A narrow pedestrian lane between the cathedral and the post office, directly opposite the Château Frontenac, Rue du Trésor has operated as an informal open-air gallery since the 1960s. Local artists display and sell original prints, watercolours, and drawings of Québec City's landmarks — the Château Frontenac, the fortification walls, the Old City in winter. The quality varies, but the better work is genuinely good, and the setting — a stone-walled lane you could mistake for 18th-century France — adds to the appeal.
It's the most reliable place in the city to find a distinctive, locally made souvenir. Prices are negotiable; the artists are generally happy to talk about their work. The lane is open from spring through autumn; in winter, the artists work indoors and the lane closes.