Grande Allee, Quebec

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The Grande Allee is to Quebec what the Champs Elysees is to Paris. It's the "main drag", where things are happening. A broad avenue, it leads from the old walls to the outskirts of the city, past the Plains of Abraham and the art museum. Along the way are restaurants of all types, making this an excellent place for lunch or dinner.

I read that the Grande Allee was the Champs Elysees, the famous boulevard in Paris, of Quebec City but I'm not sure that's a terribly accurate description. It is, however, one of the nicer streets to stroll down, filled with restaurants and B&Bs in former mansions on the section closest to the city walls.

The Festival d'Ete (Summer Festival) was going on while we were here and the street was jammed with people, we stopped for a few minutes to watch a man & woman inside a fish tank "bar" promoting some brand of beer (not very effective advertising when you can't remember the product) before making our way back inside the city walls.

The Grande Allee is one of Quebec City's oldest streets, it was the route people took from outlying areas to sell their furs. The mansions, now restaurants and B&Bs, are from the 19th century when the wealthy lived here.

Aptly considered the premiere promenade for seeing Quebec's main tourist attractions.

The rotating L'Astral restaurant (1225, Cour du Général-de-Montcalm) on top of Lœws Le Concorde, for its spectacular view of the city and delectable cuisine.

There are also many little restaurants. As well as McDonald's, Burger King and Ashton's which serve poutine, a Quebec favourite. You will also find a lot of little bed and breakfasts along this street.

Outside of 'Vieux Quebec' is a vibrant city. The Grand Allee is lined with cafes, restaurants, small hotels and official buildings. This picture is of the roofline of one of them!