Quebec City, Quebec – Out and About

We took a private shuttle bus from KOA into Quebec City. It was about $20 CAD per person, round trip. It was a large bus which stopped at a few other hotels on the way in to pick up other tourists. The trip took about 40 minutes one way including the other hotel stops and without traffic. It was extremely convenient and well worth it to not have to drive the car in and try to find parking. The Festival d’Ete de Quebec, the summer music festival, AKA FEQ, was going on in the city with streets closed and detours so it would not have been fun driving or trying to find parking.

Chateau Frontenac

The bus drop off point is in Old Quebec (Haute-Ville) at Place d’Armes which is by the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac which is a beautiful 1893 historic 5-star Fairmont Hotel. There is a square there (Dufferin Terrace) with great views of the St. Lawrence River, a beautiful hotel lobby, and just a great place to sightsee and check things out.

Chateau Frontenac

The beautiful gardens by the monument at Chateau Frontenac

Chateau Frontenac

Advertising column (similar to what you see in Paris)

3D rendering of the World Heritage Symbol

Monument Samuel-De Champlain

The square by the chateau

A busker

The World Heritage Symbol in front of the Chateau Frontenac

Beautiful gardens by the hotel

Place D’Armes

Another square located in Old Quebec next to Chateau Frontenac is Place D’Armes. It is a popular tourist spot with outdoor cafes, horse and carriage rides, a fountain, and a few pedestrian streets.

Musee de Fort (with a diorama)

Pedestrian street of artists

Pedestrian streets of artists

Horse and carriage ride

Outdoor eating

Outdoor cafe

A busker

Horse and carriage

Around Town

Quebec City has great streets for walking around and seeing some great sights, restaurants, and architecture reminescent of Europe.

Seen near Place D’Armes

Musee des plaines d’Abraham – Battles 1759-1760

Cafe de Paris

Hotel Louisbourg

Longchamp – yes, a favorite of mine

Nili Cafe – Ice cream, crepes, coffee

Bagages de France (purses from France)

Dining by the window – reminds me of Europe

Open double decker city tour bus

Chateau Laurier – a beautiful 4 star hotel

The old courthouse

Cafe de Paris

Restaurant aux Anciens Canadiens

Water for your doggie along the street

Basse Ville (Lower Town)

The lower town is part of Old Quebec and is very quaint and charming.

Looking down to Basse Ville (lower town)

Heading down the steps to Basse Ville (lower town)

Almost to Basse Ville (lower town)

Tire d’erable – maple syrup on a stick (dipped in snow)

Cochon Dingue – restaurant in lower town – Crazy Pig – Je Suis Toujours dingue du cochon (I am always crazy for pig) – an institution in Quebec City

The streets of lower town

Great architecture

Let sleeping dogs lie

Buskers in Basse Ville

Along the streets

Picture frame swinging chair

Time to take the first set of stairs back up to the Upper Town

Hanging colored lights on the pedestrian street

More steps that lead up to Chateau Frontenac and Place d’Armes

Musical spoons

Funiculaire

There are lots of steps you can use to walk from Upper Town to Lower Town and Vice Versa or you can take a funiculaire in either or both directions. You can catch the funiculaire from Upper Town from behind the Chateau Frontenac on the Dufferin Terrace. It costs $3 (CAD) per person per direction. We walked the steps…whew! And it was HOT and HUMID!

Funiculaire – Upper Town

Funiculaire – Upper Town – Dufferin Terrace

Looking down the funiculaire railway from upper town to lower town

Looking up the funniculaire railway from lower town to upper town

Lunch at Le Petite Chateau

Did I mention that it was hot, it was sweltering hot. It was in the high 90’s F with, what felt like, 90% humidity. Us westerners aren’t used to that kind of humidity. Plus it was the first warm day we had encountered for months after being in the Maritimes and Newfoundland for a long time. So, it was time to stop and have a few drinks and lunch. We choose Le Petitie Chateau next to the Chateau Frontenac for some crepes and maybe a drinnk or 2! Delicious.

Le Petite Chateau

Outdoor dining at Le Petite Chateau

A votre sante

Quebec City Citadel

The Citadel is an active military installation which is open for guided tours by Parks Canada.

The wall around old town neaer entrance to the Citadel

Outside the Citadelle

Entrance to the Citadelle

Citadel guard – get your picture taken next to him – try and make him laugh

Around the Citadel

Guard

Je me souvniens – I remember – Guards with their goat mascot

FEQ – Summer Music Festival

The Quebec City music festival is an annually held 11-day event which draws over 1.5 million visitors with hundreds of performances spread over a dozen venues.

FEQ

Heart of FEQ – across from Assembly building

FEQ – Abraham field entrance – main stage – holds over 100,000 people

FEQ piano and signs

Venue signs

Piano for FEQ

Streets lined with signs and venue information and outdoor cafes

Belgian Moon lights

Lynyard Skynyrd

Where to signs

Parliament Building

The Parliament Building is an 8 story building which houses the Parliament of Quebec which is composed of the Lieutenant-Government and the National Assembly. It was built in the late 1800’s and has had a number of addtions over the years. There are number of statues in, on, and around the building.