Vieux-Quebec: Haute-Ville (Old Quebec's Upper Town)

The Old Town's Haute-Ville (Upper Town), where the towering Château Frontenac is located, is one of Quebec City's major draws. This hotel was built in 1893, although the tower that gives it its distinctive appearance was added in the 1920s. Tours are available (www.tourschateau.ca). It sits between Place d'Armes (a central square with the narrow lanes leading off it filled with street artists and an artist's market) and the Dufferin Terrace (a wide wooden boardwalk offering a terrific view of Lévis, on the opposite shore). The Dufferin Terrace is filled with street entertainers and visitors milling around or promenading past the cannons and kiosks that predate the Château Frontenac. Nearby, the Place de l'Hôtel de Ville is dominated by the Basilique-Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-Québec, the city's main Catholic cathedral.