Copper towers
A French château.
Wilfredor — CC0 · Bernard Gagnon — CC BY-SA 3.0 · 0x010C — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Fabian Roudra Baroi — CC BY-SA 4.0
The symbol of Quebec City and its best-known building, a historic hotel shaped like a French château with towers and green copper roofs, opened in 1893 on the edge of the Cap Diamant cliff above the St. Lawrence and said to be among the most photographed hotels in the world. It was built by the Canadian Pacific Railway as one of its grand hotels, and in 1943 and 1944 hosted the Quebec Conferences between Churchill and Roosevelt during the Second World War. It stands at the centre of the historic district of Old Quebec, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In front of it runs Dufferin Terrace, a broad wooden boardwalk on the cliff edge with old viewing kiosks, overlooking the river and the Lower Town. In winter a historic ice slide is set up at its end, down which visitors race at high speed. Walking the terrace and seeing the building from outside are free at any time, and guided tours inside the hotel charge. The best photos are from the neighbouring Governors' Garden and from the Lower Town at sunset.
A French château.
On the cliff.
On the ice.
1 Rue des Carrières, Upper Town, Old Quebec
Quartier Petit Champlain and Place RoyaleQuebec City's loveliest lanes, a small quarter in the Lower Town at the foot of 2 minutes walk4.6
Citadelle of QuebecA star-shaped military fortress on top of Cap Diamant, the highest point of Old 6 minutes walk4.5
Plains of AbrahamA broad park on a plateau above the St. Lawrence west of Old Quebec's walls, whe22 minutes walk4.8Yes, the terrace and square are free, and paid guided tours run inside the hotel.