Quebec City--like Europe only closer

Chateau Frontenac, Quebec City

My travel muse has smiled on us and we are headed off on long weekend without the carful of kids. Yes. There is NO car and NO kids--just my husband and myself on a long weekend of great food and sightseeing in picturesque Quebec City, Canada.

The carful of kids are at the most magical of places--it is full of candy, unlimited cartoons and a pair of facilitators that love them in spite of their tantrums and sibling war. It is Grandma and Grandpa's house and I don't need to know what happens there when I'm not there to witness it.

My husband loves to travel as much as I do and we love visiting new places; Quebec City is one of the few places we haven't been to before. We can't wait, it has a reputation for being the most European-like city in North America and we absolutely love Europe.

We leave out of Austin-Bergstrom Airport early and arrive in the afternoon at Jean Lesage Airport in Quebec City. The airport is on the smaller size so it does take a bit of time to clear customs but we are on the bus and headed to the old city soon enough.

UNESCO World Heritage Monument

More so than the more modern Montreal, Quebecers also speak French. You will hear a Bonjour, Hello! to say hello and to determine your language of choice. But unlike the French, Quebecers love to share their language so if you are brave and speak just a little bit of French, use it.

We are in for a treat, we are staying at the Chateau Frontenac, a National Historic Site of Canada and one of the most photographed hotels in the world because it's perched on top of the hill in Old Quebec. Opened in 1893, it was built by the Canadian Pacific Railroad to lure tourists to travel across Canada; today it is managed by Fairmont Hotels.

Old Quebec is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that was founded by the French explorer Samuel Champlain in 1608 after he discovered Port Royal, Acadia, now Nova Scotia. Champlain explored the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes region and governed New France until his death; he is considered the Father of this area.

Champlain established and built the Saint-Louis Fort and  the Ramparts of Quebec starting in 1620. The fortified walls are still intact and also a National Historic Site of Canada.

After we check into our room at the Chateau Frontenac, we head out for a walk around the hotel, Old Quebec is a great walking city. Outside the hotel doors along the Dufferin Terrace is the Saint-Louis Forts and Chateaux National Historic Site (open daily in the summer from 10 to 6, $3.90 CAN/adults, $1.90 CAN/youth).

The tour starts under the boardwalk and you walk through the excavations of the old forts and chateaux that were the official fortifications and residences for the French colony until it was conquered by the British in 1759. This is a quick tour and a great introduction to the history of Old Quebec.

After returning to the boardwalk, we walk by the statue of Champlain and the UNESCO World Heritage Monument on our way to visit the Notre-Dame Basilica-Cathedral.  We dart down the Artists Alley, or Rue du Tresor, looking for a souvenir.

Notre-Dame 

Holy Door

Notre-Dame Basilica-Cathedral is a Roman Catholic basilica that has been on this site since 1664 and is the oldest parish outside of Mexico in North America. It has been destroyed by fire twice and in celebration of its 350th year, it installed and opened a Holy Door.

Notre-Dame's Holy Door is the first one outside of Europe but closed in December 2014 and will remain closed until 2025. Notre-Dame is a National Historic Site of Canada and is free and open to the public during daylight hours.

We decide to walk back a different route to the Chateau Frontenac enjoying the centuries old stone buildings along the cobblestone streets covered with  flowerpots dripping with color.

After an amazing dinner at the hotel, we decide to walk along the Dufferin Terrace to look at the lights of the city and share an ice cream cone. A fabulous end to our first day in Quebec City.

Up next: a guided walking tour of Old Quebec