Battlefields Park

Top choice in Québec City


One of Québec City’s must-sees, this verdant clifftop park contains the Plains of Abraham, site of the infamous 1759 battle between British General James Wolfe and French General Louis-Joseph Montcalm that determined the fate of the North American continent. Packed with old cannons, monuments and Martello towers, it's a favorite local spot for picnicking, running, skating, skiing and snowshoeing, along with Winter Carnival festivities and open-air summer concerts. For information and to learn more, visit the Musée des Plaines d'Abraham.

The Plains of Abraham are named for Abraham Martin, a Frenchman who was one of the first farmers to settle in the area. The park was commissioned in 1908 to mark Québec City's tricentennial, and it acquired a reservoir to supply the city with drinking water in 1933. Huts built for soldiers being mobilized during WWII later housed displaced German civilians and POWs. It was here on the Plains of Abraham that ‘O Canada,’ the Canadian national anthem, written by Sir Adolphe-Basil Routhier with music by Calixa Lavallée, was sung for the first time on June 24, 1880.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Québec City attractions

1. Martello Tower 1

0.07 MILES

Despite its small appearance, this defensive tower dating to 1810 on the Plains of Abraham – one of four built by the British – is jam-packed with…

2. Martello Tower 2

0.13 MILES

Near the entrance to Battlefields Park, Martello Tower 2 is only open to the public for special events, which vary from year to year; inquire at the Musée…

3. La Maison Henry-Stuart

0.32 MILES

This handsomely preserved cottage built in 1850 by an upper-middle-class anglophone family contains period furnishings from the early 1900s. Hour-long…

4. Musée des Plaines d'Abraham

0.36 MILES

This museum spread over three levels presents a fine multimedia history show entitled Battles: 1759–60. Incorporating maps, scale models, interactive…

5. Obsérvatoire de la Capitale

0.37 MILES

Head 221m up to the 31st floor of the Édifice Marie-Guyart for great views of Old Québec, the St Lawrence River and (if it’s clear) even the distant…

7. Hôtel du Parlement

0.44 MILES

Home to Québec's Provincial Legislature, the gargantuan Parliament building is a Second Empire structure completed in 1886. Free 30-minute tours, offered…

8. Église St-Jean-Baptiste

0.52 MILES

This colossus, named after the patron saint of French Canada, completely dominates the southwest end of Rue St-Jean. The first church was built in 1842…

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