Quebec City: the only fortified city left north of Mexico

Opened in 1893 for the Canadian Pacific Railway, the Château Frontenac dominates the skyline of the old city and is often described by tourism marketing as the most photographed hotel in the world.

At its foot, the Dufferin Terrace runs along the walls overlooking the Saint Lawrence River, the starting point for exploring the rest of the fortified city.

Descending among the cobblestoned streets of the Petit-Champlain Quarter, among the oldest commercial areas in North America, shops and cafés occupy buildings from the 17th century.

Towards evening, the Plaines d'Abraham, where in 1759 the decisive battle between French and English for control of Canada took place, offers a large urban park to close the day.

The Battle of the Plains of Abraham lasted merely twenty minutes, yet decided forever Quebec's passage under British rule, while leaving the city's French-speaking identity intact.

Quebec's walls, restored several times in the nineteenth century rather than demolished as happened elsewhere in North America, are today a UNESCO World Heritage site precisely for their rarity on the continent.