Parc des Champs de Bataille

One of Québec City’s must-sees, this verdant, cliff-top park contains the Plains of Abraham. This was the stage for the infamous 1759 battle between British General James Wolfe and French General Montcalm that determined the fate of the North American continent. The park, named for Abraham Martin, a Frenchman who was one of the first farmers to settle in the area, is packed with sites, old cannons, monuments and commemorative plaques. It also has a fine multimedia history museum and several impressive fortification towers (one with a small military museum inside). The park is also a draw for locals, who come for outdoor activities such as running, in-line skating and, in winter, cross-country skiing. There’s also a stage that sees a good bit of action at open-air concerts at the Kiosque Edwin-Bélanger in the summer. On warm days, the tree-lined ‘plains’ make a good spot for picnics.