Canada Guide
Québec City
Vieux-Port
To the east and north, near the confluence of the St Charles and the St Lawrence rivers, lies the Vieux-Port de Québec, the busiest harbour in the province until its gradual eclipse by Montréal at the end of the 19th century. Much of the harbour has been renovated as a recreational area, with theatres, yuppie flats, sheltered walkways, restaurants and a marina packed with pleasure boats and yachts. The Marché du Vieux-Port (March– Nov daily from 8am) is a throwback to how the port used to be – its busy market stalls selling cheap, fresh produce from the local area.
Also on the south side of the Bassin Louise, the next street down from St-André is rue St-Paul, heart of Québec's antiques district. Numerous cluttered antique shops, art galleries, cafés and restaurants now occupy warehouses and offices abandoned after the demise of the port. From rue St-Paul the steep Côte du Colonel Dambourgès leads to rue des Remparts on the northern borders of Haute-Ville.