Dufferin terrace
.JPG)
The Dufferin Terrace ( French Terrace Dufferin ) is a striking viewing terrace in the Canadian city of Québec . It is located in the upper town above the steep eastern slope of Cap Diamant and faces the Saint Lawrence River , which is around 80 meters below . The wooden terrace, built in the 1870s, is 430 meters long, begins at the Citadel of Québec and leads north past the Hotel Château Frontenac to near the Place d'Armes . At the northern end of the terrace is the mountain station of the Funiculaire du Vieux-Québec , a funicular to the lower city.
history
When the French governor Charles Jacques Huault de Montmagny had the Château Saint-Louis built in 1648, the palace-like building was given a small terrace in front from which visitors could enjoy the view. In 1759 it was badly damaged by British artillery fire during the siege of Québec and was not repaired until two decades later. In 1834 the Château Saint-Louis burned down completely, four years later Governor General Lord Durham had the ruins removed and a public viewing terrace built. The Durham Terrace was about 50 meters long and 15 meters wide. In 1854 it was lengthened by 35 meters, for which purpose the annex, which had been spared during the fire, was demolished.
Lord Dufferin , who assumed the office of Governor General in 1872, successfully opposed the recently started demolition of the city gates and other historical buildings. To beautify the cityscape, he suggested extending the Durham Terrace several times over, making it a tourist attraction. Under the direction of Charles Baillairgé, today's Dufferin Terrace, named after the Governor General, was built in just under a year. It was opened on June 28, 1879, and the funicular followed almost half a year later. In 1885 the terrace was electrically lit, and in 1894 the Canadian Pacific Railway opened the cityscape-defining luxury hotel Château Frontenac . Today the terrace is one of the most popular sights in the city and is visited by around two million people every year. In the winter months, an ice slide about 250 meters long is in operation at the southern end.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Sébastien Couvrette: Terrasse Dufferin à Québec. Encyclopédie du patrimoine culturel de l'Amérique française, accessed on October 9, 2014 (French).
Coordinates: 46 ° 48 ′ 40.3 " N , 71 ° 12 ′ 15.5" W.