Saint-Jean-Baptiste Neighbourhood

Sandwiched between Old Québec and Montcalm, rue Saint-Jean, the main shopping street, runs through the entire neighbourhood. Over barely 1 km, you can find everything you need to please everyone, and then some! Every weekend from mid-May to the end of summer, a portion of rue Saint-Jean converts into a pedestrian-only street.

Foodies will go crazy for the little bistros that feature local cuisine, as well as all the food-related shops: fine bakeries, grocery stores, chocolate stores, health-food counters, cafés, gelateria… Open since 1871, the J.A. Moisan grocery store prides itself on being the oldest grocery store in North America!

The culinary adventure continues with a bit of bar and pub-hopping, where the flowing taps of microbrewery beers from Québec City and all over the province await you. Live music, jam sessions, poetry readings, artistic performances: Saint-Jean-Baptiste's stages welcome a host of events to get your feet moving and liven up your nights.

Along rue Saint-Jean, fill your bookcases with second-hand treasures and beef up your music library with tips from passionate record dealers.

Finally, shopping on rue Saint-Jean wouldn't be the same without a visit to the many little shops, where you can find something to wear or decorate your place with taste

A Bit of History

Originally a faubourg of Old Québec (a faubourg is a district located outside city walls) from the 17^th century, Saint-Jean-Baptiste has always been a working-class district, inhabited by craftsmen and merchants. The area was ravaged by fire in the 19^th century, but quickly bounced back and became a lively and tolerant district, open to social mixing and diversity in every shape or form.