North America
Old Québec is the only walled city north of Mexico. A history-forward guide to Château Frontenac, Montmorency Falls, and the best time to visit.
Old Québec in winter, from Château Frontenac to Montmorency Falls, captured on my trip.
Old Québec is the only walled city left in North America north of Mexico. Its 4.6 kilometers of ramparts, bastions, and gates have stood for over 400 years, and no other city on the continent kept theirs. Most travelers fly to Europe for cobblestones and fortress walls. This is the one place in North America that already has them.
Why is Old Québec the only walled city north of Mexico?
Samuel de Champlain founded Québec in 1608 on a cliff over the St. Lawrence River that was almost impossible to attack. The fortifications went up in stages between 1608 and 1871 under both French and British rule. Every other fortified North American city eventually tore its walls down. Québec kept its, largely because Governor General Lord Dufferin blocked the demolition in the 1870s. At the top sits the Citadelle, the largest British-built fortress in North America, still an active garrison today.
What makes Château Frontenac worth the trip?
The green-roofed castle on the cliff is the most photographed hotel in the world. The Canadian Pacific Railway opened it in 1893 to lure wealthy travelers onto its trains, and named it after a 17th-century governor of New France. In 1943 and 1944, Churchill and Roosevelt met here to plan the final stages of World War II, including the Normandy landings. You do not need a room to walk the Dufferin Terrace beneath it.
Is Montmorency Falls really taller than Niagara?
Yes, by a wide margin. Montmorency drops 83 meters, a full 30 meters higher than Niagara, and sits 15 minutes from the old town. A suspension bridge crosses the top and a cable car runs the cliff. In deep winter the spray freezes into a giant cone of ice at the base that locals climb.
When is the best time to visit Québec City?
Summer is the easy answer. The outdoor cafes are full, Montmorency runs at full force, and the weather is genuinely pleasant. Winter is for the traveler willing to earn it. Québec City over Christmas is the most charming city in North America. It averages over 300 centimeters of snow a year, roughly ten feet, and does not shut down for any of it.
What should you not miss in winter?
Skating in the old town and the toboggan run beside Château Frontenac. The slide on Dufferin Terrace has run since 1884, which makes it older than the castle it races toward, and the sleds hit close to 70 kilometers per hour. Time your visit for early February and you land during Carnaval de Québec, the largest winter carnival in the Western Hemisphere and one of the three biggest on Earth after Rio and New Orleans.
Where should you stay in Québec City?
Staying inside the walls puts you steps from everything above. Compare options here:
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