Last updated on .
After walking from the parking lot in front of the Museum of Civilization (Musée de la civilisation) (which I couldn’t visit due to time constraints) into Lower Town (Basse-Ville) of Québec City, I was immediately transported from North America to what felt like Europe.
Parc de la Cetière
The first thing I came to in this UNESCO World Heritage city was Parc de la Cetière, where foundations of the first homes in the city were built between 1650 and 1670. Across from the foundations is the Fresque de Québécois, a mural of Québec history and culture.
Place Royale
Place Royale was just a few steps away. This is the spot where Québec was founded in 1608 by Samuel de Champlain. Lining the square were several historic buildings. In the middle is a bust of French king Louis XIV. At one end sits the Church of Our Lady of Victories (Église Notre-Dame-des-Victoires), a church built in 1688.
Side Streets
I wandered through some of the side streets, paying special attention to the architecture and historic buildings. There are several shops and cafes on some of the streets, especially Boulevard Champlain and Little Champlain Street (Rue du Petit-Champlain). It’s a very quaint little area.
Chevalier House
There’s also the Chevalier House (Maison Chevalier), a historic home (actually what used to be three homes) built in 1752. It became a museum in 1965 focusing on life in the 18th and 19th century. The museum closed after 2015 and has been converted to administrative offices. It’s closed to the public.
Breakneck Steps
Finally, I came to the Breakneck Steps (Escalier Casse-Cou), the stairway that leads from Lower Town to Upper Town (Haute-Ville). If you don’t want to walk and risk breaking your neck, there’s also a funicular (Funiculaire du Vieux-Québec).
Montmorency Park
Once at the top of the stairs and before continuing on to Upper Town, I stopped at Montmorency Park (Parc Montmorency) and took in the views of Lower Town and the St. Lawrence River. There was also a great view of Château Frontenac, the most recognized landmark in Québec, and a statue of politician George-Étienne Cartier. Montmorency Park was once the site of two parliament buildings from 1791 to 1883, with the new parliament building located outside of the old city.
