Monument Samuel-De Champlain, Quebec, Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

The Monument Samuel-De Champlain is a bronze monument to the founder of Quebec City, standing on the Dufferin Terrace beside the Château Frontenac in Quebec. It honours Samuel de Champlain, who founded the settlement in 1608 and helped shape it into the centre of French-speaking North America.

The story behind it

Champlain was an explorer who hoped to find a route through the continent to Asia. In 1608 he founded a small settlement on the cliffs above the St. Lawrence. The first winter was brutal: of the 28 men who stayed, only 8 are recorded as surviving, with scurvy and dysentery taking the rest. In 1629 he had to surrender Quebec to English privateers, the Kirke brothers, after the colony was starved into submission. He returned to rebuild and died in Quebec on Christmas Day 1635. The exact location of his grave has never been confirmed.

The monument was unveiled in 1898, the work of the French sculptor Paul Chevré. It looks over the same river that Champlain relied on. The terrace around it sits above the site of the Château Saint-Louis, the old residence of the governors of New France, which burned in 1834. The Château Frontenac, which opened in 1893 for the Canadian Pacific Railway, now rises directly behind the statue.

What to look for

• The figure of Champlain high on its pedestal, with the river and the far shore at Lévis behind him.
• The towers and copper roofs of the Château Frontenac, designed by Bruce Price, which frame the monument from the terrace.
• The long boardwalk of the Dufferin Terrace, where you can see the St. Lawrence narrow below the cliff.
• The cliff edge itself, which explains why the French chose this rock as a lookout and a stronghold.

Tips for your visit

• Allow 15 to 20 minutes for the monument and the view, longer if you want to stroll the whole terrace.
• It stands outdoors on a public promenade, so you can see it any time, and it is free to look at.
• Early morning is quietest, and evening gives soft light on the river and the hotel.
• Place d'Armes, the top of the funicular to Petit Champlain and the Citadelle walls are all close by. The Château Frontenac is a working hotel, so check current opening hours before going in.

See it on a quest

Old Town Quebec: European Charm is a good way to see the monument as part of a longer walk through the old streets. You reach each place on foot, the app tells you about it when you arrive, and you solve a puzzle in front of what you are looking at. One ticket covers the whole group.

Murder Mystery: Death in the Shadows in Quebec suits you if you prefer a mystery theme to a classic tour. You walk the old town from stop to stop, hear about each place as you reach it, and work out the puzzles on the spot. One ticket covers the whole group.

The Haunting File: Quebec - What The Old Capital Kept takes a darker view of the old capital, which fits a place with such a hard early history. You follow the route on foot, the app explains each stop as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle there. One ticket covers the whole group.