Cathedral Basilica of Notre-Dame de Québec

Cathedral Basilica of Notre-Dame de Québec tickets: which one to buy

The Cathedral-Basilica of Notre-Dame de Quebec stands in the Upper Town of Old Quebec, facing the old city hall and a short walk from the Chateau Frontenac, and entry is free. Guided tours, including the crypt, are offered in summer for a small fee and explain the history of the first parish in North America north of Mexico. Walking tours of Old Quebec, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, combine the cathedral with the Seminary of Quebec, the Dufferin Terrace, the Citadel, the Petit-Champlain quarter and the funicular linking the Upper and Lower Towns.

Old Quebec is compact and easily explored on foot, though the streets are steep. The cathedral holds regular services and closes to visitors during them. The Holy Door is open to pilgrims at certain times and is a draw for Catholic visitors. The funicular between the Upper and Lower Town is a few minutes' walk from the cathedral and saves a steep climb.

Visiting Cathedral Basilica of Notre-Dame de Québec: what to see

The parish of Notre-Dame de Quebec was founded in 1664, and the first church was built earlier, on the site where Samuel de Champlain had built a chapel. The cathedral was destroyed and rebuilt several times: it was bombarded during the British siege of Quebec in 1759, and it burned in 1922, after which it was restored in its eighteenth and nineteenth century form. The facade is neoclassical, and the interior is richly decorated with gilded wood, a baldachin over the high altar, stained glass and paintings.

The crypt holds the remains of bishops of Quebec and of four governors of New France, including Louis de Buade de Frontenac. A chapel holds the tomb of Saint Francois de Laval, the first bishop of Quebec. In 2013, to mark the 350th anniversary of the parish, a Holy Door was installed, the first outside Europe. The sanctuary lamp was a gift from King Louis XIV of France, and the episcopal throne and some furnishings survive from the early building. The stained glass windows show the history of the Catholic Church in Quebec.

Cathedral Basilica of Notre-Dame de Québec opening hours and the best time to go

The cathedral is open daily. Summer is the busiest season in Old Quebec, with festivals, street performers and crowds; the Festival d'ete, a large music festival in July, fills the city. Autumn brings spectacular colours to the surrounding countryside. Winter is cold and snowy, but the Winter Carnival in late January and February is a major attraction, and the old town is magical under snow, with a German-style Christmas market in December.

Midnight mass at Christmas is a popular tradition. Allow about half an hour for the cathedral, or an hour with a guided tour of the crypt, and walk to the Dufferin Terrace for views of the Saint Lawrence River. The Musee de l'Amerique francophone in the Seminary of Quebec next door tells the story of French settlement in North America.