My Unfiltered Thoughts On Visiting Quebec City, Canada

These are my unfiltered thoughts after visiting Quebec City, Canada. These are just a few of my observations after taking a trip Quebec City.

Time Stamps:
0:00 - Context
1:10 - Does it feel European?
7:58 - A question for locals
9:50 - Unexpected + loves
11:46 - My big takeaway
17:06 - Final question for locals

DISCLAIMER: I only express my opinion based on my experience. Your experience may be different. Links above may include affiliate commission or referrals. I'm part of an affiliate network and I receive compensation from partnering websites. This video is accurate as of the posting date but may not be accurate in the future.

[alainbergeron]

I have been working in the old Quebec city for 37 years now. The old Quebec is not only visited by tourists. Locals from the other areas of the city love to come to the old Quebec city. But the number of locals in the old Quebec city highly depends on the day of the week, the season and the weather. During the first days of the summer, if you visit the old Quebec city on a Saturday or Sunday when it is sunny, you will see so many locals coming to the old town to walk the streets, do some shopping, have a coffee and eat in the restaurants. You will hardly notice the tourists as they will be so diluted within the large number of locals. At the opposite, if you visit the old Quebec city on a weekday when the weather is rather dull, you will see mostly tourists and you will believe that locals never visit this part of the town. For the Europen aspects of the city, we always feel like we are in between. We have French roots but we have American values and habits. Although now we have pedestrian streets, still a lot of citizens complain about it. Fortunately, we have a lot of immigrants from France that help us keep a European touch...

[cifbe]

As a Montrealer with family in Quebec, I visit once in a while and love to play the tourist. What strikes me in your comments, and this also applies to parts of Montreal as well, is that for American and Canadian tourists, Quebec City is heavily marketed for its old world charm. That’s because it’s the most unique and distinctive aspect of the city if you compare it with other places in North America. And for sure, those old bricks are real. But if you ask a European tourist, do you think they care for our cities? No! They pack a van and drive until the end of the road. They’re here for the colours, the space, the nature, the snow, the wilderness! What you would hardly find in the middle of Paris or Florence. Some places, like Quebec City, are mainly defined by their contrasts. The reality is somewhere between the layers.

[climatehero]

The locals don't do the same activities as the tourists in the old town. You need to know French to absorb the culture.

[marilyndoering]

Enjoyed your impressions of Quebec City. We live in Ontario and have visited Quebec City several times as well as various trips to Europe. It’s not necessary to choose one over the other. Do you need to choose Spain over Italy, or France? No, they all have their own cultures, their own charms and their own food. Quebec City for us is an easy trip to enjoy a very different ambience, great food, beautiful historic architecture and it also has importance historically for Canadians. I’m so happy that Quebec City has maintained its unique culture and that we can enjoy it when we visit. From my observations, it seems to me that many locals do frequent the wonderful restaurants and bistros in the Old Town, and there does seem to be a real appreciation for food prepared creatively and well. Lastly, you won’t have experienced anything like the Winter Carnaval during February in Quebec City! It’s incredible and there you really do get the sense that the locals are all outdoors enjoying themselves with their families and friends! It’s a winter wonderland.

[soniab]

To answer your question, I grew up in Quebec City, and as a teenager, my friends and I would go to Old Quebec every weekend, sometimes twice, to go out in clubs and bars, since most cool bars where there. Young people also went to chill, drink and smoke on the Plains of Abraham in the summer. That was many years ago. There were tourists back then, but not as much as there are now. Also, the bar and club culture is not as prevalent today, so because of that and because of the large amount of tourists Quebec City attracts now, I am not sure if locals frequent the old town as much nowadays.

[simonledoux]

One of the many reasons I like to return to Quebec is that I have the opportunity to speak French. I feel totally immersed when I am there. The locals are pretty receptive and appreciative when you make an attempt to speak French. Even after a few days there, I learn new words, and feel more confident speaking the language. It is amazing to be in this francophone environment that is less than a half a day's drive from where I live. Actually, I can be in Quebec City within 7 hours or less. Quebec isn't Europe but when I am there I feel like I am in a unique place and I love the foreigness of that city. Yet it's a foreigness that is absolutely comfortable and exciting.
I was surprised that you didn't mention more about the linguistic aspect of being there. Well maybe you might give it another chance. There are a few places that at first didn't impress me as much as I anticipated but ended up growing on me after a second or third visit.

[JoyceCarmichael]

a quebec city resident here.we go to vieux quebec every two weekens in the spring summer and early fall.we go to have a drink and encourage the local business.

[patricemalo]

Hi there! Lifetime Montrealer here with my two cents wroth. There's an important distinction here... We definitely can say Quebec is the "MOST" European city in North America. But that's not saying that it IS a European city. That's an important distinction I think.
I have the privilege of being a couple of hours drive away. The nice thing about it is that we regularly can decide to take a weekend trip and find ourselves in a different enough place to make it feel like a vacation without spending the kind of money it would cost us to actually go to Europe. As a matter of fact, a few fiends are actually going there in a couple of weeks for the German Christmas market. I just hope we get a good snowfall before then to make it truly magical.
One thing I've found (with may touristy places) is that food and restaurants can be hit or miss. It seems there are many unscrupulous business people (I wouldn't even call them resauranteurs) know that they're not counting on repeat business because tourists typically may not ever come back. So they put everything on the Look and Style of the place and then ZERO effort on the actual food. This is unfortunate but true in many touristy places. So do your homework and read reviews before choosing where you'll eat. And good luck. There are still many excellent choices in Old Quebec.

[stephaniemiersch]

Hi! I live just across the water in Lévis Québec. While I may not hang out in Vieux-Québec every week, I certainly hang out there every chance I get, especially from May to the end of October. Real Québécois people do live in old Québec and we are proud of our heritage. Come spend the month of July during the Summer music festival (Festival d'Été de Québec). You will fall in love. It's not Europe, c'est le Québec!

[bloodygorecomix]

Quebecer here. I think the thing to keep in mind is that in Europe, old structures are everywhere and are naturaly lived in by all social classes. But Quebec City was initialy quite small compared to many european towns and by the time the rest of the country was colonized, architecture had already move on to more modern and economical builds. That meant that the few and rarer truly old fancier builds like Quebec City's old town (and to a lesser degree Montreal's Old Town) inevitably became innaccessible to lower classes. That's why it's either tourist businesses, luxury shops or very expensive living areas. To truly be immersed in the local populace, you inevitably need to venture beyon the Old Town, in neighbourhoods such as Saint-Roch. That's where you will find the younger crowd, alternative venues, artists and musicians, and by artists, I don't mean the buskers working for the tourists in the Old Town. As a resident of this province who also regularly spends time in Quebec City, I feel like the european aspect of this city is more like a living museum than regular everyday life for its inhabitants.

[nicogi]

Born and raised in Québec City here :) As a local, I do find myself going to the old town on a regular basis, and I think most locals do as well. Sometimes I go there to eat out or visit specific stores that you won't find anywhere else, and sometimes to simply wander around. Also, there's a lot happening in the old town, such as Festival d'été de Québec, the German Christmas Market, winter carnival, etc. :)

[Xerxes]

I'm from Quebec City. I must say that I have mixed feelings about my city and Québec in general being called "European". We're not Europeans. We're North Americans, but with different memories and a different language. Americans and English Canadians also have European traits in their cultures. The difference is that their European traits mainly come from the British Isles while ours are from France. But since they dominate the continent they see their traits as American, and we are seen as the foreign European enclave in the anglosphere they have created in North America. But we've been here since 1608! We're just as much North Americans as they are! Just of another kind.

Now, about the Old Town, I go there at least once a year. Yes, it is very touristy, but citizen will go there to take a walk or meet at a restaurant. There is something strangely soothing there. The place can be crowded with tourists (a lot being Quebeckers, since people here tend to spend their vacations in the province), but you can still relax, sitting on a bench watching passersby passing by, or walking on the Dufferin Terrace and admiring the St. Lawrence River. As a Quebecker, I almost have a spiritual experience each time I'm going to Place Royale, since it's where everything began for us. And I always say a little "bonjour" to Louis XIV... Outside of the Old Town, things look a bit more American, but you wont see much skyscrapers here, which is something that is more European.

[talie]

I lived in Europe (Edinburgh and Dublin) and traveled a lot in Europe. But coming back in Québec, I decided to live in Québec city as it's the closest to living in Europe. But I can understand that if you have the opportunity to really go in Europe, this the best and you definitely should do that! I love Italy, Spain and Portugal. Edinburgh has such a charm as well, though rainy...

[talie]

I live in Québec city and I go in the old town a few times a year because I like the European feeling, the restaurant's, and just a great place to go in general to walk and enjoy a beautiful day. It's a most during The Christmas market in December, the whole place looks like a postcard ❤

[MartinAngers-jn]

I am Local. Old town (within the walls) as gotten more touristy for sure over the years. Locals actually living within the walls are less numerous every year and are replaced by rich overseas people that own an appartment there and residing a week/year. However, locals are still going there in mass. Food, walks, events/festivals, drinks, cafés, shopping, museums, shows, etc. Locals are actually more « tourists » themselves since they are living 5-30 min from Old Town. Tourists are usually staying in old town which is creates mixed feelings for me as they are missing A LOT by just wandering in Old Town while it is good for us as we can enjoy so much of the city outside of the walls without tourists, like the st-charles river, samuel de champlain promenade, limoilou, st-roch, st-sacrement. Advice to locals: don’t go to Galeries de la Capitale on a rainy summer day… VERY touristy. That being said, Quebec is NOT Europe, but it has some flavors of it while being a North American city with French heritage.

[hdufort]

I'm a Québécois, and I visit Ville de Québec every 2 or 3 years. It's pleasant, it's beautiful, and the food is good. One of my favorite spots is Chez Boulay. Lots of Québécois visit the old town, it's a favorite vacation spot in summer, at Christmas and during Carnival (February). Personally I like to drive there in Fall, and visit wineries on île d'Orléans during vendanges.

I don't understand your obsession about figuring out whether or not Québec is "European". The old town was the capital and metropolis of a transatlantic colonial empire. Neither the climate nor the local materials could make it "European". It never was. The local culture quickly developed its own North American way of life. You are confusing "historical" with "European". It's not because it's historical (full of old stones and old buildings) and the locals speak French that the place is supposed to feel like Europe.

Québec doesn't hire actors to pretend we're in a corner of Paris. That would be fake. We don't need to pretend we're something we're not.

The culture, the politics, the mentalities, the language, the education system, the road signs, the TV shows, the local music, some of the food, the celebrities... It will all feel as foreign to you as it feels to Europeans tourists.

For example, our education system has grades/years that are different from both the American system and the French system.

Just enjoy your visit and instead of working very hard to find an elusive "europeanity", try to enjoy what's best in this city. Europeans don't come here to find Europe, and yet, we receive a lot of European tourists. They don't come here to find some sort of smaller, French-speaking Boston as well. They come here for the amazing view, Hotel Château Frontenac, Montmorency falls, the whales, the Fall colors, etc.

[magalipeloquin]

I live in Quebec and the old city of Quebec is by far my favorite place.

As for your 3rd point, I think the best way to describe it might be to say that you could visually feel yourself in a European city, but inhabited by polite Americans not by the inhabitants of a traditionnal village.

That's how I feel when I go there !!

[lucforand]

Many people from New England come back year after year for Quebec City's culture and food as its can be reached by car; which is far easier and cheaper than going to Europe.

[LouismarieBelanger]

Born in Québec city and I go in Old Québec anytime year around even during tourism season. Place Royale is where Québec was born. I'm going there 12 to 20 times a year. Keeping my link with my roots.

[Boom.Desjardins]

I live in the lower town of Quebec City and I rarely go in the Old Town. There is a few good restaurants there but mostly I go once in a while when family and friends from out of town come visit, or to have a picnic on the Plains in the summer but appart from that I don't go if I don't have to.

It's sad because the Old Town used to be a legit neighborhood but with time, it became more or less just a big tourist attraction. Most appartment buildings are owned by american company that prefer short term rental and prices are out of control. There are still like 5000 people that live in that area, wich is a small amount if you take in the fact that Québec City has a population of about 600 000 people.

I personaly mostly hangout in the St-Sauveur, St-Roch, Limoilou or St-Jean-Baptiste neighborhood. That's where the best bakeries, cafés, restaurants, breweries and bars are. Prices are "normal" and it is not overcrowded with tourists.