Founded in 1608 by the French explorer Samuel de Champlain, Quebec City is one of the oldest cities in North America, being also the only North American city to have preserved its ramparts, together with the numerous bastions, gates and defensive works which still surround Old Quebec. The Upper Town, built on the cliff, has remained the religious and administrative centre, with its churches, convents and other monuments like the Dauphine Redoubt, La Citadelle and Château Frontenac. Together with the Lower Town, developed around the Place Royale and the harbour, it forms an urban ensemble, the Historic District of Old Québec, which is one of the best examples of a fortified colonial city.
Read more »