It was a Sunday morning on the last day of August, and the cobblestone streets of Québec City’s Lower Town were wrapped up in solitude. Shops wouldn’t be opening for another half-hour, and I was trying to capture as many photos as I could while the streets were still quiet and empty. With a forecast of clear skies and sunshine for Canada’s Labour Day weekend, I knew it was a scene that wouldn’t last much longer.
This city on the St. Lawrence River had been occupying a fairly large corner of my mind these past travel-planning months. The capital of Canada’s province of Québec is a unique character on the North American continent. It’s the only walled city north of Mexico. Its landmark turreted château towers over the river like a castle. Its Lower Town neighborhood, called Basse-Ville, looks like it belongs in the quaintest of European villages. And most intriguing to me, it’s oh-so-French.
The Seabourn Sojourn was docked here overnight, our final stop before disembarking in Montréal. Herb and I rode the shuttle through the port area before getting off by the river. I’d come prepared with a list of places to see, a tour booking of the Château Frontenac and dinner reservations. But before crossing the street into Basse-Ville, the château wanted to make sure it had our attention.
Basse-Ville (Lower Town)
Basse-Ville is one of those places where you keep happening upon one street that’s more charming than the next. Old stone houses with colorful shutters and flower-filled window boxes make you wish you could step inside and look around. The center of Basse-Ville is the historic square called Place Royale, where Samuel de Champlain established the first permanent French settlement in North America in 1608. Notre-Dame-des-Victories Church, built between 1687 and 1723, anchors the square, and the wonderland of a stories-high mural called “La Fresque des Québécois” is just around the corner.
Funiculaire du Vieux-Québec
Québec City’s Lower and Upper Towns are connected by a funicular known as the Funiculaire du Vieux-Québec. Built in 1879 and originally powered by a a counterweight water process with steam, it was converted to electricity in 1907. After a fire destroyed the structure in 1945, the funicular was rebuilt, and in 1998, it was completely revamped with modern technology.
Two cars, each with glass cabins offering views of the St. Lawrence River, carry as many as 60 people, traveling 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) per second up and down the steep incline. At 6 CAD or USD per person, it’s a pricey ride for such a brief trip, but a fun way to get from one part of town to the other.
Haute-Ville (Upper Town)
Stepping off the Funiculaire onto Dufferin Terrace is like leaving a charming little village and entering an elegant river-viewing boulevard made for people to stroll. The long wooden promenade was built in 1838 and stretches past Château Frontenac toward the Citadelle and the city’s ramparts and fortifications. A monument to Québec City founder Samuel de Champlain stands at the north end of the terrace, leading into the heart of Haute-Ville.
Herb and I began our walk by the Champlain monument, hoping to get a feel for this part of Québec City and grab a bite to eat before returning to Dufferin Terrace and our Château Frontenac tour. The lovely late summer sun was in full force… and so were the crowds.
A Tour of Château Frontenac
We made it back to Dufferin Terrace with enough time to wait in the château’s long line for an ice cream. Our meeting spot was outside a café called 1884, a circular structure painted the same shade of green and topped with a gazebo-like roof in the same style as other buildings along the terrace. Just before the tour began, two guides dressed in period costumes appeared with the booking list. They divided us into two groups and began speaking “in character” about the château’s history before taking us inside.
Château Frontenac (officially The Fairmont Le Château Frontenac) was one of Canada’s first grand railway hotels. Built in the château style by the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1893, it features five brick and stone wings, a central tower, 18 floors and 610 guest rooms and suites. But even with its stunning architecture, the château’s location is clearly its biggest asset, with views overlooking the St. Lawrence River in all directions.
The Lobby
As we walked into the lobby, I was surprised by the dozens of people milling about. Our guide explained that the lobby, dining room and first floor shops are open to the public. It’s a steady stream of visitors, almost any time of day. The space is decorated in blue and gold, with mirrored reception desks, elevators and the mailbox surround.
The beautiful old brass mailbox chute, our guide told us, is the most popular stop in the château. After playing a key role in an episode of a Korean soap opera called Goblin, it has become a destination for visitors from Korea. The mailbox also made news in the early 2010s, when a hotel maintenance worker found a postcard that had been stuck between two floors since World War II. The postcard was written by a soldier who was going to war and asked his sweetheart to wait for him. Staff members tried unsuccessfully to find the recipient and the family of the sender, but it’s a tale that lives on in Château Frontenac lore.
Upstairs
We headed upstairs, where photos of famous events and people who played a part in Château Frontenac’s history line the walls. Well-known faces from politics, history and Hollywood smile from the gallery. Most notable are U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Canadian Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King, who met at the château in 1943 and 1944 to discuss WWII strategy at the First and Second Québec Conferences. Alfred Hitchcock stands out as well, when he transformed Château Frontenac into a movie set in 1952 for his film I Confess.
Our guide showed us two rooms that are used for weddings, dinners and various social receptions. Salon Rose, a place where women would congregate, is a room where everything is literally coming up roses. From the carpet and curtains to the wallpaper and furniture, it’s a one-color scheme, with St. Lawrence views shining through banks of windows that ring the room. The Bellevue has a more masculine feel, with deep chocolate brown décor and dark wood columns. Rows of icicle lights add an unusual bit of whimsey to the room.
The Beehives
In addition to human guests, Château Frontenac is home to about 70,000 bees who live in four beehives on a rooftop apiary. The bees produce 650 pounds of honey per year. Honey is harvested twice a year and is used in the château’s kitchen and bars and sold in one of the gift shops. We picked up jars for ourselves and our family, adding it to our carry-on cache along with our Tobermory cheese!
The End of the Day
We were a little early for our dinner reservation at Bar Artefact in Lower Town, but our table was ready and the hostess was happy to seat us. Bar Artefact is part of the Auberge Saint-Antoine and features displays of artifacts dating to 1600 that were discovered during an archaeological excavation when the hotel was constructed.
I couldn’t stop smiling when I saw our table in a cozy nook by a window, complete with welcoming wing chairs. The atmosphere was lovely and relaxing, and the food was delicious. It turned out to be a perfect place to end a wonderful, filled-to-the-brim day of touring this captivating city.
Such lovely photos and such a lovely couple. You have rekindled my desire to visit Québec. I will forever be indebted to Herb for his insights in planning my wife’s procedure at Cleveland Clinic – bless you both! Larry
Larry, thank you so much for the kind words. I’m delighted that you enjoyed the blog, and I’m even more thrilled to hear that Herb’s experience at Cleveland Clinic was helpful for you and your wife! I will be sure to let him know. Best wishes to you both, and I hope you have a chance to visit Québec!
I loved Quebec City! We stayed at the beginning of our hiking trip for 2 nights in Lower town and one night at the Chateau Frontenac at the end of our tour. We had our final dinner at the Bar Artefac as well….:)
We need to find time to share stories soon, my friend!
Deb, I laughed out loud when I read that you had dinner at Bar Artefact…what a crazy small world! And how fun to spend a night at Chateau Frontenac. I’m off to set up a time for us to chat!
🙂
As they say, great minds…
What a perfect way to spend a day in “Europe”, without crossing an ocean!
We have been there many times, and it never gets old!
Thank you Bob… that is so true! This was our first visit, but we would both return in a moment’s notice!
I don’t know how I’ve been so slow to catch up with you two in one of our all time favourite cities!! Better late than never though, and thank you for lovely photos and happy memories. I laughed out loud when I saw your dinner location too – we stayed at the Auberge St Antoine last time we were in Quebec and enjoyed dinner there as well! I still recall a fond farewell from the staff as we left the Auberge on our last morning and being handed a package of home made cookies “for the journey”. We had been unsure where to stay in the city…the Chateau or the Auberge? We have always felt that beautiful though the Chateau is, we made an excellent choice!
Oh, Gill, I love that story about the Auberge’s gift of homemade cookies! What a lovely and memorable gesture. When we were having dinner at Bar Artefact, Herb and I commented that Auberge looked like a wonderful place to stay if we weren’t overnighting on the ship. Now with your endorsement, I will know where to stay if we have the chance to return.😊 I also agree about the pull of the Chateau. I was so happy to have taken the tour and gotten an inside peek!
Mary, the small historic touches in the Auberge were lovely. I’d need to return to my blog to refresh my memory of the name of our room, but I well recall the piece of china set into my bedside table; a relic unearthed during the renovation of the site when the hotel was established. Everywhere, there were small pieces set into the wall, the floor or highlighted in a cabinet. You can imagine how Mark’s patience was tested as my camera was pulled out time and again! It was a lovely, family establishment with old fashioned values in a contemporary setting. I hope it hasn’t changed!
This is so interesting, Gill. What attracted me to booking our meal at Bar Artefact – in addition to the food and casual/comfy-sounding setting – was the idea of having archaeological artifacts on display. It sounds like the Auberge rooms take that concept to an even higher level! I absolutely love your description of “old-fashioned values in a contemporary setting.” That’s kind of perfect, isn’t it?!