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Québec City Neighbourhoods
Québec City is full of welcoming locals who will make you feel right at home. Enjoy an authentic Québec City experience by meeting them where they live!
These neighbourhoods are concentrated in a relatively small area, so it’s easy to get from one to the next. Safe and inviting, each has its own special vibe, with unique food, shops, and places to relax and have a good time. Just like the people you’ll meet on the streets, the city’s neighbourhoods are warm, welcoming, and tons of fun. Head out to discover the charm and beauty of each, which changes with the seasons. Never a dull moment, always a place at the table. That’s Québec City!
Petit-Champlain and Place-Royale
The Fairytale Neighbourhood
Credit: Francis Gagnon
If these cobblestone streets could talk, they’d tell you the story of how the city was founded on this very spot, over 400 years ago. They’d tell you about the people who were born here and those who came from afar to build their lives in the “new world.” Today the district’s narrow streets are home to fabulous local boutiques and restaurants, as well as landmarks beloved of visitors: a massive mural of historic characters (Fresque des Québécois), the famous Breakneck Stairs (escalier Casse-Cou), and of course, Place Royale. A locale that’s full of magic and romance, in every season.
Upper Town (Old Québec)
The Historical Neighbourhood
Fully enclosed by 4.6 km of fortifications, Old Québec is like a time capsule that grows more charming with each passing year. In summer and winter, from the top of the ramparts, along the stone cliffs, on Dufferin Terrace, you’ll want to take your time and soak up the history of the place. In this maze of winding old streets set in the shadow of Château Frontenac, every nook and cranny has a story to tell.
Old Port
The Easy-Going Neighbourhood
Credit: Emmanuel Coveney
On the one side, the mighty St. Lawrence River, which you can admire from numerous vantage points as it changes along with the seasons. On the other, the city’s riches laid out at your feet: welcoming sidewalk cafes, enticing restaurants, intriguing galleries, antique shops with treasures untold, and magnificent, enchanting architecture everywhere you turn. Your stroll through the Old Port will leave you in a state of bliss.
Saint-Jean-Baptiste
The Bohemian Neighbourhood
Credit: Audet Photo
Nestled between Old Québec and Montcalm, Saint-Jean-Baptiste is a foodie’s paradise. Leading out from the walled quarter, Saint‑Jean street runs the length of the neighbourhood, crossed by street after street of colourful houses hugging the steep hillside. By day you’ll find bakeries, chocolate shops, and gourmet grocery stores alongside booksellers, record shops, and independent boutiques. At night, Saint‑Jean’s restaurants, pubs, and bistros will have you out until the wee hours of the morning enjoying the great food and good times.
Montcalm
The Arts Neighbourhood
The crown jewel of the upper town, Montcalm always shines. At the end of sparkling Avenue Cartier rises Québec’s national fine arts museum, Musée national des beaux‑arts du Québec, with the historic Plains of Abraham as a backdrop. The surrounding houses exude gentility and grace, while alluring Grande Allée offers up a hundred and one ways to eat and be merry. Fine food, theatre, art, music, film: it’s all there, ready to quench your every appetite.
Saint-Roch
The Trendy Neighbourhood
Like a factory that runs day and night, Saint‑Roch never sleeps. This former working‑class district is now home to Québec City’s vibrant arts and technology scene. Rue Saint‑Joseph Est is the main drag: a brightly lit corridor of show venues, restaurants, furniture and décor stores, multimedia studios, brew pubs, bars, vintage boutiques, and funky bulk goods stores. It’s the multicultural fun factory where Québec’s artists and techies rock around the clock.
Limoilou
The Family Neighbourhood
Credit: Audet Photo
Ahhh Limoilou, where neighbours chit chat, families fraternize, and friends stay the day. The parks are for picnicking. The walking is for talking. You can go for a run along the Saint‑Charles River or run errands on 3e Avenue. With all the bistros, cafés, specialty groceries, bakeries, and delis, it’s a party in your mouth—and on the streets. It’s hockey in the alleys and impromptu soirées on the balconies. It’s Limoilou!
Saint-Sauveur
The Genuine Neighbourhood
Stroll your way over to Rue Saint-Vallier Ouest and experience the emergence of Saint‑Sauveur. Saint-So, as the locals call it, is riding the wave of neighbouring Saint-Roch while retaining its local vibe. The people are laid back and fun, the streets are hip and historic, and there are legendary taverns, exotic boutiques, curiosity shops, and great little restaurants aplenty. Visit now before it blows up on your Instagram feed!
Sillery - Avenue Maguire
The Sophisticated Neighbourhood
Sillery looks out over the St. Lawrence River, the queen of all she surveys. This refined neighbourhood boasts gorgeous parks and flower gardens—including the opulent Bois‑de‑Coulonge—chic boutiques, exquisite pastry shops, and swank old houses and tea rooms built long ago by the rich English families who gave the streets their names. But even aristocrats need to cut loose now and then: witness the animated pubs, bars, and bistros along Avenue Maguire.
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