QUEBEC CITY

Canada’s historic crown jewel serves up high drama with 17th-century squares, turreted hotels and electric neighbourhoods, all encircled by epic wilderness

- Alicia Miller

Chocolate-box buildings with brimming flower boxes. An imposing fortress, encircled by cannons. Soaring city walls, cobbled squares, horse-and-carriage rides. Where in the world are you? You’d probably guess France — maybe Switzerland or Germany. But this is, in fact, North America; Quebec City, one of the continent’s oldest colonial settlements. Some 400 years after its founding, it delivers 17th-century atmosphere so rich it can feel like stepping onto a film set.

Wander the picturesque old town — divided into Upper and Lower halves, connected by steep stairways and an old funicular — and your fingers will twitch for a camera. The Lower, Quartier Petit Champlain, has artisan shops and muralled squares. The Upper, marked by a sweeping boardwalk and the landmark Fairmont Le Château Frontenac hotel, sparkles with Victorian glamour — in fact, you half-expect a bonneted lady to stroll past.

However, there’s more to Quebec City than its looks. Nearly half a millennium of history means that when you scratch beneath the surface, the stories get interesting. Think churches stuffed with paintings rescued during the French Revolution; monasteries that hosted Canada’s first hospital; and ballrooms where Roosevelt and Churchill planned D-Day.