Petit Champlain, Historic shopping district in Lower Town, Quebec City, Canada
Petit Champlain is a commercial zone in Quebec City's Lower Town, centred on Rue du Petit-Champlain, a pedestrian street about 275 metres long at the foot of Cap Diamant. The lane runs between grey rough-cut stone buildings with steep pitched roofs and rows of dormer windows; white-framed windows line one facade, yellow-framed windows the other, and a taller building with a rounded tower closes the far end.
The street was called rue des Meulles in the early 1700s, after intendant Jacques de Meulles; by the 19th century English-speaking residents nicknamed it Little Champlain Street to distinguish it from the newer rue Champlain nearby. By the mid-19th century the sector was run-down and exposed to rockfalls from the Quebec promontory. In 1977 entrepreneur Gérard Paris and architect Jacques de Blois bought eight buildings to restore, adding nine more with SODEC in 1982; artisans formed a cooperative in 1985.
Artisans and musicians gather here regularly, selling handcrafted goods and performing in small venues that line the narrow streets. The district remains a working hub for creative trades and local expression.
The district is walkable on foot and reachable by funicular railway from Upper Town or via a steep set of stone steps. The narrow streets can become slippery in wet weather, so sturdy footwear is recommended.
The Old Quebec Funicular links Petit Champlain to the Terrasse Dufferin, and its lower station is inside the Louis-Jolliet house at 16 rue du Petit-Champlain. The red door on the street, an emergency exit of the Théâtre Petit Champlain, appeared in the 2016 South Korean series Guardian: The Lonely and Great God as a portal between Seoul and Quebec City, and fans still photograph it.
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