lower town (basse-ville)

Walk down the stairs from the Chateau Frontenac-Dufferin Terasse and then walk through the shops and restaurants on Petit Champlain. At the end of the street turn left and double back to Place Royale (the oldest square in Canada dating from 1608). Continue to rue St Paul where you will find a number of antiique shops with some excellent finds if you look hard. As with everywhere in Quebec, interesting restauarants all throught this route

Quebec city is one of the best places to visit without going to Europe.The lower city is one of my favorite places to visit and spend time. It was a little crowded but enjoyable. There is a sort of people mover that goes up the mountain from the lower city to the upper city and back down after you explore the upper city. You can opt to walk the passage ways to the stairs. We did both people mover to upper city and stairs to lower city. The beauty, history and charm of this place is like no other we ever experienced. Kilkenny Ireland is the closest place to Old Quebec city that we have visited.The passage ways with the small quaint shops, restaurants and uniqueness is like no other. You don't have to do anything special while you are there, just absorb your surroundings. The locals are very friendly and you don't have to worry about finding an attraction. Old Quebec City and the lower city are the attractions. Restaurants offer the best French cuisine available in Canada. If you are looking for American food i'm sure you'll find it but it wasn't to our liking. I highly recommend it. We were there in late October. Not too cold (We were lucky) 3 days was enough time to take it all in.

Old world charm at its best. Walk around without a map and explore the little shops and restaurants in this little city. Do not use a map and immerse yourself into the city to fully experience the town as it was meant to be explored. We loved it!!

Wonderful historic neighborhood to walk around. This area of the Old City is less crowded than the upper part, but still offers quaint little shops and restaurants. Some nestled into old stone cave-cellars. A must visit!

You could drive around Quebec city and miss out on much of the heritage. Heading to the lower town by taking the stairs might be a bit more strenuous and, unfortunately, not great for those with lower mobility. However, I find that this is a great way to really feel like you've earned the right to say that you've made it to lower town.

The streets and shops are beautifully kept and it feels like a small European village. Just beautiful!

Old world charm is what you will find while wandering this neighbourhood. Many neat shops and restaurants to explore. Take the ferry across to Lévis for the best view of the city!

What a beautiful area of Quebec City. It reminded me if Brittany in France. Old stone buildings, cobblestones, unique shops, with friendly French -speaking locals. Loved it and will definately return. It was really nice to be able to drive to a European-like city.

The lower area is beautiful with nice shops, restaurants, and hotels. It has a very European feel there. Very easy to get down in the hill elevator. One of the great places to try down there is Panche(there last February). Awesome restaurant with an amazing wine list.

When in QC last Fall we drove along the St. lawrence from the hotel we stayed at (l'Aristocrate) and it was a delightful 15 or 20 minute drive beside the river through beautiful parkland and natural escarpment areas. There were all kinds of joggers and bikers and people just enjoying this natural area. And as is the case in Quebec, where they openly support the arts, there is also an amazing collection of modern sculptures strategically placed along the way. We arrived at the old Lower Town, parked and went in for breakfast at Le Petit Cochon Dingue... an excellent breakfast and very good service and a menu that extends beyond the typical. Truly French ... and delicious. Afterwards, we wandered around the Old Basse-Ville surrounded by its wonderful architecture and old style charm. It was popular but not too crowded... and although the shops provided a plethora of modern goods to suit the tourist trade, I kept imagining what it would have been like walking down this same cobblestone street or alley-way a couple of hundred years ago. The Lower Town stands in the shadow of the Chateau Frontenac and is easily accessed via the cable car that joins the upper and lower city. Although a bit touristy, it definitely is worth a morning or afternoon visit for a meal or just a coffee and a stroll. And one more thing...bring your camera... lots of colour and interesting detail... Basse-Ville is really quite photogenic.

... as I grew up in that neighborhood :-). Recommended in particular for casual eating. Nice finds there!

This area adds to the charm and old world feel of QC. Worth spending time for shopping and having drinks or a snack.

Great little area to explore if you like just walking around looking in little stores and admiring the old architecture.

this is one of the older areas in Quebec City. The narrow cobblestone streets are lined with specialty shops and wonderful smaller restaurants. A great place to wander around and see the ice sculptures that were in front of many of the stores and restaurants. There are also two wonderful four story high murals depicting life in Lower Town over history. We also took the ferry ride across the St. Lawrence River to Levi's and back. The view of Quebec City from the river is spectacular. Watching the ferry break through the ice packs is pretty interesting too. We would highly recommend the crossing if to have never done it.

What a fun little street. Little shops and restaurants with a European flair. All the christmas decorations were still up ( in Feb ) which gave it a festive air. Don't miss if you are in old Quebec.