In the city of Quebec, the capital of Quebec Province, Canada

 “Quebec City is the most European of any city in North America; they speak French all the time. There is a part of town called Old Quebec, which is really like being in France.” -- Sebastian Bach

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(in one of the oldest cities in Canada) Quebec, the capital of Quebec Province, has a distinct old-world character and charm. It is the only remaining walled city in North America (north of Mexico) and was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1985. Among its other distinguishing characteristics are its narrow cobblestone streets, stone buildings, fortifications, and rich French-Canadian culture. In addition to being a major tourist destination, Quebec is an administrative center and a port city for transatlantic trade. Its location at the confluence of the St. Lawrence and Saint-Charles rivers, about 150 miles (240 km) northeast of Montreal, provided a number of strategic military advantages: because of the narrowing of the St. Lawrence River, Quebec was the farthest upstream ocean-going vessels could navigate, and the city’s fortifications on a high ridge had a commanding view of the river.

+ Quebec is also a major transatlantic port, handling products that are conveyed on the St. Lawrence Seaway, which serves the Great Lakes region of North America. The port, rail lines, and freeways also facilitate a manufacturing industry that includes newsprint, beverages and food processing, chemicals, printing, garments, and shipbuilding. The port also supports another major industry (tourism), which has been a mainstay of the economy for well over 150 years.

+ This city has three principal districts: Upper Town, Lower Town, and St. Roch. Upper Town, as the name suggests, is located high above the river on Cape Diamond (Cap Diamant); the militarily strategic high ground. Sandwiched between the banks of the St. Lawrence and Cape Diamond is the old commercial Lower Town. St. Roch occupies the lowlands east of the Lower Town to the St. Charles River.
+ Surrounded by a stone wall some 2.9 miles (4.6 km) long that was constructed at the beginning of the 19th century to protect the city against feared invasion by the United States, Old Quebec is the heart of Upper Town. It is dominated by the Chateau Frontenac hotel. Construction on the copper-turreted castle-like hotel began in 1893, with its prominent central tower added in 1924. Behind the hotel, a long boardwalk overlooks the Lower Town and the St. Lawrence River.

+ Quebec city offers many opportunities to participate in sports and recreation. In winter skiing is especially popular on the slopes of the Laurentian Mountains only a few miles from the city. The Mont Sainte-Anne center has been the scene of World Cup skiing tournaments as well as mountain bike world championships. Among the principal local events are the summer festival of early to mid-July and the Quebec Winter Carnival, which has been held from late January to mid-February since 1955.