When you are on a cruise, you can only get a brief taste of a city. This is truly the case for Quebec City. The morning was in the countryside which left only half day to see some of the city. There is so much history to absorb and no time to do it. After Jacques Cartier discovered Quebec in 1535, Quebec was settled by the French Explorer Samuel de Champlain in 1608, taken over by the British, back to the French, etc.

Most of the business started along the St. Lawrence River and the residents figured out it would be better to live further up on the bluff.

The main feature of the city skyline is the Le Chateau Frontenac which sits above the lower part of the old city. There is a funicular you can take from the old city below up to the chateau and terrace.

The old cannons are still on display from when there was a fort located atop the bluff.

In front of the chateau is a beautiful terrace, a promenade or boardwalk where people enjoy the view of the river and just sitting or strolling. Directly under the terrace is an archeological historic museum with remains of Saint Louis Forts and Chateau. Tours are available. At one end is a toboggan slide built in 1884 and still usable in the winter.

As we stroll back down via walkways and stairs through the old city to the ship, it is clear this city requires more than a cruise stop to experience all it has to offer.

Back on the ship, we watch the city skyline fade as we continue sailing down the St. Lawrence River towards the ocean.