Quebec City, Provincial capital on the Saint Lawrence River, Canada.
Quebec City is the capital of the province of the same name, sitting along the shores of the Saint Lawrence River in Canada where the waterway narrows toward the east. The six boroughs split into two levels: the Haute-Ville perches on Cape Diamond, while the Basse-Ville runs along the water at the foot of the cliffs.
Samuel de Champlain founded the first permanent French settlement in North America at Place Royale on July 3, 1608. The fortifications grew after repeated clashes between French, British, and later American forces in the 18th and early 19th centuries.
The winter Carnaval de Québec fills the streets each February with parades, ice sculptures, and locals dressed in bright sashes gathering around ice palaces. French is heard everywhere, not as a tourist novelty but as the language of shops, markets, and everyday greetings between neighbors.
The Gare du Palais provides train and bus connections to other cities, while Jean-Lesage International Airport offers flights across eastern Canada and into Central America. Most sights in the center can be reached on foot, but winter visitors should prepare for steep slopes and icy sidewalks.
It holds the only fully preserved fortification walls in North America north of Mexico, running roughly 4.6 kilometers (2.9 miles) around the old center. A narrow staircase called the Breakneck Steps links the upper and lower portions through 170 steps carved into the cliff.
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