abraham in Sept 1759 (outside the inscribed area of the city). The city itself capitulated after a short further siege and was formally transferred to Britain at the Treaty of Paris which ended the 7 Years War in 1763.

    See en.wikipedia.org

Architecture
  • Star fort
    Citadel of Quebec

    See en.wikipedia.org

  • Neoclassical architecture
    the city took on its present aspect, which was greatly influenced by the Baillairges, a dynasty of architects who, for several generations, imposed an interesting interpretation of the neo-classical style (AB ev)
Damaged
Religion and Belief
  • Cathedrals
    Notre Dame
  • Holy Door
    Cathedral-Basilica of Notre-Dame de Québec: "In 2014 the cathedral celebrated its 350th anniversary. As part of the celebrations, a holy door was constructed—the second outside Europe and only the eighth in the world."

    See en.wikipedia.org

  • Nunneries
    Convent of the Ursulines, a teaching order.

    See www.ursulines-uc.com

Human Activity
  • River Ports
    At Saint Lawrence River: "the Lower Town, which grew up around Place Royale and the harbour.” Furthermore, a section of the Lower Town that is within the boundaries of the Heritage Site, Rue Cul-de-Sac, is situated along what was the waterfront of the original Port of Quebec until land reclamation efforts in the 1850s.
  • Man-made Terraces
    Dufferin Terrace

    See www.quebec-cite.com

  • Changing of the Guard ceremonies
    Ceremony performed daily in summer at 10:00 on the parade grounds of the Citadelle.

    See www.lacitadelle.qc.ca

Constructions
  • Obelisk
    Wolfe-Montcalm Monument

    See en.wikipedia.org

  • Notable Hotels
    "The Chateau Frontenac was one of a series of "chateau" style hotels built for the Canadian Pacific Railway company at the end of the 19th and the start of the 20th century. The railway company sought to encourage luxury tourism and bring wealthy travelers to its trains." (wiki)
  • Funiculars
    Old Quebec Funicular (opened 1879, 64m long) links the Haute-Ville (Upper Town) at Dufferin Terrace to the Basse-Ville (Lower Town) at Rue du Petit-Champlain.

    See en.wikipedia.org

  • Walled cities
  • Icehouses
    At the Forts-et-Châteaux-St-Louis
  • Sites of Parliament
    Parc Montmorency: was the location of the first and second Parliament buildings of the United Province of Canada between 1852 and 1866 (wiki fr)
WHS on Other Lists
Timeline
WHS Names
  • Name changes
    Two times: in 2000 from "Quebec (Historic area)" to "Historic District of Québec", and in 2006 from "Historic District of Québec" to "Historic District of Old Québec"
18
News
straitstimes.com 03/17/2018
Historic old Quebec to get tram li…
marketwire.com 01/16/2010
Canada's Economic Action Plan at w…
nationalpost.com 04/08/2008
Historic drill hall destroyed by m…
Recent Visitors
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Visitors of Québec
Reserved for members.

Community Reviews

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First published: 06/08/24.

Lithobates

Québec

Québec (Inscribed)

Québec by Lithobates

Visit date(s): July 1-3, 2024

Nearby sites on trip: No other UNESCO Heritage sites.

Overnight location: <400 m west of the zone

Location(s): The old streets and buildings inside the perimeter, including the following.
Note that the last 3 are operated by Parks Canada and there are fees.

  • Entry gates in the walls: St. Louis, Kent and St. Jean
  • 47 Rue St. Louis, where Montcalm died (outside only)
  • 34 Rue St. Louis, a 1676 home, now a restaurant (where we ate one night)
  • Churches, basilica, convents and other buildings (from outside)
  • Chateau Frontenac
  • Place Royale
  • Quartier Petit Champlain (See photo)
  • Artillery park buildings including the Dauphine redoubt, $
  • Fortifications tour, $
  • Saint-Louis Forts et Châteaux archeology, $

Travel method(s): Foot

Travel duration: Minutes to enter the site, but hours wandering about.

Visit duration: Parts of 3 days, 2 days equivalent.

OUV: Excellent example of a fortified colonial town. Somewhat modified over time, but well preserved.

Best of: Walls and remaining fortifications. The walls are undergoing restoration works that are expected to last multiple years beyond 2024.

Worst of: Driving in the old town would not be fun. Walking is the better option.

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First published: 15/06/22.

Els Slots

Québec

Québec (Inscribed)

Québec by Els Slots

Québec is a bit of a world of its own, and that makes it a charming place to visit. I did so together with fellow WH traveller Frédéric, who was born and raised here.

The historic center isn’t very large: we walked 9.5km in total, in just under 5 hours. Unfortunately, we didn’t see the city at its best due to persistent rain and (re)construction work going on.

Still, we managed to hit all the sights that I had prepared for:

  • Parc Montmorency: an important place in the city’s history (it has been a seat of religious and civil power, a strategic military site, and the site of the first and second Parliament buildings of the United Province of Canada between 1852 and 1866), it's now an underwhelming small park with a couple of statues.
  • Chateau Frontenac: the city’s icon will be in most of your pictures and you can see it from different viewpoints. It’s now a hotel, you can enter via the back. The historic boardwalk Dufferin Terrace lies in front of it.
  • Côte de la Montagne is a steep, winding street that connects Upper Town and Lower Town. You can take the funicular or the Breakneck Stairs (l'Escalier Casse-Cou).
  • Place Royale: the spot where Samuel de Champlain landed in 1608 and founded the first French settlement in North America. It includes the very fine Église Notre-Dame-des-Victoires, considered the oldest stone church in North America. The square and the church …
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First published: 21/10/15.

Jay T

Québec

Québec (Inscribed)

Québec by Jay T

Québec City was as impressive as I'd hoped it would be when I finally visited in 2011. The city really does feel like a corner of Europe relocated to North America, with an extremely picturesque Upper and Lower Town. I enjoyed the views from the Citadel walls and the Dufferin Terrace next to the iconic Château Frontenac, but the best views of the whole city I found were from the Lévis ferry on the St. Lawrence River and the observatory outside the old city. The historian in me appreciated getting to see sites such as the Plains of Abraham and the historic city walls, since Québec City played a significant role in the 18th century history of the future Canada and the future United States. I also visited the Parliament of Québec, which together with the Museum of Civilization gave me good insights into Québécois identity. Québec City is one of the best World Heritage Sites I've seen in North America, and I would visit it again without hesitation.

Logistics: Walk -- definitely walk around the city. There is also a funicular connecting the Upper and Lower Towns.

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First published: 17/07/12.

Eric Lurio

Québec

Québec (Inscribed)

Québec by Carlo Sarion

I've been to Quebec twice, the second time I got lost and nearly missed the cruise ship. The first time, in 2001, there was a war going on....

The 2001 Quebec City Tear Gas Festival.

by Eric Lurio

Every now and then, even the most patriotic residents of the greatest city in the Western Hemisphere get sick of the Big Apple. So when I saw a flyer posted on the south end of Washington Square Park advertising a bus trip to Quebec City to protest the Summit of the Americas, I was intrigued.

Cool!, I thought, Just the thing I need: A weekend trip out of the country! I thought that while everybody else was protesting, I'd take a look at some of the sites and give myself a sorely needed mini vacation. So I called up and made a reservation.

Unfortunately, the three day weekend special, which left on a Thursday and included a place to sleep, was already filled up, and the only thing left was the day trip, which left Friday night and arrived back in New York on Sunday morning. That cost sixty bucks, which is pretty cheap for a thousand mile bus trip. I decided to chance it.

So at around five-thirty PM, I went to the east side of Union Square and hooked up with the crowd. Here were a bunch of unreconstructed commies if there ever was one. Not that they weren't nice people, I just couldn't have a conversation about politics because …

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First published: 26/06/08.

Dab

Québec

Québec (Inscribed)

Québec by Carlo Sarion

Quebec is an amazing city. i have fond memories of the 3 days i spent there. the city was founded in 1608 by a Frenchman; Samuel de champlain. there aren't many buildings in quebec, still existing, from the 1600s, but Quebec has a wealth of buildings from the 1700s and on.

most of the old town has been taken up by museums, cafes, shops, and government buildings. not too many people live in the old town.

one of the most interesting things I found, is the contrast between the upper and lower towns; they are really quite different. the upper town has more grand/monumental architecture, while the lower town is less spectacular, but has older buildings. i found that i enjoyed walking around the lower town more then the upper town, the culture soaks in more in the lower town.

the walls which encircle Quebec are famous (they are the only ones in N. American north of Mexico), and delight to walk along. cannons are placed at various intervals along the wall. the wall walk was one of the highlights of Quebec for me.

the chateau Frontenac was built in the 1890s, one of Canada's great railway hotels. this is a magnificent building, easily the most beautiful building in Quebec; and it dominates the town. the Chateau Frontenac can be seen from almost anywhere in quebec.

i recommend going across the river to Levis; the views of Quebec are incredible from there.

Practical Info: Quebec is a 9 hour drive …

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First published: 01/05/05.

Kelly Henry

Québec

Québec (Inscribed)

Québec by Carlo Sarion

Quebec City is Europe in North America. The city deserves several days to visit thoroughly and wander all the streets. The citadel and the upper town are lined with 200 year old cannons and overlook the Palais Royal or lower town. This is the kind of town to enjoy by sitting in an outdoor cafe and watching the world go by, people watching on the Dufferin Terrace high above the St. Lawrence River and practicing your french with the delightful shopowners and innkeepers.

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First published: 01/05/05.

Philip T.K.

Québec

Québec (Inscribed)

Québec by Carlo Sarion

Despite living only 3 hours away from Québec, I have never been to this remarkable city until recently. After having spent a day visiting this walled city, I can conclude that it is definitely worth its place on the World Heritage List. Nowhere else in North America will you be able to see such a city with its unique French taste. Unlike in the bilingual city of Montreal, Québec is almost totally French-speaking! While there in the beginning January of 2007, I managed to visit the citadel on a bilingual tour. From the top, you can see the skyline of the city and the neighbouring city of Levis. It also overlooks the Plains of Abraham. Other places of interest in Québec include the Notre Dame des Victoires chuch, the Notre-Dame de Québec Cathedral, the neighbouring "Musée de l'Amérique française" and of course, the Château Frontenac. Unfortunately, I was unable to visit the interior of either the Notre Dame des Victoires church or the Notre-Dame de Québec Cathedral. I guess this is just another reason to return to this wonderful city! It is celebrating its 400th anniversary in 2008 with many planned events.

Note: There has been a long-standing attempt to separate the province of Quebec from Canada. As such, many signs of separatism can be seen here. For example, the Quebec flag is usually flown instead of the Canadian flag. Also, the Legislative Assembly of Quebec is officially called the National Assembly of Quebec. The welcoming sign of the city …

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First published: 01/05/05.

Klaus Freisinger

Québec

Québec (Inscribed)

Québec by Carlo Sarion

There a very few historic towns on the North American continent, at least by European standards, but Québec is one of them and could easily hold its own in the Old World. The citadel, the cathedral, all the old buildings like the Chateau Frontenac, cannons everywhere - e.g. on the battlefield of the Plains of Abraham -, even a real city wall (I believe the only one on this side of the Atlantic) give Québec a real medieval feel. Add the fact that this city is about 99% French-speaking and you won´t believe where you are. This city is highly recommended, but only during the warmer months - in winter it must be terribly cold there, even though there is a winter carnival. Could be interesting as well.

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First published: 01/05/05.

Ivan Mandy

Québec

Québec (Inscribed)

Québec by Carlo Sarion

I visited Quebec at one of the craziest times of the year- January. I remember walking the streets and the temperature was -40 C (including the windchill). I loved the every nook and cranny of the city, its just too bad I wasnt able to explore the city walls because of the snow. Check out the Musee de Amerique-Francais in the old Seminaire (?), though slightly propagandist, is one of the best introductions of the history of the French in North America.

Not on the WHS list but its also worth checking out the Isle de Orleans for a slice of provincial Quebecois life and tasty maple butter spread!

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First published: 01/05/05.

Anonymous

Québec

Québec (Inscribed)

Québec by Carlo Sarion

Quebec City is a bit difficult to categorize. It is superbly French in its architecture and urban design but, it is also the very heart of Quebecois culture: a lively blend of indigenous and European traits. Quebec's location is magnificent, and the towering Hotel Frontenac and Citadel give this city a truly monumental stature. The historic walls and gates, cafe's,churches and museums create an unforgettable ambiance. Spend a week in this place and you will be transported to another time, and another world.

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