Old Quebec — The Cradle of French North America

Welcome to the heart of Quebec City. You are standing in the historic district of Old Quebec, a place so well-preserved and culturally significant that the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization—better known as U-N-E-S-C-O—designated it a World Heritage site in nineteen eighty-five. As you look around, you will notice that this does not feel like a typical North American city. Instead, it feels like a piece of old Europe that was carefully transported across the Atlantic. This district was founded in sixteen hundred and eight by the French explorer Samuel de Champlain, who established a small habitation right here on the banks of the Saint Lawrence River. For centuries, this rocky cliff known as Cap Diamant has served as a strategic military stronghold, the capital of New France, and the birthplace of French civilization on this continent. As we move through these cobblestone streets, you will discover layers of history that trace the shift from French to British rule and the vibrant evolution of a city that continues to thrive in the twenty-first century.