The Old World (Europe) and the New World (North America) may seem easy to differentiate from each other. That’s because Europe is quite older in comparison, while countries like the US and Canada are so much younger. Yet if you check out the available homes in the Quebec City real estate market, you may find lots of houses that give you a distinct European feel.

In fact, if you look around the city the entire area has a similar atmosphere to many European towns and cities. It helps that some of the buildings date back to as early as 1608. Quebec City was built 259 years before there was even a country called the Dominion of Canada.

Check out the Old World in these places especially:

Château Frontenac

This is a frontrunner for the title of the most well-known building in Quebec City. It’s famed as “the world’s most photographed hotel”, as its aesthetic charms really have to be seen to be believed. It opened in 1893, and it won’t look out of place in other cities in Europe. There’s a small museum in the lowest level, plus other little shops inside the hotel.

Place Royale

This place is also known as the birthplace of French Canada. Way back in 1608, a guy named Samuel de Champlain established a trading post and storehouse. It was a home for some of Canada’s first colonists, and they used it to store their weapons, munitions, provisions, and of course their furs.

Now the entire area is known as Champlain’s Habitation, as Samuel de Champlain is considered the founder of French Canada. This place is where you’ll find Notre-Dame-des-Victoires, which is one of the oldest churches in the country.

You’ll find Place Royale near the Château Frontenac as it’s only a funicular ride away. Once you get there, consider it as a maze of really old homes transformed into local shops that offer food to winter clothing. The place is utterly adorable, and it’s romantic as well.

Fortifications de Québec

There’s no denying the European influence in this fortified structure that spans 4.6 kilometers long. Quebec City is in fact the only remaining fortified city in the entire North American continent, and these are the fortifications built in the 1600s that protected the city from numerous invasion attempts.

Old Québec was established on the cliffs overhanging the St-Lawrence River. This was so the place was easier to defend. Its highest point is the Citadelle, which is an extension of the fortifications shaped like a star. The British actually built this extension and used it as their barracks in the 1820s. The Citadelle is actually still an active garrison, and it’s the home of the sole French-speaking infantry in the Canadian Forces.

Plains of Abraham

If there was a single battle that caused English to be the predominant language in Canada (except in Quebec), it was the Battle of the Plains of Abraham. The Plains of Abraham refers to the land donated by Abraham Martin to the Ursulines religious order in Quebec City. Abraham Martin was among the first colonists in Canada, and he received this land from the King of France as a gift. Abraham’s son Eustace Martinis is regarded as the first colonist child born on Canadian soil.

Take a look around, and you’ll see fortifications that will remind you a lot of Europe.

Hôtel de parlement

This is the imposing Parliament building that houses the provincial legislature or the Assemblée nationale de Québec. It was built in the years 1877 to 1886, and its most famous feature is the set of 26 statues that represent the famous men and women who influenced the history of Québec and North America.

If you’re a fan of old libraries, you’ll also love this place. It has that unmistakable aroma of old books, and that’s because the library contains books from the 1400s to the 1800s.