Discover Old Quebec

Go to the entrance of the Marie Guyart Building at 1037 Rue de la Chevrotière, inside which you will find the city observatory on the^31st floor.

(S/E) Facing the entrance, turn right. Turn left onto Rue Jacques Parizeau and continue to the end of the street after Parc de la Francophonie.

(1) Facing the Quebec Parliament Building, turn right onto Rue des Parlementaires, then take the alley on the left that runs alongside the building. Turn left at the end of the building to admire it from the front. Walk towards the Tourny Fountain. Then turn right onto Rue Honoré-Mercier, then immediately left onto Rue Saint-Louis for about 60 metres.

(2) Porte Saint-Louis: as soon as you pass through the gate, turn left, passing to the right of the Poudrière de l'Esplanade. At the end of this small square, join Rue d'Auteuil. Turn left, then right at the next intersection to go up Rue Sainte-Anne. First turn right then left to enter Rue Pierre-Olivier-Chauveau, at Quebec City Hall.

(3) At the end of Rue Pierre-Olivier-Chauveau, turn right onto Côte de la Fabrique and continue to the end, oppositethe Notre-Dame-de-Québec Basilica-Cathedral.

(4)Walk past the entrance and turn left to walk along Rue de Buade, parallel to the cathedral. Walk between the Saint-Louis Building and the Saint-François-de-Laval Monument.

(5) Go to the terrace (Parc Montmorency) opposite, at the end of which there is a viewpoint overlooking the river and, if you turn around, the old town. Return to the street, pass through the Prescott Gate, go down the stairs and turn right down Côte de la Montagne. Just at the end of the curve, take the stairs that descend to the right between two buildings. You will come out onto the picturesque Place Royale with the Notre-Dame-des-Victoires Church at the end.

(6) Leave by going down Ruelle de la Place to Rue Saint-Pierre.

(7) Turn left and continue to No. 80, the Museum of Civilisation.

(8)Go up the stairs on the right, turn left at the top, then go down the stairs to Rue Dalhousie and turn left. Continue to the basin, turn right and continue along the Naval Museum (toilets nearby). Go to the river, then turn left and continue for a few dozen metres.

(9) At the end of the quay, turn back and walk along the St. Lawrence River. Continue along the quay to the end of Place des Canotiers. Take Quay 22. Cross Dalhousie Street to reach Market-Finlay Street. Continue to Saint-Pierre Street.

(7) Turn left and continue to the end.

(10) With the Royal Battery on your right, take Sous-le-Fort Street to the end.

(11) Turn left onto Rue du Petit-Champlain to enjoy this lively street, then retrace your steps.

(11) Continue opposite the Escalier Casse-Cou staircase, turn left at the top and walk up Côte de la Montagne, pass through the Prescott Gate and immediately turn left to climb the Escalier Frontenac staircase. Continue to the Samuel de Champlain Monument. (You have the option to take a route that avoids the stairs by taking the funicular (for a fee), which will take you to the monument).

(12) From the Samuel de Champlain Monument, then the Château Frontenac, pass to the right of the château and under the archway on the left on Rue des Carrières. After passing under the second archway, take the stairs down on the left. At the bottom, turn right to the vast Dufferin Terrace.

(13) Walk to the right along this long terrace , which offers a view of the St. Lawrence River. When you reach the Dufferin Kiosk, make a sharp right turn onto the small hill, then immediately take the path on the right that leads up to the citadel. After a few steps, turn left and then left again. Continue to the end and take another staircase that leads to the edge of the fortifications, the Citadel of Québec.

(14) Follow the path on the right that runs along the citadel and goes around it. Continue along the path to the Belvédère overlook on the St. Lawrence River.

(15) From the viewpoint, take Avenue du Cap Diamant and go down it (to the left). At the end of the curve, continue along the path that goes downhill. Then take the small track that branches off to the left for a few dozen metres to find the Escalier du Cap-Blanc on the left.

(16) This is the longest staircase in Quebec City. You can, of course, walk down it, but you will have to walk back up! Continue along the path for about 2 km. Head back up towards the fortifications. The path ends at Avenue George VI. Turn right and follow the avenue for about 1 km to visit the Plains of Abraham (colonial battlefield). Continue to the intersection with Avenue Garneau.

(17) Take the path on the right to see the fountain and sundial, then return to the intersection and continue along Avenue George VI. After the Jardin Jeanne d'Arc, turn left, continue along Cours du Général Montcalm and straight on Rue de Senezergues. At the end of this street, turn right onto Rue du Bon Pasteur, which will take you back to the entrance of the Marie Guyart Building (S/E).

Toilets available during the walk (see description).

The citadel can be visited for a fee.