In the Upper Town, wander along rue St-Jean, both within and outside the city walls, and on rue Garneau and Côte de la Fabrique, which branch off the east end of St-Jean. There's a shopping concourse on the lower level of the Château Frontenac. For T-shirts, postcards, and other souvenirs, myriad shops line rue St-Louis.

Côte de la Montagne, which leads from the Upper Town to the Lower Town as an alternative to the funicular, has a few stores with more tourist-geared items and some crafts and folk art. The Lower Town itself, particularly the Quartier du Petit-Champlain, just off place Royale and encompassing rue du Petit-Champlain, boulevard Champlain, and rue Sous-le-Fort (opposite the funicular entrance), offers many possibilities -- clothing, souvenirs, gifts, household items, collectibles -- and is avoiding (so far) the trashiness that often afflicts heavily toured areas.

Outside the walls, just beyond the strip of cafes that line Grande-Allée, avenue Cartier has shops and restaurants of some variety, from clothing and ceramics to housewares and gourmet foods. The 4 or 5 blocks attract crowds of generally youngish locals, and the hubbub revs up on summer nights and weekends. The area remains outside the tourist orbit.

Most stores are open Monday through Wednesday from 9 or 10am to 6pm, Thursday and/or Friday from 9am to 9pm, and Saturday from 9am to 5pm. Many stores are now also open on Sunday from noon to 5pm.

Best Buys--Indigenous crafts, handmade sweaters, and Inuit art are among the desirable items not seen everywhere else. An official igloo trademark identifies authentic Inuit (Eskimo) art, although the differences between the real thing and the manufactured variety become apparent with a little careful study. Inuit artwork, which usually means carvings in stone or bone, are "best buys" not because of low prices, but because of their high quality. Expect to pay hundreds of dollars for even a relatively small piece. Apart from a handful of boutiques, Québec City does not offer the high-profile designer clothing often showcased in Montréal.

Taxes & Refunds--Visitors can obtain refunds of taxes incurred for lodgings and shop purchases.

Shopping Complexes--In the Upper Town, there's a small complex filled with upscale shops called Les Promenades du Vieux Québec, at 43 rue Buade. You'll find a perfumery, a Christmas shop, shops selling Inuit carvings, cafes, a currency exchange, and clothing for men and women, including a Liz Claiborne factory outlet. Just outside the city walls at Porte Kent, Place Québec incorporates dozens of shops, a cinema, restaurants, a convention center, and the Hilton hotel, an easy-to-spot landmark. Place Québec is accessible from boulevard Réne-Lévesque and the Hilton. Shopping malls on a grander scale aren't found in or near the Old Town. For mall shopping, it is necessary to travel to the neighboring municipality of Sainte-Foy. The malls there differ little from their cousins throughout North America, in layout and available products. For sheer size, however, you can't beat Place Fleur de Lys, at 552 bd. Wilfrid-Hamel (tel. 418/529-8128), with 250 retailers, and Place Laurier, at 2700 bd. Laurier (tel. 418/651-5000), with 350 shops.

The Antiques District--Dealers in antiques have gravitated to rue St-Paul in the Lower Town. To get there, follow rue St-Pierre from the Place Royale, and then head west on rue St-Paul. So far, there are more than 20 shops, with more likely to open, filled with brass beds, knickknacks, Québec country furniture, candlesticks, old clocks, Victoriana, Art Deco and Art Moderne objects, and even the increasingly sought-after kitsch and housewares of the early post-World War II period.