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The highlight of my short road trip in Canada was absolutely Québec City. I had wanted to visit the historic city on the St. Lawrence River for a very long time, and it was well worth the trip up from Montréal.
About Québec
Québec was founded in 1608 by Samuel de Champlain as part of New France. It’s the only fortified city in North America north of Mexico with walls that still exist. It’s also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The motto of Québec province, Je Me Souviens (I Remember), as explained by a local, is prominent in this proud city to always remind of the glories, traditions, lessons, and even misfortunes of the past.
My Visit
Pressed for time, I only had a full day to spend in Québec. That was definitely a mistake. I would recommend two days in order to fully appreciate the attractions this beautiful city has to offer. There are also some good day trips from the city as well.
I started driving from Montréal at 7:30am and reached Québec 2 1/2 hours later. Across the street from the Museum of Civilization (Musée de la civilisation), there’s a huge parking lot available with reasonable paid parking for the day.
Getting Around
It’s easy to get around Québec on foot. To get between Lower Town (Basse-Ville) and Upper Town (Haute-Ville), there’s a funicular (Funiculaire du Vieux-Québec) if you don’t feel like walking up the Breakneck Steps (Escalier Casse-Cou). Sites outside of the walled city, such as the Citadelle and Parliament Building (Hôtel du Parlement) are a pleasant walk down Saint-Louis Street (Rue Saint-Louis).
Le Chic Shack
The only meal I ate in Québec was a quick lunch at Le Chic Shack. I had the most popular traditional Québécois cuisine, poutine. It wasn’t the best I’ve ever had but the homemade blood orange soda was pretty good.
