"Be strong enough to stand alone, smart enough to know when you need help and brave enough to ask for it." -Mark Amend
I think my favorite part of Old Québec is Basse-Ville (Lower Town). And my favorite place in Lower Town is Quartier Petit-Champlain. It's the oldest shopping district in North America and is known as one of the most beautiful sites in Old Québec. It's located at the bottom of the cliff under the Château Frontenac. The pedestrian streets offer a variety of interesting boutique shops and cozy cafes located in restored houses. Most of the buildings were built between 1725 and 1760. Of course they have been renovated through the years.
To reach Lower Town you can take one of six staircases leading down from different places in Upper Town or you can ride the Old Quebec Funicular. We rode the funicular when we were here in 2018. The oldest and most used staircase is Escalier Casse-Cou (Breakneck Staircase). This staircase was built in 1635. They were originally called the "Champlain Stairs", "Beggars' Stairs", and "Lower Town Stairs", but were renamed to Breakneck due to their steepness. There are only 59 steps in total, but they descend in a drastic manner.
Another neighborhood in Old Québec is Place-Royale. It's the precise location where Samuel de Champlain built the first permanent French settlement in the Americas. Erected in 1608, his first dwelling was a fort, store, trading post and residence all rolled into one. It's considered to be the birthplace of the French colony and the French-American community.
Québec City's Old Port has been a hive of activity from its heyday in the 19th century. Today it's a popular cruise destination. We were lucky this trip and no ships were in port. On our first full day we took a harbor cruise. It was fun to see the city from the water.
This is the view from Montmorency Park National Historic Site to Côte de la Montagne. The park is located at the top of Côte de la Montagne in the historic district of Old Québec, Montmorency. The park was part ways down the hill to Lower Town from our apartment.
Looking at the Château Frontenac and the Louis S. St-Laurent Building from the park.
Côte de la Montagne leads down to Lower Town.
From this road we took the Escalier Casse-Cou (Breakneck Staircase) to Rue du Petit Champlain in Basse-Ville (Lower Town). This is the view from the top of the stairs.
Rue du Petit Champlain is filled with lots of shops and restaurants.
Looking up the Escalier Casse-Cou (Breakneck Staircase).
Looking down Rue Sous-le-Fort. The streets and buildings in this section of Old Québec are beautiful.
Looking up Rue Sous-le-Fort towards the funicular railway.
Same view but in the evening. Since we were here later in the fall on this visit we were able to see things at night. The lights made everything so pretty.
A cute shop at the end of Rue Sous-le-Fort.
Looking up at the Château Frontenac from Rue de caul-de-Sac.
Place-Royale today is full of restaurants, shops and museums.
The Fresque des Québécois is a captivating mural at the very bottom of Côte de la Montagne near Place-Royale. It illustrates 400 years of the city's history. To the left is Notre-Dame-des-Victoires Catholic Church.
Notre-Dame-des-Victoires Catholic Church (Our Lady of Victories) is located in Place-Royale. It's considered to be the oldest church built in stone and which still has its same walls. Final construction was in 1723.
View of Château Frontenac and buildings on Rue de Marché-Champlain from the port where we boarded our tour boat.
The city sign at the Quebec Port.
Onboard Louis Jolliet waiting for our cruise to start.
It was the perfect day for a cruise.
A view of Old Québec. Our apartment is the white steeple in the middle of this photo. It was one of the best places we've ever stayed. Incredible views.
We cruised north to
Montmorency Falls. The falls are only 7.5 miles from town. We visited it when we were here in 2018. It was fun to see it from the water.
Another view of Château Frontenac and one of the ice breakers docked at the port.
