Dufferin Terrace

Dufferin Terrace is the focal point of Quebec City. Here you experience what you came to experience! Happy people walking along, soaking up the sun, enjoying life. The blue Saint Lawrence River, seen through dainty leafy branches of maple trees, fills all with delight. There are street musicians, and six stripey gazebos. Chateau Frontenac towers over the area in splendor. 

The terrace is a very wide wooden boardwalk high above the river. You can peak over at Lower Town from the balcony railing. On the north end is the tall statue, Monument Samuel-De-Champlain, where street performers gather to play with fire or ride unicycles, and Unitour buses line up to take tourist on day tours. There is a Starbucks here, if you need an American fix. It has a small patio looking out on the action.
The first (most northern) stripey gazebo is enclosed/indoor, with toilets below, and a park ranger shop with tour info, snack, and souvenirs on the terrace level. Below the second stripey gazebo are archaeological ruins of four forts and chateaux that you can visit at Saint-Louis Forts and Châteaux National Historic Site. You can see the entrance- a glass barrier and stairs leading down, and a sweet French park ranger beckoning people to come see. Between the first and second stripey gazebo is the Funicular, which takes you down to the Lower Town, for $4 cash. It is a fun ride, with views through the glass. You can sit on benches under the stripey gazebos to get some rest. The third stripey gazebo, which sits next to the side of Chateau Frontenac has a sandwich shop called Au 1884. For some reason I didn't see this shop when I was there- it would have been handy! There is an ice cream shop here too, on the side of Chateau Frontenac, by the path that leads up to Parc des Gouverneurs. There are also clean restrooms inside Chateau Frontenac, which you access by taking this path up the hill and turning right into the main entrance of Chateau Frontenac by the car pull-in area. Inside Chateau Frontenac there are usually performers of some kind, such as a young lady dressed in a royal blue princess gown, or the king strutting along with his brass band. Beside the third gazebo is a large grassy hill with cannons. Stand at the top of this hill, on Rue des Carrieres, in front of Parc des Gouverneurs, to get a good view of Dufferin Terrace. Some of the stripey gazebos have names, like Kiosque Victoria, the fourth one. The sixth and last gazebo is at the very south end of Dufferin Terrace, where the stairs to Promenade des Gouverneurs begins, a long leafy walkway over the river that leads 600m to the View Point Saint Laurent River, a large round concrete structure with a metal roof on the south side of the Citadelle. I didn't get to take this walkway yet but it looks amazing in the fall when the maple trees turn orange.

Directions

Dufferin Terrace runs in front of Chateau Frontenac. It is the edge of the Upper Town.

Click on map for interactive view