Canada Guide
Québec City
Hôtel du Parlement
Address: Eastern end of Grande-Allée
Opening time: Late June to early Sept Mon– Fri 9am–4.30pm, Sat & Sun 10am–4.30pm; early Sept to late June Mon– Fri 9am–4.30pm; guided tours every 30 minutes
Telephone: 418/643-7239 or 1-866/337-8837
Website: www.assnat.qc.ca
Price: Free
The stately buildings of the Hôtel du Parlement were designed by Eugène-Étienne Taché in 1877 in the Second Empire style using the Louvre for inspiration. The ornate facade includes niches for twelve bronze statues by Québecois sculptor Louis-Philippe Hébert of Canada's and Québec's major statesmen, while finely chiselled and gilded walnut panels in the entrance hall depict important moments in Québec's history, coats of arms and other heraldic features. From here the corridor of the President's Gallery, lined with portraits of all the Legislative Assembly's speakers and presidents, leads to the Chamber of the National Assembly, where the 125 provincial representatives meet for debate. You can't see much, though, unless you take one of the free half-hour guided tours.