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    Recommended Reviews - Place-Royale

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    Place Royale
    Anton K.

    Place Royale was originally Fort Villie Marie erected in 1687. It is located in lower (Basse) Old Town, Quebec city. It is a rather steep descent to Place Royale but there is a funicular which runs for most of the day. It became a World Heritage Site in 1985. Quebec City is what the French call "Jolie de via". The ambience of European street fair is every. Cobble stone streets line the way to restaurants, boutique shops, flower gardens and maple syrup products. frozen maple foilies, maple popcorn and ice cream are but a few offerings. There are also many historic homes, monuments and statues to inform the visiting tourist most have only French signage. Other sites worth noting include Church of Notre-Dame des Victoire Champlain (1687). The statue of Samuel de Champlain lies in upper (Haute) Old Town and Petit Champlain with it's narrow streets exudes European charm. Little shops selling chocolates, cured meats, spices, formages and other novelties of French culture. Many Trompe l'oeil frescos adorn buildings in Place Royale. Do not miss the statue of Louis the XlV, who in 1687 was the French King. The present statue is a reproduction as are many of the buildings you see today in Place Royale. There are a lot of restaurants along the Charles river and Sr. Lawrence Seaway where you can enjoy a croissant and cafe-au-lait.

    Beautiful Square
    Jay M.

    Amazing square just a couple of steps from the Umbrella Alley. While there is a beautiful church there, there are also a few shops and some restaurants. If the day is better there are also musicians playing some instruments. We went during late summer and they had a dome at one end of the square which had an artificial snowstorm created to give a wintery feel. There was also a senior (in his late 70s or early 80s I believe) playing a keyboard. Amazing place to relax and enjoy the surroundings.

    Town square with benches.
    PatrickJ T.

    Nice little plaza. Place-Royale is located in the Lower Town area of old Quebec City. It is built on top of French fortifications that date back to the 17th Century. This small, but picturesque plaza is considered to be the birthplace of New France and French civilization in the New World. And home to Notre Dame des Victoires which is the oldest stone church still standing in North America. Okay, that is the end of a quick history lesson. When in Quebec City, I highly recommend going to the old town!! Place-Royale is located on the lower level of old town, and it makes up a small part of this beautiful area. You get a feeling of being in Europe while you are here. Amazing architecture, many shops, cafes, galleries, and cobblestone streets! Soak up the experience and have fun!

    Donna M.

    On the east side of the Terrasse Dufferin, the Funiculaire will drop you down to the Place-Royale in Lower Town. Place-Royale is the town square where French America was born. There's a bust of Louis XIV in the center. When I was there, a Christmas Choir was presenting a concert in front of the gigantic Christmas tree. It was lovely to experience ~ & the whole square scene was Charles Dickens. Samuel de Champlain started the 1st French settlement here in 1608. It was here that Champlain chose to erect his "Abitation," which served as a fort, storehouse, trading post, and residence after his arrival in 1608. During the 17th and 18th centuries, this area of Old Québec acted as the French colony's center of business and industry, supporting a thriving marketplace & housing many wealthy merchants. It has also been called a parade ground & a marketplace. The Church Notre-Dame-des-Victoires ~ Québec's oldest stone church, built in 1688 ~ dominates the plaza. Another highlight is the Musées de la civilisation complex.

    Town square
    Dan R.

    While visiting Old Québec we made the decision to walk to Place-Royale from the flat we were renting. As we walked to this area we loved popping in and out of all of the little shops along the way. When we finally entered the town square, we were astonished by the beauty of the old village as well as decorations they had for the fall celebration. In the end, we spent a ton of time in the lower village and enjoyed all of the different shops.

    Fresco

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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Great place. Beautiful settings. I was there in November. Definitely could see it at Christmas time. It is quite festive.

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    5 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    10 years ago

    Amazing architecture and history, going back to the 'oldest' city in north america.

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    Place-Royale Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - Place-Royale

    Place-Royale is located on the lower level of old town, and it makes up a small part of this beautiful area.

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    Terrasse Dufferin - Dufferin Terrace_Yelp_Sanju-6

    Terrasse Dufferin

    4.8(19 reviews)
    0.2 km

    Terrasse Dufferin is a wooden boardwalk in Old Quebec City- Upper Town. It has spectacular views of…read morethe St. Lawrence River and the Le Chateau Frontenac . Along the boardwalk there are areas to sit and enjoy the views, and there were a few musicians adding to the charm. The Terrase Dufferin was built in the 1870's. The funicular entrance in Upper Town is located here. It is definately worth strolling the boardwalk and enjoying the sights.

    Overlooking Old Québec from its perch just below the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, Terrasse…read moreDufferin offers spectacular views of the St. Lawrence River and ofcourse, the magnificent Frontenac hotel. This elevated vantage was the original site of Fort St.-Louis, the governor's residence in colonial times. Tourists can see the ruins underneath the promenade. we were here on a weekday so faced a little crowd and it was soothing to walk on the terrace offering a great view. Formerly a military fortification, this public boardwalk still houses historic cannons. if you visit during the summer - you're bound to run into street performers and artists as you stroll along. The terrace provides incredible views over the Lower Town and the River and often hosts street musicians and other performers. Beneath the terrace, and partially viewable from viewing points are the remains of Chateau Saint-Louis, which was the offices of the French and British governors from the 17th through the 19th centuries. Dufferin Terrace is the perfect spot to take beautiful pictures. It is also here you can board the funicular that will take you down to rue du Petit-Champlain in Lower Town. The Dufferin Terrace is a great place to watch summertime fireworks displays.

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    Terrasse Dufferin
    Terrasse Dufferin - Tour

    Tour

    Terrasse Dufferin

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    Île d'Orléans - From the web..the chocolate shop.

    Île d'Orléans

    4.7(19 reviews)
    0.4 km
    $$

    Ile-d'Orleans is an island in the Saint Lawrence River. The island is about 3.1 miles east of…read moredowntown Quebec city. It is a nice day trip from the city and it can be combined with a nearby visit to Morntmorency falls and Basilique Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre. The island is 21 miles long and 7 miles wide. It is accessible from the the mainland of Quebec by the Ile-d'Orleans bridge. The Chemin Royale road encircles the entire island. While traveling the Chemin Royale road you will encounter small cottage industries specializing in various agricultural products. Cassis Monna & Filles winery has tours and tasting. Fromagerie Biese d' Epinelle specializes in cheese and dairy products. Chocolaterie de-Ile Orleans haschocolate, fudge and other chocolate based products with no preservatives. La Boulange-Saint-Jean-de-Ile-Orleans sells bakery goods and pasteries while LaCuisine d'Ete-Saint-Laurent-de-Ile'Orleans has exceptional maple syrup. There are also histirical stops along the way. The Manor Mauvide Genest built in 1734 was the home of Jean Mauvide, who was the surgeon for King of France. Stop by one of the many churches along the way. I recommend Eglise de Saint Jean Saint Pierre. With the Laurentian Plateau to the North, the Appalachian Mountains to the South and views of the Atlantic Ocean and Saint Lawrence Seaway, the Chemin Royale road is a scenic drive in it's own right. Enjoy small cottage industries in a rolling hills pastoral setting.

    This is a must go to place if you're visiting Quebec City. We had so much fun driving and…read moreexploring all the neat little places to eat and try drinks while we were on this island. I won't go into specifics for each restaurant as there are reviews for that separately. We loved places like Mona and cassis for blackcurrant flavored ice cream and wines, roulette du coin for their duck burger and poutine, Casse chez Meg for that amazing lobster roll, nougatierre for nougats, chocolaterie for the amazing chocolate and vanilla dipped in chocolate ice cream. Come on an empty stomach and full wallet and just enjoy all the different unique things you can eat and drink. Highly suggest taking a cooler with you, there's so many things you can buy and take home with you like chocolate, nougats, cheese curds, blackcurrant wine, baked goods, ciders, etc. It's not a far drive from Quebec City and the whole island itself is probably a one hour drive but you can easily spend half a day here exploring and trying lots of food and drinks. Most of the stores are super helpful in terms of directions and letting you sample all kinds of things. Do your stomach a favor and come here!

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    Île d'Orléans
    Île d'Orléans - Chocolaterie de Ilse d'Orleans

    Chocolaterie de Ilse d'Orleans

    Île d'Orléans

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    Escalier Casse-Cou - Breakneck Steps_Quebec_Yelp_Sanju-1

    Escalier Casse-Cou

    4.3(7 reviews)
    0.1 km

    USE THE CHARLES BAILLARGE STAIRS - A DIFFERENT WAY TO VISIT THE LOWER TOWN…read more Having walked down the Breakneck Stairs once, we looked for an easier and less crowded way to revisit the Lower Town. On Google Maps, we found a different staircase that we did not know had a history as well as a name :o) We later learned that this staircase was called the Charles Baillarge Stairs. Formerly known as the Buade Stairs, the staircase was renamed in 1980 to honor Charles Baillarge who was Quebec City's chief engineer in the late 1800s. Monsieur Baillarge was behind many urban projects that included replacing the wood stairs of Breakneck Stairs with wrought iron stairs. Compared to Breakneck Stairs, the Charles Baillarge Stairs is a wider and less steep staircase with fewer stairs. It is also conveniently located near the Monument de Francois de Laval and the old post office building and a short distance from Notre Dame de Quebec Basilica. Follow Google Maps - walk down the staircase to Cote de la Montagne - Cote de La Montagne will then lead you to the same Lower Town - Quartier Petit Champlain shopping area where Breakneck Stairs also ends.

    what a view of Petit Champlain Street, and the perfect place to take photos as well (of course be…read moremindful of fellow tourists). it offers a wonderful view of one of Canada's most picturesque streets: rue du Petit-Champlain. This outdoor staircase, the oldest in Québec City, dates back to the beginning of the French colony. The 59 steps of the Breakneck Stairs connecting côte de la Montagne to rue du Petit-Champlain are just one of the ways to move between Upper and Lower Town. first, when I was researching about this, I was like "It might be like 200-300 steps to reach the upper side" but it's fairly easy. I did not even break a sweat. locals told us that in the winter, the scene is even more sublime when Christmas lights are twinkling and the snow gently falling. In the summer, the ultimate experience on the Stairs consists of eating or having a drink at one of the restaurant terraces located on the different landings.

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    Escalier Casse-Cou - Breakneck Steps_Quebec_Yelp_Sanju-8

    Breakneck Steps_Quebec_Yelp_Sanju-8

    Escalier Casse-Cou - Breakneck Steps_Quebec_Yelp_Sanju-2

    Breakneck Steps_Quebec_Yelp_Sanju-2

    Escalier Casse-Cou

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    Morrin Centre - I would pay $3000 for this.

    Morrin Centre

    4.6(22 reviews)
    0.6 km

    We decided to drop in for a tour here on our second visit to Quebec City, mostly just to try…read moresomething new. The tour was about an hour long and our tour guide's English was great. Plenty of jokes and interesting descriptions about the history of the place. This building was originally a jail when it was built, intended to reflect the ideology of a British man who was set on reforming prisons. Like many countries when faced with an influx of immigration, the population housed in the jail were disproportionately made up of immigrants being punished for minor offenses. It was later converted to an English-language college that didn't last very long. The building finally wound up becoming an English-language library that now serves as the English-language cultural center of Quebec City. The library is filled with artifacts as well. And that old library smell is heavenly! The tour was a little boring, but not terribly, which is the only reason I give it 4 stars. I would have liked some more photographs from that time to be displayed throughout (even though I know they're probably incredibly rare). I did find myself checking my watch, but probably because we came in starving. If you're a history buff, library nerd, or jail hobbyist (lol), definitely try to check this place out.

    This was a very enjoyable tour of a building that has been through a lot in it's life. The tour of…read morethe jail and the glimpse of living conditions during Quebec's history was excellent. The library was very beautiful. Definitely worth 90 minutes of your time.

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    Morrin Centre
    Morrin Centre
    Morrin Centre

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    Place-Royale - landmarks - Updated May 2026

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