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The easiest way to get a sense of Old Québec may be to imagine a fat slice of a tiered wedding cake. The top tier is the Upper Town, where the Chateau Frontenac is perched like a grand castle reigning over the walled city and its historic churches, buildings and the lively boardwalk, known as the Dufferin Terrace. On a level below it is the Lower Town, with the narrow streets of Petit Champlain, as one historic quartier is called, the landmark Place Royal and then in front of it is the old port and St. Lawrence river. A funicular that is really more like a pair of elevators that ascend and descend a cliff face connects the Upper and Lower Towns. Of course, the more active can zig-zag their way up streets or climb steps. Across the St. Lawrence River from the Old Port is Lévis. A great way to get perspective on the city is to take a commuter ferry across to Lévis so you can see Old Québec from the water.

UNESCO, when it declared Old Québec a World Heritage site in 1985, declared that “It is the only North American city to have preserved its ramparts, together with the numerous bastions, gates and defensive works which still surround Old Québec. The Upper Town, built on the cliff, has remained the religious and administrative centre, with its churches, convents and other monuments like the Dauphine Redoubt, the Citadel and Château Frontenac. Together with the Lower Town and its ancient districts, it forms an urban ensemble, which is one of the best examples of a fortified colonial city.”