The many pleasures of walking in picturesque French Québec are entirely comparable to walking in similar quartiers in northern European cities. Stone houses rub shoulders with each other; carriage wheels creak behind muscular horses; sunlight filters through leafy canopies; drinkers and diners lounge in sidewalk cafes; childish shrieks of laughter echo down cobblestone streets. Not common to other cities, however, is the bewitching vista of river and mountains that the higher elevations bestow.
In winter especially, Vieux-Québec takes on a Dickensian quality, with a lamp glow flickering behind curtains of falling snow. The man who should know -- Charles Dickens himself -- described the city as having "splendid views which burst upon the eye at every turn."
An alternative to these guided strolls is to simply "walk the walls" of the city, an endeavor which takes about an hour. In some sections, you are literally on top of the fortress wall; in most spots, you're on a path alongside it. There's a little creative guesswork involved in figuring out how to follow the route. Because of the number of stairs and occasional .6m (2-ft.) gap to traverse, walking the wall rates as moderately strenuous and isn't for young children. But it's easy to get on and off the path, and the trek offers wonderful views of the city.
