The funicular has connected the Upper Town (Haute-Ville) with the Lower Town (Basse-Ville) since 1879, climbing a 64-metre cliff at a 45-degree angle. The ride takes about 90 seconds and costs a few dollars; it's the most useful way to move between the Old City and the Lower Town without navigating the Escalier Casse-Cou (Breakneck Stairs). The glass-enclosed car gives good views of the St. Lawrence on the way up and the cliff architecture on the way down.
The original funicular was water-powered; the current version is electric. The lower station is in the Maison Louis-Jolliet on the Petit-Champlain; the upper station opens onto the Dufferin Terrace beside the Château Frontenac. It operates from 7:30am to 11pm daily, year-round. On busy summer days there's a queue, but it moves quickly.