Northen lights in the old port a few steps from our B&B : "Aurora Borealis"

View on the bassin Louise (marina) 

In the background, you can also see the grain silos lited up at night as if they were northen lights. Those beautiful lights constantly changing and moving take on many hues, from the blue to the red , from the green to the purple ... They can be seen from the other side of the river in Levis. Actually, you see them from almost anywhere in the old city !

Below:

View on the St-Lawrence river from the remparts street, a few minutes walking from our place.

Below:

View on the Old Port and Place Royale at night.

You can see the Northen Lights on the grain silos in the left upper part of the picture.
This picture was taken from the terrasse Dufferin. The Hotel Chateau Frontenac is behind the picture taker.

 

Streets of the Old Port near our Bed and Breakfast

Place de la fontaine in the old port, a few minutes from our Bed and Breakfast

Below:

Sault au Matelot Street

 

Hotel Chateau Frontenac

Hotel Chateau Frontenac is one of the best known landmarks of Quebec city. Its presence adds a lot to the character of the old city and contributes to its enchanting side. Chateau Frontenac was built in 1892 by William Van Horne, president of Pacific Canadian Railway and was later extended three times. It now has more than 600 rooms!

This beautiful and exhuberant piece of architecture was actually built on the site of a previous chateau, Chateau Haldimand.

Chateau Haldimand was erected in 1784 by Governor Haldimand to serve as a governors’ mansion. It was destroyed in 1892 to allow for the construction of Chateau Frontenac. The demolition of Chateau Haldimand created a small contestation at the time !

You can visit Hotel Chateau Frontenac ( a 45 minute guided visit is available for a fee).

 

 

Place Royale under the snow

Place royale is a very important in the foundation of Quebec city. This is where Samuel de Champlain first established himself in 1608 when he founded the city of Quebec in the name of the king of France. You can see a bust of King Louis XIV in the center of the place. This church ( Notre-Dame-des-Victoires) was built at the exact location where Samuel de Champlain had built its first abitation ( a small fort with a wood palissade). Though out the years, this section of the city (located below the cliff, by the river) became a busy port.

The church of Place Royale was initially built in 1688. This church name was changed three times from the time it was built. Initially called Enfant-Jesus, it was first changed to Notre-Dame de la Victoire in 1690 in honor of a first victory against the English army and then to Notre-Dame-des-Victoires in 1711 in honor of a second victory against the English army. However, the church was destroyed during the Conquest war in 1759 ( when Quebec became an English colony). During many months in 1759 (from July to September ), the English army bombarded with cannonballs the city of Quebec ... Place royale was completely destroyed. The church was rebuilt in 1763.

 

Below:

Petit-Champlain street by the Place Royale area

 

The Chevalier House

The Chevalier House is a little jewel ! It is a beautiful house in itself ( actually 3 houses) with its stone walls and red roof.
Jean-Baptiste Chevalier, merchant, had it built in 1752 ( integrating what was left of two older houses on the existing land) and then sold it to Jean-Louis Fremont in 1763. The House was then converted into an inn and named London Coffee House.
Inside, you will find a very interesting exhibition about the way people used to live in those days. The exhibit displays beautiful furnitures from different centuries and it is actually fascinating to see the low height of chairs and tables as well as the short lenght of beds displayed on one of the floors... not many people in our days would feel comfortable using this smaller scale furniture !
You can visit the Chevalier House (free entrance). It is located behind the Place Royale, on Dalhousie street, a few steps from the ferry.