MacGougan at Large

Notes on a Trip to Québec City - 3

Upper Town/Lower Town

Québec City is built on a bluff overlooking the point where - if you’re sailing in from the ocean - the Saint Lawrence narrows down from a broad seaway to a more conventional river. The bulk of the city is up on the hill, but there’s a bit of land down near the water. Consequently, Old Québec is divided into an Upper Town (Haute-Ville) and a Lower Town (Basse-Ville).

There are interesting views from the Upper Town down to the Lower Town.

And from the Lower Town, up to the Upper Town.

Just below the Frontenac, there’s a funicular to ease your way down or up.

You can also walk down a hill…

And then take some stairs.

The Lower Town was the site of the original settlement and has some very old stone buildings, many of which are in the process of being restored. It’s somewhat disorienting to see modern workers assembling 17th Century structures.

The Lower Town is a nice place to walk around, with lots of shops…

And some fun things to look at…

Further east, away from the Frontenac, the Lower Town becomes less touristy and more residential. Here’s an evening view up the bluff over on that side of things.

Funny how time can change the public perspective on a place like the Lower Town. A few hundred years ago, narrow streets with lots of little shops was just what you found in any city. A hundred years ago, it probably looked obsolete and overdue to be brought up to modern standards. Today, we can’t get enough of it.