The Montmorency Falls, about 12 km from the heart of old Quebec City, are at the mouth of the Montmorency River where it drops over the cliff shore into the Saint Lawrence River.
There are staircases that allow visitors to view the falls from several different perspectives. Nancy and Stan walked across the suspension bridge over the crest of the falls, accessing both sides of the park and giving spectacular views. There is also an aerial tram that carries passengers between the base and the top of the falls.
During summer months, the falls give off a yellow glow due to high iron content in the waterbed.
The falls were named in 1613 in honour of Henri II, duc de Montmorency who served as viceroy of New France from 1620 until 1625. The remnants of earthen forts built by General Wolfe in the park were constructed in 1759.
They stayed in the majestic Chateau Frontenac.
In the late 19th century, William Van Horne, General Manager of
Canadian Pacific (CP) Railway, began building the hotel as the ideal
stopover for CP travelers. Van Horne retained the services of New York
architect Bruce Price (father of Emily Post), who had already designed
Montreal's Windsor Station. Drawing on the architectural styles of the
Middle Ages and the Renaissance, Price immortalized the history of the
two great powers that had occupied Quebec City's highest promontory.The years leading up to 1993 saw many expansion projects to fashion the Quebec City luxury hotel into what it is today, including the Citadelle construction in 1899, Mont-Carmel construction in 1908, and the Saint-Louis and Tour Centrale in 1920 and 1924. A new expansion phase was completed in June 1993 with the inauguration of the Claude-Pratte Wing, which offers guests a superb indoor pool, a physical fitness center and a magnificent outdoor terrace.
Fairmont Le Château Frontenac owes its name to a flamboyant French governor called Louis de Buade, Count of Frontenac, who guided the destiny of New France from 1672 to 1698. Frontenac's coat-of-arms can be seen on the outside wall of the entry arch and many other areas within the hotel. History casts a long architectural line: a 300-year-old stone bearing the Cross of Malta emblem is among the interior stones of the hotel's vaulted lobby.
