Quebec City is the only walled city north of Mexico, and the fortifications are the least of it. Founded in 1608, Vieux-Québec is a UNESCO World Heritage site of narrow stone streets, steep staircases and the copper-turreted Château Frontenac looming over the Saint Lawrence River - a setting that feels closer to Normandy than to North America.

French is the working language here far more than in Montreal, and the food follows: sugar shacks, tourtière, poutine done properly, and a growing bistro scene in the Saint-Roch district below the cliff. The city is compact enough to cross on foot, though the Lower Town and Upper Town are separated by a serious gradient and a funicular.

Winter is a genuine season rather than an obstacle. The Carnaval de Québec in February is the largest winter carnival in the world, the Hôtel de Glace is rebuilt from scratch each year, and Montmorency Falls freezes into a climbable ice wall just fifteen minutes from downtown.