5 Best Sights in Quebec City, Quebec

Bright with colorful flowers in summer, this urban park is lined with stunning 19th-century mansions and is often adorned with seasonal decorations. It makes for a lovely place to rest between museums. The focus of the park is an equestrian statue of Joan of Arc. A symbol of military courage and of France itself, the statue stands in tribute to the heroes of 1759 near the place where New France was lost to the British. The park also commemorates the Canadian national anthem, "O Canada"; it was played here for the first time on June 24, 1880.

In this small park just south of the Château Frontenac stands the Wolfe-Montcalm Monument, a 50-foot-tall obelisk that pays tribute to both a winning (English) and a losing (French) general. The monument recalls the 1759 battle on the Plains of Abraham, which essentially ended French rule here. British general James Wolfe lived only long enough to hear of his victory; French general Louis-Joseph Montcalm died shortly after Wolfe, with the knowledge that the city was lost. On the south side of the park is avenue Ste-Geneviève, lined with well-preserved Victorian houses dating from 1850 to 1900. Many have been converted to inns, B&Bs, and hotels.

Seemingly floating between Upper and Lower Town, Montmorency Park is a must-see for visitors walking up (or down) Côte de la Montagne. The leafy park was home to Parliaments of Lower Canada, Canada East, and Quebec from 1791 to 1883; while virtually zero surface structure remains to illustrate this role, it's now a national historic site filled with centenary trees and walkways describing the significance of the site. Along the southeastern edge are the ramparts and defensive walls, from which visitors will find a beautiful panoramic view of the Lower Town and the river.

This 32-km (20-mile) stretch of trails and walkways follows the St. Charles River from its source at Lake St. Charles, to the northwest (which supplies a large part of Québec City's drinking water), all the way to the Bassin Louise Marina, in the Vieux-Port. Many sections are in quiet stretches of forests, or run along wetlands and meadows. The trails immediately west of the harbor offer a green oasis at the heart of the city. The recently-reimagined Cartier-Brébeuf National Historic Site in Limoilou is particularly lovely and explains the various ways Jacques Cartier helped shape the city as we see it today. It's also possible to rent kayaks and paddle over 11 km (6.5 miles) of the northernmost part of the river.

What used to be a vast parking lot across from the Museum of Civilization has been replaced by an elegant and modern park that provides great views of Upper Town and improves access to the river for locals who now linger and stroll here, and also for the cruise ships that often moor here. Even the new multistory parking garage has been dressed up in an elegant wooden façade that gives the area extra character.