15 Historic Places That Bring Québec City's Key Moments to Life

During his second voyage, Jacques Cartier spotted a vast island overgrown with vines. Cartier named it “Île de Bacchus” and later, “Île d’Orléans.” It became one of the cradles of French civilization in North America.

This is where Samuel de Champlain established the "Habitation de Québec" as a trading post for the fur trade.

Ursuline nuns founded the colony’s first school and educated generations of young women there. The building has maintained its original vocation right up to the present day.

Augustinian nuns founded the first permanent hospital north of Mexico upon their arrival in 1639, then settled permanently in Québec City’s upper town.

* The museum is currently closed for renovation *
François de Laval founded the Séminaire de Québec, a community of priests that went on to establish a number of educational institutions, including Université Laval. That same year, Québec City officially became the capital of New France.

Built in 1647, Notre-Dame-de-Québec became the first Roman Catholic parish north of Mexico.

Almost half a century after arriving in the St. Lawrence Valley, the Huron-Wendat settled permanently in La Jeune-Lorette (Loretteville).

This gorgeous park is the site of a historic battle that opposed British and French troops, led by Generals Wolfe and Montcalm (respectively). With Montcalm’s rapid defeat, Québec City fell under British rule.

This was the first church built as an Anglican cathedral outside the British Isles.

The Citadelle is a holdover of the British defence system, a jewel of the city’s military heritage that has never been tested in wartime.

This former prison became an important cultural centre for the English-speaking community of Québec City when it became home to Morrin College and the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec.

Lord Dufferin, the Governor General of Canada, developed a plan to safeguard the city’s fortifications that would make Québec City the only fortified city north of Mexico.

With its opulent architecture and European charm, this building is the foremost parliamentary edifice in a long line of seats of power established in Québec City. It is Québec’s oldest national historic site.

Built on the site of Fort Saint-Louis and Château Haldimand, this prestigious hotel has become the symbol of Québec City. It opened its doors in 1893.

The UN named Old Québec a World Heritage Site because of its exceptional status as a fortified colonial city and the pivotal role it played in the settling of North America.