Business Insider's reporter visited Europe and Québec City. She found that the two destinations had a lot in common.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
I went to Québec City, Canada, in August 2022. It's a historic French city with a European feel.
Then, I visited four European countries for the first time: Germany, Italy, Austria, and Switzerland.
After visiting Europe, I thought Québec City felt much like it, with similar streets and buildings.
With narrow, cobblestone streets, European-inspired architecture, and a primarily French-speaking population, Québec City, Canada, feels like a European paradise.
I spent 24 hours in the 400-year-old French-Canadian city in August 2022. Back then, I hadn't explored enough of Europe to decide if Québec City felt like other countries across the Atlantic.
But after visiting Italy, Switzerland, Austria, and Germany in October 2022, I understood the comparison.
Perched on a hill overlooking the St. Lawrence River, Québec City is 400 years old, making it the oldest city in Canada.
Québec in the 1800s and 2022.
The Print Collector/Print Collector/Getty Images; Joey Hadden/Business Insider
Québec City is on the eastern edge of the Canadian province of Québec.
Arrows point to Québec City and New York City.
Google Maps
I traveled by train from Montreal to Quebéc City, but a flight from my home in NYC would take less than two hours — a lot shorter than a trip to Europe. My direct flight from NYC to Berlin was nearly eight hours long when I visited in October 2022.
I spent most of my time there in Old Québec, a neighborhood with preserved French and British colonial architecture, according to the city's website.
A street in Old Québec.
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I spotted many of these simple, rectangular buildings with decorative shutters during my visit.
I wandered down old Québec's photogenic streets and spotted rows of colorful colonial-style buildings.
Quaint, colorful streets in Québec and Switzerland.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
A few months later, in Zurich, I saw blocks I thought looked similar to those in Québec City.
Many of the streets in Old Québec were made of cobblestone.
Cobblestone streets in Old Québec.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
They looked like the roads I saw in all four European countries I visited.
During my walk through Old Québec, I also noticed most signs were written in French.
French signage in Québec City.
Joey Hadden/Insider
That's because 85% of the population of Québec speaks French, according to the Government of Canada.
English wasn't the primary language spoken in any of the European countries I visited, either.
A sign for gondola rides in Venice, Italy.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
Most of the signs I saw abroad were written in German or Italian.
While some streets in Québec City were wide, others were quite narrow.
Narrow alley ways in Québec City and Rome.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
Later in Rome and Venice, Italy, I stumbled upon alleys that reminded me of the narrow streets in Québec.
After my trip to Europe, I also realized my hotel in Québec City, Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, was similar to those I saw abroad.
The Fairmont Le Château Frontenac in Québec City.
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I thought it was the most stunning building, which makes sense as it's known as the most photographed hotel in the world, according to World Atlas.
It was a dramatic castle-like structure.
The hotel's exterior.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
The hotel opened in 1893 and was inspired by romantic architecture and French castles, according to the Québec City's website andthe Canadian Encyclopedia.
I thought the hotel looked like a fairy tale with elaborate landscaping and old-world architecture.
Fairy tale landscapes in Québec and Austria
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
I had a similar feeling while strolling through gardens next to historic buildings in Vienna, Austria.
Inside, I thought my hotel room was small, but the view out the window was grand.
The author in her hotel room.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
I perched on the windowsill and marveled at the European architecture surrounding me.
I also saw Québec City Hall, which was inspired by the Second Empire.
Québec City Hall, a national historic site in Canada.
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