A unique walled citadel. An acclaimed UNECSO World Heritage Site. An extravagant chateau and the Plains of Abraham. Quebec Parliament and the Old Port. A warm welcome and a festival of carved ice.

You might expect to be able to trace Canada’s history by walking around the streets of Quebec City – it is, after all, the country’s second oldest European settlement. But would you expect to find the only walled city north of Mexico? Would you expect a Citadel perched high on the soaring Cap-Diamant, with its commanding views?

And will you be surprised to find such a strong French influence – not just in the style of grand buildings like Chateau Frontenac and the Quebec Parliament, but in the conversations overheard in the Upper Town’s local shops, markets, restaurants, bistros and cafés? It’s an influence that continues down into the Lower Town, where you’ll discover the Old Port of Quebec and, fittingly, the Naval Museum of Quebec; absorbing attractions that are complemented by Place- Royal, site of New France’s first permanent settlement. Visit in winter and you’ll be immersed in a carnival that showcases ice sculpture by world class carvers.