Quebec City Audio Tours

Very hilly. The city is divided into the upper town and lower town by a cliff, and getting between them means either climbing the Breakneck Stairs or taking the funicular cable car ($4 each way). The upper town itself is largely flat and easy to walk. Good footwear with grip is important, especially in winter when ice covers the historic stone streets.

French is the working language of Quebec City and most residents prefer to use it. English is spoken in tourist areas and hotels, but making an effort with even basic French phrases is genuinely appreciated and tends to produce warmer interactions. The tourist infrastructure is bilingual, so language is rarely a barrier for visitors.

Poutine, the combination of fries, cheese curds, and gravy that was invented in Quebec, is omnipresent and quality varies greatly. Tourtiere, a meat pie traditional at Christmas and New Year, is excellent in local restaurants year-round. Maple products from the sugar shacks outside the city are serious business, and maple taffy poured over snow at a cabane a sucre in spring is worth the trip alone.

The Battlefields Park, which includes the Plains of Abraham, is a large urban park with excellent views of the St. Lawrence and good walking trails. The Musee des Plaines d'Abraham within it tells the story of the 1759 battle with good interactive exhibits. It is a 15-minute walk from the walls of Old Quebec and worth at least an hour, more if you have time.