Within easy driving distance from the northern tier of New England, the Province of Quebec beckons to all those who yearn for a touch of the unfamiliar — even the exotic — and who have not the francs to traipse off to Europe. For, make no mistake, when one is lapping up the Gallic ambiance of Quebec City, he or she could essentially be in the heart of France itself.

Most travelers from Maine, New Hampshire or Vermont take the north-south superhighway leading into the outskirts of the city. But for a thrilling view, take the ferry from Levis just across the St. Lawrence River to Quebec. From the deck of the ferry the tourist sees plainly the upper city — presided over by one of the world’s great hotels, the majestic Chateau Frontenac, put up by the Canadian Pacific Railway to resemble an old French chateau — and the lower city where the first settlement was planted. In this way, too, one can observe the treacherous cliffs to the west that Benedict Arnold and his doughty crew clambered up to surprise the British troops stationed at Quebec during the American Revolution.

Like any city steeped in history and in artistic modes, Quebec is best appreciated when strolling through the narrow streets of the old city closed in by ancient walls (Quebec being the only city on this continent to be thus protected). One usually enters this old section by the St. Louis or St. John gate. If by the former, he or she will immediately confront a street lined with restaurants, many of them excellent. Obviously, one of the chief joys of Quebec is the plethora of excellent restaurants, some world-class.

Ambling about, one will inevitably come to the neat little square bordered by the Chateau Frontenac, the Anglican cathedral, some restaurants and, close to the wooden planked Dufferin Terrace, an awesome statue of Samuel de Champlain, the founder of the city. Usually a gull is perched on his head, a comical touch. From the spacious Dufferin Terrace there is a magnificent view of the proud St. Lawrence River, one of the world’s busiest and most beautiful waterways connecting the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean.

Just off the square mentioned above, a narrow alley is crammed full of art exhibits — paintings, etchings and drawings. Once you’ve looked over the art work, emerge onto a thoroughfare on which is located the Roman Catholic Cathedral, lying behind a beautiful wrought iron railing. Its paintings and relics are worth a peek into its interior.

Adjacent is a seminary, founded in 1663 by Francois de Montmorency Laval, the first bishop of Quebec. Laval also lent his name to a sprawling university along the impressive Grande Allee in the suburbs, an institution that embraces theology, medicine, philosophy and the arts.

Not far from the university is a nest of shopping malls, some stores carrying the finest products available. Under the Hilton Hotel in town is a labyrinth of shops, where one may browse or buy in comfort even on the frostiest days of winter.

Once the sights of the upper city have been exhausted, the tourist must descend to the lower city where there are specialty shops, including many that are devoted to native arts and crafts. Many of the oldest buildings and houses have been restored, this restoration having been done on a huge and tasteful scale. The buildings of the lower city cluster about a charming little church called Notre-Dame des Victoires, from whose ceiling hangs a model of a ship, this reminding one of the strong links the French have always had with the river and the sea beyond. Just in front of the church is a bust of Le Roi de Soleil, the redoubtable Louis XIV. Access to the lower town is by a stairway consisting of 40 steps or by funicular.

Although the tourist can see most of Quebec City on foot, he or she will need a car to investigate the sites outside the city itself. One of these is the Ile St. Louis, once little more than farmland but today also a retreat for the affluent Quebecois who escape to their summer homes on this idyllic little island. Just before turning onto the bridge connecting the island to the mainland, one will see the glorious Montmorency Falls, higher than Niagara.

For a taste of France away from France, you can do no better than to speed along to Quebec, a city comprehensible in a day or so, though its charms are so potent that you may wish to linger, enjoying the cuisine and the beauty of a metropolis at once clean and safe.

Robert H. Newall of Hampden is a free-lance writer.