History doesn't belong only in museums. The roads of Québec are dotted with testimonials to the lives -- usually very rustic -- of the first settlers. Travelling by land or water, the number of homes, covered bridges, water- and windmills, old lighthouses and chapels seem unlimited, authentic monuments for present and future generations.

Among the many important national historic sites in Québec, there's Place-Royale, the cradle of New France; the imposing fortifications of the Old City of Québec; the historic district of Old Montréal and its many monuments; île des Moulins in Terrebonne, a remarkable industrial site from the 19th century; the forts at Chambly and Lennox on the Richelieu aliant witnesses of the colonial wars; Grosse River, vÎle, near Montmagny, an important page in the history of European immigration to Canada; and the Banc-de-Paspébiac in the Gaspésie and La Grave in the Îles-de-la-Madeleine, recalling the vital economic role that fishing played in the Gulf of St. Lawrence until very recently.

Québec is proud to see the Old City of Québec on the prestigious list of the UNESCO world heritage sites. This recognition honours the work to conserve and highlight the architectural heritage and landscape of Québec that, for more than three centuries, has expressed daily life in America.