Quebec City – La Vieille Capitale

Quebec City - La Vieille Capitale

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Quebec City - La Vieille Capitale

Founded in 1608, Quebec City has a population of just over half a million and is the capital of the province of Quebec. Old Quebec, the oldest neighbourhood in Quebec City and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is surrounded by ramparts. The Citadelle, the oldest military building in Canada and still used by the military, is part of the fortifications that have been designated a National Historic Site of Canada.

On our Quebec Culinary Adventure, Tomiko and I spent two nights in Quebec City. On the first day, we walked around the castle on the hill, the formidable but beautiful Chateau Frontenac hotel, one of several ‘château’ style hotels that were built for the Canadian Pacific Railway company. Then we discovered the Lower Town (Basse Ville) of the city, and finally had dinner at Le Billig, where we ate crepes and drank cider.

For our second day, we visited the Montmorency Falls and then spent most of the day at the Île d’Orléans. We then returned to the city and took another stroll around the old town, ate poutine for dinner at the Chic Shack, and then watched the sunset from the boardwalk along the Chateau Frontenac.

Quebec City - La Vieille Capitale

We stayed at a hostel in the more modern part of Quebec City. It was just a brief climb up a set of outdoor steps and then up a hill to the Old City by the Fairmont Chateau Frontenac.

Quebec City - La Vieille Capitale

Little did we know, the very weekend that we were in Quebec City was the same weekend of the Festival d’été. The Festival d’été is an annual 11-day music festival that was first established in 1968. Numerous bands were in town, including the Foo Fighters, and it seemed everyone had Foo Fighter fever! The hostel staff told us at which hotel Dave Grohl was staying, the busker artists were drawing Dave Grohl portraits, and hostels and restaurants were playing Foo Fighters songs over their sound systems. The city was hopping and everyone seemed to be having a great time.

Quebec City - La Vieille Capitale

The Place d’Youville where the crowds gathered around a stage for some of the myriad performances. This year, other big bands included The Rolling Stones, Boston, and The Tragically Hip.

Quebec City - La Vieille Capitale

Old Quebec is as close to Europe as one can get in North America. Some of the buildings are from the 1600s and 1700s!

Quebec City - La Vieille Capitale

The building above looks straight out of Europe – I love the stone houses and the mansard roof, a style of roof made popular by French architect François Mansart in the 1600s. A lot of them are roofed in metal, and when driving through Quebec you can see the roofs glinting in the sun.

Quebec City - La Vieille Capitale

Many of the buildings, row houses included, are also made with stone and brick masonry.

Quebec City - La Vieille CapitaleQuebec City - La Vieille Capitale Quebec City - La Vieille Capitale

I don’t know if the buskers are out all the time or just for the Festival d’été de Québec, but there were so many musicians, magicians, clowns, and other performers scattered throughout the streets and city squares.

Quebec City - La Vieille Capitale

Calèches, horse-drawn carriages, take tourists on tours around the Old Town. However, we decided to use our own feet on this trip.

Quebec City - La Vieille Capitale

Tomiko and I took a quick look inside the Notre-Dame de Québec, the oldest North American parish north of Mexico. It has been located on this site since 1647, surviving two fires through the centuries.

Quebec City - La Vieille Capitale

The wall protecting the Upper Town from the Lower Town has signs warning tourists of falling.

Quebec City - La Vieille Capitale

The quite stunning view from the Upper Town looking down to the Lower Town. The streets were lined with shops, restaurants, boutiques, and tourists!

Quebec City - La Vieille Capitale

Many of the buildings are from the 19th century, but a few date from as far back as the 17th and 18th centuries. The small town near our Oma’s village in Germany was 850 years old, but in Europe that’s nothing. It’s rather amazing to think of a city even 400 years old in North America, though.

Quebec City - La Vieille CapitaleQuebec City - La Vieille Capitale

Le Lapin Sauté is a restaurant in the Lower Town and does indeed sell rabbit – in poutine, cassoulet, salad, and rillettes. The exterior of the restaurant was charmingly decorated with fairy lights and rabbits. We didn’t eat here, but I would love to go back and see some of the dishes in person.

Quebec City - La Vieille Capitale

A couple of the buildings have beautiful painted murals. This Fresque du Petit-Champlain is at the bottom of the Escalier Casse-Cou (Breakneck Steps) and shows historic moments of Cap-Blanc, the city’s working-class waterfront neighborhood, from the beginnings of New France until the present day. The Fresque du Petit-Champlain is on the Rue du Petit-Champlain, which is one of the oldest streets in North America.

Quebec City - La Vieille Capitale

Le Cochon Dingue is a local chain of French-style bistros in Quebec City. The one in the Lower Town was packed, but Le Petit Cochon Dingue was had more space available. This is a more casual style restaurant that serves sandwiches and pastries. Both are on my list for places to visit on my next trip here.

Quebec City - La Vieille Capitale

On our rambling stroll around the Old Town, we found a cobbled square that I would swear was straight from Europe. We have been to squares in Tallinn, Estonia and all over Germany that look just like this one. I would have loved to sit on one of the patios for a drink; once again, next time!

Quebec City - La Vieille Capitale

We strolled along the clifftop boardwalk that hugs the Fairmont Chateau Frontenac, overlooking the St Lawrence River, and watched the sunset before finding our dinner.

Quebec City - La Vieille CapitaleQuebec City - La Vieille Capitale

I love the architecture in Quebec. Here is a example of a metal Mansard roof typical of Quebec.

Quebec City - La Vieille Capitale Quebec City - La Vieille Capitale

Investigating the giant fork!

Quebec City - La Vieille Capitale

Aux Anciens Canadiens is a famous restaurant that serves traditional Quebec specialties by servers in historic costume. The building, the historic Maison Jacquet, was built in 1675-1676. After our pricy dinner at Toqué! in Montreal, we decided for a cheaper meal here in Quebec City.
Quebec City - La Vieille Capitale

Quebec City is quite hilly and there are steep public staircases dotted throughout the city. It’s a great way to quickly get around the city instead of climbing windy roads.

Quebec City - La Vieille Capitale Quebec City - La Vieille Capitale

Some of the windy hill streets almost look like Edinburgh, Scotland.

Quebec City - La Vieille Capitale Quebec City - La Vieille Capitale

Our view from the Upper Town looking to the Lower Town and across the St Lawrence River.

Quebec City - La Vieille Capitale

On our second evening in Quebec City, Tomiko and I took out our watercolour pencils, found an empty bench on the boardwalk, and did some sketching. We attempted to draw the ornate gazebos that pepper the boardwalk outside the Fairmont Chateau Frontena, and practiced our painting.

Quebec City does indeed have European charm.

Meinhilde and Tomiko signature

19 Replies to “Quebec City – La Vieille Capitale”

  1. Kait @ Our Foodie Appetite says: Reply

    I’ve been to Quebec City too and it was so gorgeous! A friend of mine and I drove there one day, just on a whim, from Ohio. Yeah, it took forever, but it was such a fun adventure =) http://www.ourfoodieappetite.com/its-our-anniversary/

  2. oh my gosh, so charming! it’s been on my list to go there.
    b

  3. Such a beautiful city!

  4. Loved your photos- thanks for sharing.

    Linda

  5. I haven’t been to Quebec City in years, but we plan to take and extended weekend there in the fall…can’t wait! You got some great shots of the city

  6. […] our Quebec Culinary Adventure, Tomiko and I spent two nights in Quebec City. On the second evening, Tomiko and I waited about 15 minutes to get a table for two at Le Chic […]

  7. Your beautiful pictures make me want to travel! What a unique city. Thanks for linking up at the Bloggers Brags party, I pinned your post to our group board.

  8. […] Friday morning, we bought some picnic items at the Marché Jean-Talon before our leisurely drive to Quebec City. Once there, we walked around the city and navigated the crowds that attended the Festival […]

  9. I have always wanted to visit this beautiful city. You’re right, it’s so full of European charm. Your pictures are so beautiful. Thank you for sharing at Inspire Me Wednesday. Featuring you in this week’s issue.

  10. […] Quebec City – La Vieille Capitale Kiku Corner […]

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  14. […] Quebec City – La Vieille CapitaleKiku Corner […]

  15. […] Quebec City – La Vieille Capitale […]

  16. What a beautiful City!! Thanks for sharing on My 2 Favorite Things on Thursday! Hope to see you again this week! Pinned!

  17. […] our route on how far we could get in the time we had. That meant we were going up to Tadoussac via Quebec City and Montreal, stopping briefly in Ottawa, and then back to Toronto. Little did we know that this […]

  18. […] spending some time in Quebec City and the Île d’Orléans, Tomiko and I resumed our Quebec Culinary Adventure, heading to the […]

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