☰Vieux-Québec (Old City)

The only walled city north of Mexico, Vieux-Québec was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985. The fortifications — built and rebuilt between the 17th and 19th centuries — are well preserved and walkable; you can circumnavigate the Old Upper Town on the walls in about an hour. Inside the walls, the streets are narrow and the architecture spans four centuries. The Lower Town (Basse-Ville), reached by funicular or the steep Escalier Casse-Cou, contains the Quartier Petit-Champlain — touristy but genuinely attractive — and the Place Royale, where the first French settlement was established in 1608. The Citadelle, still garrisoned by the Royal 22e Régiment, offers guided tours and a daily Changing of the Guard in summer.