It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the Americas, and the one that still feels closest to its roots. Some people refer to it as the “most European city in North America.”

Québec City draws its name from the Algonquin word kebek: “where the river narrows.” The Saint Lawrence River is pinched together here by the promontory (headlands) of the Cap-Diamant (Cape Diamond) and by the city of Levis, then split in two by Ile d'Orleans. French explorer Jacques Cartier attempted the first European settlements in this area in 1535 and again in 1541. Samuel de Champlain finally planted the seed that took permanent root in 1608.

The “Old City,” or Vieux-Quebec, is rich with 400-year old buildings, narrow cobblestone streets, and blend of old French and English history and culture. It is home to the only fortified city walls in the Americas outside of Mexico, and a colonial-era citadel is still manned by Canadian soldiers on the heights. The iconic Chateau Frontenac stands at the top of the city as perhaps the most photographed hotel in the world. UNESCO has declared Old Québec to be a World Heritage Site.