Quebec City And The ST. Lawrence River
The heart and soul of French Canada, Quebec City sits overlooking the St. Lawrence River on the cliffs of Cap Diamant. As provincial capital, the city is the seat of regional government, and nowadays is the heart of French-Canadian nationalism. Parisian in atmosphere, with every tiny street worth visiting, Quebec City is almost entirely French speaking.
The European ambiance, architecture, and the city’s crucial historical importance all contributed to it being named as a United Nations World Heritage Site in 1985. One of the world’s great waterways, the St. Lawrence River is home to rare marine wildlife. Right and minke whales swim as far upstream as Tadoussac and feed at the mouth of the Saguenay River. The Laurentian Mountains rise up above the St. Lawrence on the north shore, a year-round natural playground. Nearer Quebec City, the rich scenery of the Charlevoix region is among the most beautiful in the country, contrasting with the soaring cliffs and wilderness of the Gaspe Peninsula. Offshore, Ile d’ Anticosti is a stunning nature preserve.
SIGHTS AT A GLANCE
Historic Towns and Cities
Baie Comeau
Chicoutimi
Quebec City
Sept-Iles
Tadoussac
Historic Sites and Areas of Natural Beauty
Charlevoix Coast
Gaspe Peninsula
Iles-de-la-Madeleine
Parc de la Chute
Montmorency and Ile d’Orleans
Lac Saint-Jean
Mingan Archipelago and Ile d’Anticosti
Saguenay River
Sainte-Anne-du-Beaupre
South Shore
Quebec City
Containing the only walled city north of the Rio Grande, Quebec City has narrow cobblestone streets and 18th-century buildings that lend a European air to this small provincial capital, just 55 square km (21 square miles). Most of the sights are packed into one accessible corner, above and below the Cap Diamant cliffs, with the Citadel rising up protectively at the top of the cliff. As Quebec’s capital, the city is home to the provincial parliament, the Assemblee Nationale, which conducts its debates almost entirely in French in splendid chambers behind the ornate early 19thcentury façade of the grandiose Hotel du Parlement.
Canada Cities