Founded by the French to make a claim in the New World, the name Quebec originally referred to just the city. It is an aboriginal word for "where the river narrows," as the St. Lawrence River dramatically closes in just east of the city. It is situated on 200-foot-high cliffs, with stunning views of the surrounding Laurentian Mountains and the St. Lawrence River.

Come and enjoy the Guinness World Record holder of the most photographed hotel in the world, The Chateau Frontenac is a grand hotel in Quebec City that opened in 1893. In 1980 it was designated a National Historic Site of Canada. The City Hall of Quebec City is located in the heart of Old Quebec. The building slopes downward as it was built on a hill and was once home to the Jesuit College (Jesuit Barracks) from the 1730s to 1878. Located on rue des Jardins and designed by architect Georges-Emile Tanguay, it is the second permanent city hall for the old city.

Place Royale, the nucleus from which Quebec City developed, stands on the site of Quebec's actual foundation, the spot where, in 1608, Samuel de Champlain erected his first "habitation," a farm and storage shed. Named in honour of Louis XIV, whose bust adorns it, Place Royale is the largest surviving ensemble of 17th- and 18th-century buildings in North America