KANADA

QUEBEC CITY

HISTORY

Quebec City is one of the oldest European settlements in North America. While many of the major cities in Mexico date from the sixteenth century, among cities in Canada and the U.S.A., few were created earlier than Quebec City (St. John's, Harbour Grace, Port Royal, St. Augustine, Santa Fe, Jamestown, and Tadoussac). Also, Quebec's Old Town (Vieux-Québec) is the only North American fortified city north of Mexico whose walls still exist.

French explorer Jacques Cartier built a fort at the site in 1535, where he stayed for the winter before going back to France in spring 1536. He came back in 1541 with the goal of building a permanent settlement. This first settlement was abandoned less than one year after its foundation, in the summer 1542, due in large part to the hostility of the natives combined with the harsh living conditions during winter.

Quebec City is located in the Saint Lawrence River valley, on the north bank of the Saint Lawrence River near its meeting with the St. Charles River. The region is low-lying and flat. The river valley has rich, arable soil, which makes this region the most fertile in the province. The Laurentian Mountains lie to the north of the city.

Upper Town lies on the top of Cap-Diamant (Cape Diamond) promontory. A high stone wall surrounds this portion of the city. The Plains of Abraham are located near the edge of the promontory. Lower Town is located at shore level, below Cap-Diamant.
Québec City, located on the St. Lawrence River, has an Old Town that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city's charm, history, and architecture has a distinct European flavor. 
Québec displays its French heritage in a variety of ways and the French language is preferred by the majority of the city's citizens.

Be sure to see the Quartier Petit-Champlain, a fanciful neighborhood bordering the Place Royale, the Fortifications of Quebec (several miles of fortifications that defended the Old Town), La Citadelle of Quebec - often referred to as America's Gibraltar (guided tours only) and the Québec Old Port, for views into the history of an early settlement in North America.

Attraction at Zurich,  

Quebec Winter Carnival  

The Quebec Winter Carnival brings Quebec City alive with sub-zero merry-making every year, beginning on the last weekend of January and continuing for the the next two weeks (17 days in total). The world's largest winter carnival, the Quebec Winter Carnival has been a highlight on the Quebec event calendar since 1894 and been giving Quebeckers and thousands of visitors a reason to celebrate during the cold, snowy winters.

The Quebec Winter Carnival takes place at the end of January to mid-February every year.

History,

The Quebec Winter Carnival began when the habitants of New France, now Quebec, had a rowdy tradition of getting together just before Lent to eat, drink and be merry.

 Today, the Quebec Winter Carnival is the biggest winter carnival in the world and is celebrated annually at the end of January until mid-February. 

Think Mardi Gras in winter and you have an idea of how big a deal the Quebec Winter Carnival is. No sense in fighting the cold -- embrace and celebrate it.

 Location,

The Quebec Winter Carnival takes place at various locations in Old Quebec. Locations are within about a 1 km distance of one another, so for most people, walking distance. Keep in mind, Old Quebec hills are steep and proper footwear is a must. In addition, most every Carnival event is outdoors, so be sure to pack and dress appropriately. You can always take layers off, but if you or your kids are not warm enough, it can ruin the day.

Cost:

Kiosks and other outlets in the city sell the Bonnehomme effigy tag for $12 that gets you into most of the Winter Carnival events. Have cash on hand if you plan to buy from one of the street kiosks.

Some activities cost extra, but families can still have a full, fun day with just the purchase of the Carnival Bonnehomme effigy.

The zip line, night parades, slide runs, concerts, snow sculptures, sleigh or dogsled rides, Ice Palace and skating are among the many activities offered during this year's Carnival.

Martello Tower

Built by the British to prevent the Americans from drawing close enough to lay siege to the walls of Quebec, the four Martello towers were begun by James Craig in 1808 and completed in 1812. The towers were arranged to provide for each other's defence, being situated along an axis that bisects the Plains of Abraham from the northwest to the southeast in order to screen the western approach to Quebec City, and were numbered rather than named. Tower No. 3 was demolished in the 1900s but the other three remain. The limited openings on the tower were designed to prevent the enemy from taking it by storm, while the tower's rounded shape (to deflect projectiles) and thick masonry walls made it nearly impervious to artillery fire.

Martello Tower door
The doors to the tower are at a height of two and a half times the height of a man - about 4.5 metres - and could only be reached by a removable ladder. The towers were never tested in battle, and became obsolete in the 1860s with the development of rifled artillery, which was powerful enough to breech their walls.


Using the theme of military engineering Martello Tower No. 1 is open for visitors to view its three floors during the summer months.

The Martellos were originally fitted with removable roofs in the fall to keep snow from accumulating on the gun platform at the top and removed in the spring. The roofs were later replaced with newer permanent ones which look almost the same.

The three towers were designated a national historic site in 1990, and also form part of the Fortifications of Quebec National Historic Site.

Martello towers, sometimes known simply as Martellos, are small defensive forts that were built across the British Empire during the 19th century, from the time of the French Revolutionary Wars onwards.

They stand up to 40 feet (12m) high (with two floors) and typically had a garrison of one officer and 15–25 men. Their round structure and thick walls of solid masonry made them resistant to cannon fire, while their height made them an ideal platform for a single heavy artillery piece, mounted on the flat roof and able to traverse, and hence fire over, a complete 360° circle. A few towers had moats or other batteries and works attached for extra defence.

The Martello towers were used during the first half of the 19th century, but became obsolete with the introduction of powerful rifled artillery. Many have survived to the present day, often preserved as historic monuments.

In the later half of the 19th century, there was another spate of tower and fort building, during the premiership of Lord Palmerston. These fortifications are therefore correctly called the Palmerston Forts, although, because they are circular in design, some confuse them with Martello towers.