Dufferin Terrace is a promenade that runs above the St. Lawrence River and below the Fairmont Château Frontenac hotel. Stroll along the boardwalk in summer when street performers fill the air with music and stalls sell street food and souvenirs. Toboggan down the ice slide that’s erected at the end of the walkway in winter and look out across the old city covered in a blanket of snow.
Cannons once put here to defend Québec City still line Dufferin Terrace. Look out for the statue of the founder of the city, Samuel de Champlain, among the monuments and ruins along the terrace.
Discover more history with a guided tour of the Saint-Louis Forts and Châteaux ruins. These archaeological remains were found beneath the promenade during digs in the late 2000s. See a kitchen, bathrooms and outhouses that once belonged to the British and French governors who ruled over the city between 1620 and 1834. Pay to take the tour or see some of the ruins for free by looking down glass prisms built into the promenade. There are three “archeoscopes”, each 1.5 metres (5 feet) deep.
The toboggan slide at the end of the promenade has been a city tradition for several decades. It reaches 82 metres (269 feet) above the terrace. Buy a ticket to access the slope, which includes the rental of a toboggan. Then hang on tight as you speed down the 150-metre (492-foot) slide.
Take the cable railway from Petit-Champlain in the Lower Town to reach Dufferin Terrace. Come on foot by climbing the stairway that connects the Lower and Upper towns or catch a bus. The Écolobus is a cheap public bus that services the old city.
Access Dufferin Terrace at any time of the day or night for free. Visit after dark to look out over a sea of lights.
