On one of the mornings while I was staying in Quebec City, I went for a tour of La Citadelle, which is a fortress that is sitting on the highest point of the city at Cap Diamant. I want to point out that this was not the first Citadel-style structure in Canada that I went to, as I also went to the Halifax Citadel last year. I was able to freely explore the Halifax Citadel at my own pace, but I would not have this luxury at La Citadelle, as La Citadelle de Quebec is still an active military base. I had to go on a guided tour of the fortress, which was fine with me.
But first, I had to get to the entrance. From my hotel, I had to make the rather exhausting climb up Pierre-Dugua-De-Mons Terrace and across the Parc du Bastion-de-la-Reine to get to La Citadelle. Despite the incline, this hill had some of the best views of Old Quebec and the surrounding area. I walk along the exterior of the trench of the fortress and find myself at the visitor entrance.
While I was waiting for the tour guide, I was able to wander around the gift shop where I saw some replica pistols on sale. I would have bought one for display at home, but then I remembered that I would have a hard time getting a pistol through airport security.
We met our tour guide and she told us a brief history of La Citadelle, including how the British built the fortress between 1820 and 1831 in preparation for an attack from American forces that never came. With that, we started our walk around the military base, which has many buildings, and is a base for all the needs of the soldiers stationed here, including eating, sleeping, and getting a haircut.
The first building we get to go inside and see was a former ammunition depot which is now a mini-museum. There were various old weapons including rifles, swords, and cannonballs, among military uniforms and other things.
We continue walking and we get to the edge of the fortress where we took pictures of the cannons and get more views of Quebec City and the St. Lawrence River.
We enter another building which I believe was a former jail that is now another mini-museum about the Royal 22nd Regiment currently stationed at La Citadelle. They also have a goat as a mascot, which is nice.
Nearing the end of the tour is a shrine for those who gave their lives at the Battle of Vimy Ridge in 1917. To this day, any soldier who walks past this shrine must give a salute for the fallen.
That was the end of the guided tour. We were free to explore the attached museum for the Royal 22nd Regiment and its role in the various global conflicts in recent history. There is an impressive collection of military artifacts and items to peruse.
At the far end of the museum is a room which has a collection of all the medals awarded to the Royal 22nd Regiment, which was impressive.
Overall, I thought my visit to La Citadelle was good. I think it was my first time being in an active military base, and I did see a fair few soldiers walking around. If you like learning things about the Canadian Military, this tour might be worth your time.
More pictures below:
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