Petit Champlain District (Quartier Petit Champlain)
Petit-Champlain, Quebec City, Quebec
One of Quebec City’s best-preserved historic neighborhoods, the Petit Champlain District (Quartier Petit Champlain) has cobbled streets with sidewalk cafés, art galleries, and boutiques and European ambience. The city’s oldest staircase, the Breakneck Steps (L'Escalier Casse-Cou), leads from this quarter to the Côte de la Montagne.
The Petit Champlain District is home to what is thought to be the oldest commercial street in North America: Rue du Petit Champlain. The street’s original purpose as a place for meeting and commerce continues today. Visitors can stop for lunch or coffee at one of the cafés, browse for unique souvenirs in the boutiques and galleries, and explore the historic past of the city. The area is popular among visitors and a regular stop on guided tours of Quebec City.
The streets in Petit Champlain and narrow and cobbled and may be difficult to navigate for people with limited mobility.
Keep an eye out for the huge trompe l'oeil mural at 102 Rue du Petit-Champlain, which illustrates the different stages of Quebec’s history.
Take the Breakneck Steps from Petit Champlain to Quebec City’s Lower Town.
Petit Champlain is a largely pedestrian area, best accessed by foot from other parts of the city. Guided walking and bike tours explore the area daily.
The shops and cafés in Petit Champlain are open every day. In the summer months, outdoor terrasses make the restaurants especially pleasant, while the run up to Christmas means festive lights and decorations and a special atmosphere.
From June to October, daily tourist trains make the journey up the St. Lawrence river from Quebec City to Malbaie. Winding along the river’s edge, through open fields and narrow tunnels, visitors will get a sense of the scale and beauty of this huge province from their comfortable vantage point inside the train.
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