Quebec City & Montreal
The old city of Quebec is the most European corner of North America, a UNESCO World Heritage gem and the only walled city north of Mexico, founded by the French in 1608. Cobbled lanes wind between stone houses, bistros and boutiques beneath the soaring green-roofed Chateau Frontenac, the most photographed hotel in the world, perched high above the St. Lawrence River.
The lower town's Quartier Petit-Champlain is a storybook of narrow streets, painted shopfronts and the famous Fresque des Quebecois mural, while up above the ramparts, the Plains of Abraham and the star-shaped Citadelle tell the city's long history. Wandering between the two, on foot or by the little funicular, is half the pleasure of a visit.
In winter the city becomes a snow-globe of lights and the famous Carnaval; in summer the terraces and festivals spill out into the streets; and year-round there is a French-Canadian joie de vivre and a superb table that set it apart. It is a place to slow down, linger over a long lunch and let the old town work its charm.
