A Witness to Our French Heritage: 18 Sites

Samuel de Champlain, a French adventurer, founds Québec in 1608, which goes on to become the centre of French culture in North America. New France eventually fell as a result of the Siege of Québec and the renowned Battle of the Plains of Abraham.

Not least in the gift of what is still and its primary language, the French Regime made a lasting mark on Québec’s culture. Come and discover this rich history!

Attractions

1. Place Royale

Samuel de Champlain established Quebec in Place Royale in 1608.

NOT TO MISS:

• Darker pavement stones delineate the Samuel de Champlain Heritage Site and the location of his second “habitation.”
• The Saint Geneviève chapel in Notre-Dame-des-Victoires Church, whose tabernacle made it through the city’s 1759 siege.
• The architecture offers stunning photo opportunities of structures reminiscent of New France.

2. The Ursuline Convent of Québec

Here, the Ursulines established the first girls-only school in North America. In 1642, they reached where they are today.

NEVER MISS:

• The chapel’s furnishings, which include one of the city’s oldest collections of sculpted wood
• Musée des Ursulines, which houses the nation’s oldest religious teaching community’s valuables, including 17th- and 18th-century gold-embroidered liturgical decorations,
• Summertime in the gorgeous garden, which was just just made public.

3. Notre-Dame-de-Québec Basilica-Cathedral

The construction of Notre-Dame-de-Québec in 1647 resulted in the founding of the first Roman Catholic parish north of the Spanish colonies in 1674.

NEVER MISS:

• The magnificent baldachin over the altar and tabernacle is similar to a scaled-down replica of the one in Rome’s St. Peter’s Basilica.
• The canonized tomb of St. François de Laval, the first bishop of Québec
• The crypt and final burial place of four New France governors as well as bishops

4. Maison des Jésuites de Sillery

In an endeavour to convert and settle the wandering Algonquins and their allies, the first permanent Jesuit settlement in the region was established in 1637.

NEVER MISS:

• The remnants of the homes constructed for the St. Joseph Mission in 1637 and 1660
• The remnants of the earliest Native American Roman Catholic cemetery

5. The Fortifications of the Old City

The French constructed the walls and gates that encircle the majority of the Old City in the 17th and 18th centuries as a form of defence. The only existing fortified city on the continent north of Mexico is Québec, which has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

NEVER MISS:

• The breathtaking vistas from the Old City’s 4.6 kilometers of walls
• The viewpoints of the docents at the Fortifications of Québec National Historic Site as they describe the country’s defenses

6. Séminaire de Québec

The first university in the Americas to be taught in French was established in 1852, taking over the residences a priestly community had occupied since 1663.

NEVER MISS:

• Visit the oldest museum in Canada, Musée de l’Amérique francophone, to learn more about the thriving French-speaking community in North America.
• The self-guided trip includes a stop in the old seminary’s stunning courtyard, which is ideal for photos day or night.

7. Trait-Carré of Charlesbourg

Charlesbourg’s Trait-Carré is renowned for its star-shaped plan, which was created to gather the homes and inhabitants together for improved defence against raids from the Iroquois.

NEVER MISS:

• The Jesuits’ mill, constructed for locals to process their grain between 1733 and 1744
• The self-guided walking trip to discover this novel street arrangement

8. Îlot des Palais

The first brewery in New France was established on Îlot des Palais, which is also home to the intendant’s residence (colonial administrator).

NEVER MISS:

• The city’s largest French-Regime vaults, dating to the 18th century, are on display for visitors.
• The local archaeological research exhibition chronicles the region’s history from the 14th century to the present.

9. Île d’Orléans

The resting place for roughly 300 French families, with more than 100,000 living in North America today. The rural homes on the island frequently have a French 18th-century feel about them.

NEVER MISS:

• The oldest church in Quebec still standing is Saint-Pierre Church (1719)
• Only one traditional Île d’Orléans resident home, Maison Drouin, which dates to circa 1730, is accessible to the public.
• A genealogy section of Maison de nos Aïeux focuses on the founding families of Quebec.
• The drive around the island, which passes via four of Québec’s “most picturesque communities,”

10. The New France Route

The Côte-de-Beaupré region and Québec’s Old City are connected by the New France Route, a tourist route that was once used to transport goods from outside the nation.

NEVER MISS:

• Along the 50 kilometre path, there are a lot of historic homes.
• Food was once kept in the various root cellars along Avenue Royale.

11. Chemin du Roy

It was constructed in 1737 to connect Québec City, Trois-Rivières, and Montréal, making it the oldest driveable road in Canada.

NEVER MISS:

• The 287 km of the road are rich in New France’s historical and cultural legacy.
• Additional examples of the “most beautiful villages” in the province are Neuville, Cap-Santé, and Deschambault-Grondines.

Monuments

12. Site of the Archaeology of Cartier-Roberval

The first French colony in North America was founded in 1541 by Jacques Cartier and Jean-François de La Rocque de Roberval, and is now the subject of intensive archaeological research. Along with the informational panels that explore and outline the site’s history, the impressive greenery and wildlife transform it into a nature park.

13. Champlain Memorial

In 1608, the adventurer Samuel de Champlain of France established Québec. It was a suitable location for settlement due to Cap Diamant’s promontory and the St. Lawrence River’s shorter section. Due to its grandeur and dramatic location, the Champlain Monument is one of the city’s most impressive monuments.

14. Louis Hébert Monument

The first people to settle in New France to farm the land were Louis Hébert and his family. The monument honours the 1617 arrival of the first colonists in Quebec.

15. Royal Battery

In order for soldiers to protect against attacks from ships on the St. Lawrence River, Governor Frontenac constructed this gun battery in 1691, facing the river. The “Royal” in its name pays tribute to Louis XIV. It was used in the renowned fight of 1759.

16. Parc du Cavalier-du-Moulin

All that is left of an old French defence building is this lovely sanctuary in the middle of the Old City. It was the location of a windmill in 1663 that later formed a part of Québec’s original fortifications.

17. The Montcalm Monument

The French army was commanded by Louis-Joseph de Montcalm during the Battle of the Plains of Abraham in 1759. He is shown being supported by the Angel of Glory, who, when he sustains his fatal wound, crowns him with laurels.

18. The Montcalm Mausoleum

The body of Louis-Joseph de Montcalm was initially preserved at the Ursulines Chapel before being moved to the Hôpital général de Québec cemetery. The mausoleum entrance is marked with Montcalm’s name.