Thanks to its abundance of pedestrian-friendly streets, AAA calls Quebec City one of the top walking cities in North America. It's also one of the continent's safest.
No matter where you roam within the historic part of Quebec City, you'll see evidence of its 400-year history.
Developed in the 17th and 18th centuries as a major fur trading post, the old city of Quebec is the only fortified city north of Mexico.
UNESCO named the Historic District of Quebec City a World Heritage Site in 1985. Its Web site paints a picture of this remarkable place:
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It is 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, the Citadel and Château Frontenac. Together with the Lower Town and its ancient districts, it forms an urban ensemble which is one of the best examples of a fortified colonial city.
