{"id":49697,"date":"2026-04-28T11:11:34","date_gmt":"2026-04-28T11:11:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/usa\/i-went-to-quebec-city-and-felt-like-id-jetted-off-to-europe-without-leaving-north-america\/"},"modified":"2026-04-28T11:11:34","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T11:11:34","slug":"i-went-to-quebec-city-and-felt-like-id-jetted-off-to-europe-without-leaving-north-america","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/usa\/i-went-to-quebec-city-and-felt-like-id-jetted-off-to-europe-without-leaving-north-america\/","title":{"rendered":"I went to Quebec City and felt like I&#8217;d jetted off to Europe without leaving North America"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/62f3c67b5b790400198acb49?format=jpeg\" alt=\"The author sits on a window sill overlooking Qu\u00e9bec City\"\/><figcaption>Quebec City is reminiscent of European cities, according to Business Insider&#039;s travel reporter.<\/p>\n<p>Joey Hadden\/Business Insider<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<ul>\n<li>I went to Quebec City in August 2022. It&#039;s a historic French city with a European feel. <\/li>\n<li>Then, I visited four European countries for the first time: Germany, Italy, Austria, and Switzerland.<\/li>\n<li>The streets and buildings of Quebec City felt similar to places I visited in Europe. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>With narrow, cobblestone streets, European-inspired architecture, and a primarily French-speaking population, Quebec City feels like a European paradise. <\/p>\n<p>I spent 24 hours in the 400-year-old French-Canadian city in August 2022. Back then, I hadn&#039;t explored enough of Europe to decide if Quebec City felt like other countries across the Atlantic.<\/p>\n<p>But after visiting Italy, Switzerland, Austria, and Germany two months later, the comparison was clear.<\/p>\n<p>Quebec City is over 400 years old, making it one of the oldest cities in Canada.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/63249774d5916b0019ac0d77?format=jpeg\" alt=\"Fairmont in Quebec City\"\/><figcaption>\n<p>Joey Hadden\/Business Insider<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The city, which sits on the St. Lawrence River, was founded by French explorer Samuel de Champlain, according to the city&#039;s website.<\/p>\n<p>Quebec City is on the eastern edge of the Canadian province of Quebec.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/67d03c74585f1dff88b1bfaa?format=jpeg\" alt=\"A map of the Northeastern coast of North America with arrows pointing to New York and Quebec City\"\/><figcaption>\n<p>Arrows point to Qu\u00e9bec City and New York City.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>I traveled by train from Montreal to Quebec City, but my flight home to New York City took less than two hours \u2014 much shorter than a trip to Europe. My direct flight from NYC to Berlin was nearly eight hours long when I visited in October 2022.<\/p>\n<p>I spent most of my time in Old Quebec, a neighborhood with preserved French and British colonial architecture.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/6388c52fb4290800185cbe70?format=jpeg\" alt=\"A street in Old Qu\u00e9bec.\"\/><figcaption>A street in Old Qu\u00e9bec.<\/p>\n<p>Joey Hadden\/Business Insider<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>During my visit, I spotted many of these simple, rectangular buildings with decorative shutters.<\/p>\n<p>I wandered down Old Quebec&#039;s photogenic streets and spotted rows of colorful buildings.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/67d041b3b8b41a9673fa42ac?format=jpeg\" alt=\"A composite image of quaint, colorful streets in Qu\u00e9bec and Switzerland.\"\/><figcaption>Vibrant architecture in Quebec City (left) and Zurich (right).<\/p>\n<p>Joey Hadden\/Business Insider<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>A few months later, in Zurich, I saw blocks I thought looked similar to those in Quebec City. Streets in both cities were lined with vibrant shops and restaurants.<\/p>\n<p>Many of the streets in Old Quebec were made of cobblestone.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/67d041d8b8b41a9673fa42b7?format=jpeg\" alt=\"Cobblestone streets in Old Qu\u00e9bec viewed from above\"\/><figcaption>\n<p>Joey Hadden\/Business Insider<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>They looked like the roads I saw in all four European countries I visited.<\/p>\n<p>I also noticed most signs were written in French.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/6387d032d346c1001894a367?format=jpeg\" alt=\"French signage in Qu\u00e9bec City.\"\/><figcaption>Joey Hadden\/Business Insider<\/p>\n<p>Joey Hadden\/Insider<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>That&#039;s because about 84% of Quebec&#039;s population speaks French, according to the Government of Canada.<\/p>\n<p>English wasn&#039;t the primary language spoken in any of the European countries I visited, either.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/6388f0b4b4290800185ccccc?format=jpeg\" alt=\"A sign for gondola rides in Venice, Italy.\"\/><figcaption>A sign for gondola rides in Venice, Italy.<\/p>\n<p>Joey Hadden\/Business Insider<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Most of the signs I saw abroad were written in German or Italian.<\/p>\n<p>While some streets in Quebec City were wide, others were quite narrow.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/67d04263b8b41a9673fa42cd?format=jpeg\" alt=\"A composite image of narrow alleyways in Quebec City and Rome.\"\/><figcaption>Narrow streets in Quebec City (left) and Rome (right).<\/p>\n<p>Joey Hadden\/Business Insider<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Later, in Rome and Venice, Italy, I stumbled upon alleys that reminded me of the narrow streets in Quebec.<\/p>\n<p>After my trip to Europe, I also realized that my hotel in Quebec City, Fairmont Le Ch\u00e2teau Frontenac, was similar to those I had seen abroad.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/6387d7e2d346c1001894a59a?format=jpeg\" alt=\"Streets near Fairmont in Quebec City\"\/><figcaption>\n<p>Joey Hadden\/Business Insider<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>I thought it was the most stunning building, which makes sense as, according to the World Atlas, it&#039;s known as the most photographed hotel in the world.<\/p>\n<p>It was a dramatic castle-like structure.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/632489e0d5916b0019ac080c?format=jpeg\" alt=\"Fairmont hotel in Quebec\"\/><figcaption>\n<p>Joey Hadden\/Business Insider<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The hotel opened in 1893 and was inspired by romantic architecture and French castles.<\/p>\n<p>The hotel looked like something out of a fairy tale, with elaborate landscaping and old-world architecture.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/67d0434669253ccddf98dc90?format=jpeg\" alt=\"A composite images of old-world buildings behind gardens in Quebec City and Vienna\"\/><figcaption>Fairy tale landscapes in Quebec City (left) and Austria (right).<\/p>\n<p>Joey Hadden\/Business Insider<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>I had a similar feeling while strolling through gardens next to historic architecture in Vienna.<\/p>\n<p>Inside, I thought my hotel room was small, but the view out the window was grand.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/6328ad4dedbe7f00190eddbb?format=jpeg\" alt=\"The author perches on the window sill in the hotel room\"\/><figcaption>\n<p>Joey Hadden\/Business Insider<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>I perched on the windowsill and marveled at the European architecture surrounding me.<\/p>\n<p>I also saw Quebec City Hall, which was inspired by the Second Empire.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/6388aff8edf6e10018e8399f?format=jpeg\" alt=\"Qu\u00e9bec City Hall, a national historic site in Canada.\"\/><figcaption>Qu\u00e9bec City Hall, a national historic site in Canada.<\/p>\n<p>Joey Hadden\/Business Insider<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>It was built in a European style with prominent rooftops, according to the Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation.<\/p>\n<p>I spotted the same architectural style in Viennese buildings, like Sch\u00f6nbrunn Palace.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/6388ef04b4290800185ccc48?format=jpeg\" alt=\"Sch\u00f6nbrunn Palace in Vienna.\"\/><figcaption>Sch\u00f6nbrunn Palace in Vienna.<\/p>\n<p>Joey Hadden\/Business Insider<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>This architectural style is known as Second Empire Baroque.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, old-world cathedrals in Quebec City, such as Notre-Dame de Qu\u00e9bec Basilica-Cathedral, reminded me of those I later saw in Europe.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/6388c470edf6e10018e83db2?format=jpeg\" alt=\"Notre Dame cathedral in Qu\u00e9bec City\"\/><figcaption>Notre Dame cathedral in Qu\u00e9bec City<\/p>\n<p>Joey Hadden\/Business Insider<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Notre-Dame de Qu\u00e9bec Basilica-Cathedral has a Neoclassical style, with towers and stained-glass detailing.<\/p>\n<p>I saw a lot of Neoclassical architecture all around Rome, too, like at St. Peter&#039;s Basilica in Vatican City.<\/p>\n<p>After visiting Quebec City and places in Europe, I found that they&#039;re not exactly the same, but they&#039;re pretty close.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/633c62e06427060019ef3e4d?format=jpeg\" alt=\"Buildings in Quebec City\"\/><figcaption>\n<p>Joey Hadden\/Business Insider<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>If you&#039;re looking for a European adventure that&#039;s closer to home without the pricey flight and jet lag, I think Quebec City is a good alternative.<\/p>\n<p>Read the original article on Business Insider<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Quebec City is reminiscent of European cities, according to Business Insider&#039;s travel reporter. Joey Hadden\/Business Insider I went to Quebec City in August 2022. It&#039;s a historic French city with a European feel. Then, I visited four European countries for the first time: Germany, Italy, Austria, and Switzerland. The streets and buildings of Quebec City [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-49697","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-usa"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49697","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49697"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49697\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49697"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49697"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49697"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}