We were next on our way to the final city on our Canadian Capitals Tour, Quebec City. On our way, we stopped at Montmorency Falls. The Falls are 272 feet tall – actually taller than Niagara Falls. The Falls are at the mouth of the Montmorency River where it drops over the cliff into the St. Lawrence River.

Known as the Ramparts of Quebec City, this picture shows a gate and part of the fortification walls around Quebec City. They were initially built by the French in 1690 to defend Upper Quebec. Later, the British strengthened and improved them. The massive stone walls encircling Upper Quebec are the only intact fortifications of a colonial city north of Mexico. The ramparts, along with the rest of Old Quebec, were designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.

Quebec City is the provincial capital of Quebec. The Parliament Building, located in Upper Quebec, was erected between 1877 and 1886. Its architecture, inspired by the Louvre Palace in Paris, makes it one of the only French-style institutional buildings in Quebec City. It is Quebec’s oldest historic site and the seat of Quebec’s government.

The Tourny Fountain stands in front of the Parliament Building. It was presented to the City of Quebec on July 3, 2007 by a local family in honor of the city’s 400th anniversary.

The first picture below is the Citadel of Quebec and still serves as an active military installation. The Citadel forms part of the fortifications of Quebec City. The strategic importance of this location was recognized by the French as early as 1608. The modern Citadel was built from 1820 to 1850 in an effort to secure Quebec City against a potential American attack. The British used the Citadel until 1871, when they formally handed the property over to the Canadian government.

The next picture is the Plains of Abraham where a pivotal battle in the Seven Years’ War (in the US, known as the French and Indian War) was fought in 1759. It occurred on land that was originally owned by a farmer named Abraham Martin, hence the name. It was here the British resisted a French advance. The French ultimately ceded their possessions in North America to Britain.

The small building is called a Martello tower. It is a small fort, usually with two floors. The round structure and thick walls of solid masonry made them resistant to cannon fire. The Martellos in Canada had removable cone-shaped roofs to protect them from snow. Quebec originally had four Martello towers. Today, three remain.

Pictured next is the Cathedral-Basilica of Our Lady of Quebec. It sits on the site of a former chapel built by Samuel de Champlain in 1633. There has been extensive renovation and even reconstruction due to war and fires. Highlights of the interior design include a gold-leaf canopy supported by sculpted angels, a sanctuary lamp, stained glass imported from Munich and Paris, and a magnificent organ.

In 2013, the Vatican presented a gift to the Cathedral-Basilica, a Holy Door in celebration of the 350th anniversary of the church. It is the only one in North America and one of only seven in the world. From an old tradition dating back to the 15th century, Holy Doors remain closed and are sealed with cement and mortar. They are only opened to mark a special jubilee celebration.

The Holy Door was created by Canadian artist Jules Lasalle, who sculpted the bronze door with images of Jesus on the outside and Mary on the inside. The door is sealed shut until the Pope orders it opened for a Jubilee.

The Holy Door has been open since December 8th, 2023 in honor of the 350th anniversary of the formation of the Quebec diocese. It will be sealed again on December 8, 2024. Walking through the Holy Door symbolizes a passage between what one wants to leave behind to what one wishes to walk toward. It was a special opportunity for us to walk through the Holy Door. We have seen the Holy Door at the Vatican on two occasions but both times it was sealed.

Our hotel was in Upper Quebec so we took a funicular to Lower Quebec where we saw Place Royale. It is where Samuel de Champlain founded the City of Quebec in 1608. The square is the precise location of the first permanent French settlement in the Americas. The settlement included a fort, store, trading post, and residence. In 1682, a fire destroyed the buildings first built by the French, which were all made of wood. Buildings were damaged again during the Battle of Quebec and fell into disrepair. Thanks to extensive work in the 1960s and 1970s, Place Royale has been restored and now welcomes locals and visitors to its shops and restaurants.

Also on the Place Royale is the Notre-Dame-des-Victoires Church (Our Ladies of Victories). Construction began in 1688, which makes it one of the oldest stone churches in North America. It was built on the ruins of Samuel de Champlain’s first home. It was damaged during the Battle of Québec, but was rebuilt according to the original plans in 1763. A service is still held here every Sunday.

We also saw a house mural, entitled Fresque du Petit Champlain. Pictured below, it is one of 13 murals in Quebec City. This one depicts milestones in the history of the City’s working-class waterfront neighborhood. For example, the artist painted a woman looking out the window, watching for her fisherman husband to return and another scene of men building a fishing boat.

A surprise was seeing a red door (below) and learning it is famous for its part in a Korean TV show, Goblin. In the show, this door acts as a mystical portal, allowing one of the main characters to transcend space and time, moving from his office in Korea into the streets of Old Quebec. This red door has now become a must-see attraction for fans of the series. In fact we saw several people of Korea heritage lining up to have their picture taken by the door. Some of those fans took our picture by the door too.

This is the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac, the hotel where we stayed in Quebec City. This picture was taken from Lower Quebec. The hotel was named for French Governor Louis de Buade, Count of Frontenac. He was governor from 1672 to 1698.

Bruce Price, an American architect, was hired to build this “castle” on Cape Diamond which has an elevation of 177 feet. With its 18 stories, it has become a symbol of Quebec and is the most photographed hotel in the world.

The oldest part of the hotel, the Riverview Wing, dates back to 1893 and looks onto Dufferin Terrace and the St. Lawrence River. There have been additions and renovations since, but each architect respected the work that had come before.

This is Dufferin Terace, a wide, wooden boardwalk wrapping around the front of the Chateau Frontenac toward the Citadel of Quebec. The gazeboes, benches and panoramic views make the Terrace popular with locals and tourists.

Underneath the Terrace is the archaeological site of the Chateau Saint-Louise. Artifacts from French and British governors of the territory from 1620 to 1834 were found and preserved. Some areas can now be viewed via “peek-a-boo” windows or by walking underneath the boardwalk.

We walked under the boardwalk to see what was discovered in the archeological site. These are just a few of the artifacts we saw: an oven, hand-painted tile, and a decorative hair clip.

All of our local guides in Quebec City were dressed as an important figure in Quebec’s history. This gentlemen, dressed as French Governor Louis de Buade, Count of Frontenac, led us on a tour of the Chateau Frontenac. Besides showing us around the hotel, he also shared a very interesting historical event that occurred here.

The Chateau Frontenac played an important role during World War II. Generals from several nations met in the Rose Room (second picture below), to finalize plans for Operation Overlord, now commonly referred to as D-Day. After the meeting, one of the generals left his copy of the top secret documents behind.

A hotel bell hop, Frank Brittle, found the documents and gave them to a Canadian Armed Forces Officer. Brittle is pictured second from the left with other hotel staff in the last picture in this section. He was initially carefully watched to make sure he didn’t divulge any classified information. Later, he was honored for the action he took that ensured the confidential plans weren’t compromised.

Heads of State met at the Chateau to review plans for D-Day as well. Cannons were placed along the St. Lawrence River as a defensive measure in case of an attack. Pictured below are Canada’s Prime Minister Mackenzie King, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

The next picture is the same picture, but hasn’t been cropped. Here you can see some of the other attendees. In the background, both the Chateau and one of the cannons facing the St. Lawrence River are visible.

We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Quebec City. The architecture was amazing and to learn about the Chateau Frontenac’s role in World War II history was so interesting. There is something special about standing near the site of such consequential world events.