Vieux Quebec - which streets?

[LindaKE]

When you see pictures of Vieux Quebec (the ones that look like 2 story buildings on a narrow street with snow and Christmas decorations) what streets are you seeing? We've got reservations at Hotel Manoir Victoria, and I'm trying to get an idea of where things are. I can't do a lot of walking, so I want to know where to go to make the most of our post cruise day. I'm also wondering if we made a mistake choosing this hotel. I know it has good recommendations, but it looks like it might be a long walk to where I'm thinking the streets that I described might be. (Since I can't climb stairs easily, we need a hotel with a elevator so that limits our choices Also, we would prefer to not pay a fortune.)

[belleretraite]

Hi ! There are many streets in Québec City that fit your descriptions ! One of the most famous is RUE DU TRÉSOR (about 2000 feet from hotel Manoir Victoria ) and another one is RUE SAINT-JEAN (about 200 feet ) ! There are steepy streets in this area of the city ! One solution would be to take a CALÈCHE (horse carriage )tour of the area ! You have to go to the CHÄTEAU FRONTENAC (half a mile from the hotel ) and then to the BASSE-VILLE (lower part of the town)using the elevator !

It is a beautiful city and you are very well located

[Twickenham]

When you see pictures of Vieux Quebec (the ones that look like 2 story buildings on a narrow street with snow and Christmas decorations) what streets are you seeing? We've got reservations at Hotel Manoir Victoria, and I'm trying to get an idea of where things are. I can't do a lot of walking, so I want to know where to go to make the most of our post cruise day. I'm also wondering if we made a mistake choosing this hotel. I know it has good recommendations, but it looks like it might be a long walk to where I'm thinking the streets that I described might be. (Since I can't climb stairs easily, we need a hotel with a elevator so that limits our choices Also, we would prefer to not pay a fortune.)

 

Which picture in particular are you talking about? If I saw it I could probably tell you.

 

The Manoir Victoria is actually a pretty good spot for you. Since you can't walk a lot, you could try using the Ecolobus, a small electric bus that covers the main tourist sites in QC. Here's the route (MV is right in front of the Hotel Dieu de Québec): http://www.rtcquebec.ca/_cms/plugins/horaires/trajet_resultat.aspx?parcoursNo=21&date=2009-03-19+05%3a00%3a00

Its 2 biggest advantages: it's the ONLY bus that goes from the port area directly up to Upper Town, and it's free!

[Pepperwood]

When you see pictures of Vieux Quebec (the ones that look like 2 story buildings on a narrow street with snow and Christmas decorations) what streets are you seeing? We've got reservations at Hotel Manoir Victoria, and I'm trying to get an idea of where things are. I can't do a lot of walking, so I want to know where to go to make the most of our post cruise day. I'm also wondering if we made a mistake choosing this hotel. I know it has good recommendations, but it looks like it might be a long walk to where I'm thinking the streets that I described might be. (Since I can't climb stairs easily, we need a hotel with a elevator so that limits our choices Also, we would prefer to not pay a fortune.)

 

Your hotel is within the walls of Old Quebec's Upper Town, which is not a large area. There are several streets within Upper Town that match your description, especially as you walk towards the area around the Chateau Frontenac. However, I would suggest you go to the Lower Town which lies below the Chateau Frontenac, outside of the walled city.

 

Back in the 1600s, the original settlement of Quebec was built on the shore of the St. Lawrence and became a bustling town of narrow streets and stone buildings. The town soon grew overcrowded, and a second town was built on the high bluff overlooking the original settlement. This new place was called Upper Town, and the older place was called Lower Town. Because of its strategic location on the bluffs, Upper Town was soon surrounded by a stone wall lined with cannon. In 1759, a British fleet bombarded Quebec. Although the cannon shells just bounced off the stone walls of Upper Town, Lower Town had no such protection, and many of the buildings were destroyed or damaged. After Quebec fell to the British, Lower Town was largely abandoned, and any of the old stone buildings that had survived the bombardment were used for warehouses for several centuries. However, in the past twenty years, historic Lower Town has been restored to its former glory, with shops and good restaurants now lining the narrow streets that surround L'Eglise Notre Dame, one of the oldest churches in North America.

 

Although there is a set of stairs that go from Upper Town to Lower Town, it is quite a climb either way. A much better alternative is the funicular that is found beside the Chateau Frontenac--the cost is only CAD$1.50 each way.

 

The distance from your hotel to the funicular is 500 metres (450 yards) as the crow flies, but perhaps as much as a kilometre (5/8 of a mile) by the time you wind your way through the streets of Upper Town.

[LindaKE]

Thank you so much for the info. It was interesting to learn about the upper town and lower town since I've been reading these terms and wondering what they mean.

 

Is there an English version of the Ecolobus site? All I found was in French. (I admit I sometimes miss something when I thought I was looking at everything carefully.) It sounds like it might be just what I need.

 

I had thought of a caleche, but didn't know if I could get off and do some shopping and browsing.

[Twickenham]

Thank you so much for the info. It was interesting to learn about the upper town and lower town since I've been reading these terms and wondering what they mean.

 

Is there an English version of the Ecolobus site? All I found was in French. (I admit I sometimes miss something when I thought I was looking at everything carefully.) It sounds like it might be just what I need.

 

I had thought of a caleche, but didn't know if I could get off and do some shopping and browsing.

 

Here's the link to the english pages on the RTC's site, which are a bit of a challenge to find: http://www.rtcquebec.ca/francais/new_customer_/a_new_customer.html

 

They offer a good overview of bus service in QC. The actual page for the Ecolobus (http://www.rtcquebec.ca/_cms/plugins/horaires/horaire_resultat.aspx?parcoursNo=21#) is in french only, but it's relatively simple to navigate if you know that 'Horaire' means schedule and 'Trajet' means route. If you look above the timetable on the right side, there's a small squigly symbol with 'Trajet' written beside - click on the link to get the bus route.

[LindaKE]

Thank you!

[wilsonqbc]

The little narrow one you see often in pictures with all the yellow & white lights, and the snow xmasy feel to it, is right below the chateau in lower town,

it is petit champlain, its the oldest neibourhood, very narrow, and cobblestone street. has the definite european feel to it, and is really pretty anytime of year.

[LindaKE]

Thank you Wilson. I knew someone would know which one I was talking about. It reminds me of Charles Dickens for some reason. Now that I know several streets to try, I'll make sure to get to them.

[wilsonqbc]

your welcome,

I should have added that you can grab a taxi from Manoir Victoria, there are some right in front of the hotel. to get to petit champlain is very close down the hill so probably cost like 5 or 6 dollars, at he most, unless there is a traffic jam, (does happen occasionally in peak season).

then to get back there is always taxis available in the petit champlain area,

but they are on the main street called Boulevard Champlain. they hang out right in front of the ferry crossing.