Quebec City: From ancient tourist magnet to vibrant young city

Quebec City: From ancient tourist magnet to vibrant young city

When we arrived in Quebec City for the second time on a rainy afternoon, we never thought we would fall in love with this city so much. On our van trip through North America, we experienced a few surprises and Quebec City with its special flair is one of them. Find out now why we were so impressed by the city.

Quebec City: A city that breathes history

Quebec City, as it is correctly called, is located on the St. Lawrence River and is the capital of the province of the same name. Quebec is also the only North American city, along with another city in Mexico, that is completely surrounded by a city wall. This wall was probably needed because the English and French laid claim to the city. This history is omnipresent in the many cannons and fortifications for which Quebec City is widely known. The old town is, like European old towns, quite small, very winding and criss-crossed by many alleys with old stone houses - all rather untypical for North American cities. This means that the old town is also great to explore on foot and everything is close together.

As mentioned, it had rained when we arrived. From previous trips to St. John's, we know about the power of nature and especially the combination of rain and wind, which can quickly become very cold. Although the temperature was pleasant during the day, we dressed completely in waterproof clothing. Then we set off to explore the old town. The old houses inside the city walls, which are mainly made of large stones, are almost exclusively restaurants and souvenir shops. It was teeming with tourists who, like us, braved the rain but preferred to take refuge in the warm restaurants. We, on the other hand, wanted to see a bit of the city and restaurants rarely let us in, dripping wet with a dripping Labrador on a leash.

Old Town and BBQ Festival: Authentic impressions of Quebec City

Quebec Canada Charto frontenac

So we continued through the old town streets until we stood in front of the famous Chateau Frontenac , probably the most photographed luxury hotel built by the Canadian Railway. Around the hotel you could see the expected clientele, rather chic and not really prepared for the rain. We continued on our way, street by street through the old town and explored most of it on foot before we returned to our camper. Unfortunately, camping in Quebec City is a bit tricky. There isn't really a parking space, just an overpriced parking lot. So we just stayed where we had parked anyway and hoped not to be turned away. After a more or less quiet night - we were in the nightlife district - we went back into the city the next day to explore the corners we hadn't seen the day before.

Quebec City Lower Town Canada

In the sunshine we went to the lower town, which we hadn't seen before. First to a BBQ festival, but as vegetarians we weren't so keen on the grills or the food. We were drawn to the atmosphere, the music and the people, mostly locals. Small groups sat together relaxed and enjoyed the warm evening with good music and a beer right by the harbour.

Quebec Festival Canada

Magical moments in Quebec's Lower Town

As the festival officially ended at 5 p.m., we finally wanted to explore the lower town and were blown away. There, Quebec City showed us a completely different side. Lots of small galleries of local artists, embedded in a historical ambience, appealing restaurants and a unique flair. We felt like we were in a completely different city, but suddenly the mighty city wall of the old town towered over us. We strolled through the alleys, where you could literally feel the history and a few old sea dogs were waiting around the next corner. At dusk, the city turned into a sea of colors, as almost every house was lit up or had illuminated trade signs hanging on the facade. We spent the night again in a parking lot, not particularly nice, but central, so that we could use the next day to explore the city further. Now we were curious to see if there were any hidden corners that we hadn't seen yet.

Are we still in Quebec City?

And there are hidden corners! If you move away from the old town center towards the south along Rue Saint Jean, you can see a modern, diverse and multicultural Quebec, where students and families mingle in the urban big city atmosphere. It is lively, vibrant, artistic and colorful. We hadn't expected that, because here the otherwise traditional-looking city reminds us of metropolises like London, San Francisco or Berlin. We feel at home and are excited by the diversity of this city of 500,000 inhabitants. With its location on the St. Lawrence River, there are beaches, wild mountains with rivers and lakes to let off steam on the many cross-country ski runs, bike paths and hiking trails.

Quebec Canada Diverse Pop Culture Gentrification

Yes, Quebec City, we really liked you and we will definitely come back again.

Our journey continues into the middle of Canada.

And if you missed an article, you can find an overview of all the blog posts from our entire Canada trip here , from the east via Newfoundland to the west and down to the USA :-)