Quebec City spreads from its
historic heart into a bland suburbia
but the highlights lie beside the St
Lawrence, with main attractions
being evenly distributed between the
upper and lower portions of what is
known as
Vieux-Quebec (Old Quebec). On the Cap Diamant,
Haute-Ville
(Upper Town) continues along the St
Lawrence from the old city walls and
the furthest you need to wander from
here is to the Musée du Quebec,
set in the extensive parkland of the
Plains of Abraham. As the oldest
part of the city, this area
comprises some of the main sights of
interest, including the magnificent
Citadelle. The Terrasse Dufferin is
also worth a stroll to watch street
entertainers, unproductive students
or the views over the river, but it
gets overcrowded in the evening. The
second part of the city, the
Basse-Ville
(or Lower Town) is connected to
Haute-Ville by funicular from
Terrasse Dufferin or by several
windy streets and stairs. One of the
main pleasures of the area, besides
the wonderful old houses and small
museums, is the Musée de la
Civilisation.
This itinerary begins at
Vieux-Quebec's
Place d'Armes and then
explores the upper part of Vieux-Quebec
and the rest of Haute-Ville as far
west as the Musée du Quebec. To
finish the tour, you can explore
Vieux-Quebec's compact Basse-Ville,
which can be reached directly from
Place d'Armes. Strapped between the
cliffs and the St Lawrence, this
district is of considerable interest
and is a pleasant area to wander
around.
