Welcome to guest blogger, Don Sutherland, University Administrator and new Dad. Thanks Don for the wonderful post on your trip to Quebec City!
Quebec City: One of Canada’s Top Travel Destinations
In its 2013 “World’s Best Awards,” Travel+Leisure ranked Quebec City as Canada’s top city. To those who have had the chance to visit that storied city with its more than 400-year history, this outcome comes as little surprise. Many of us would ask how Quebec City could not be Canada’s top destination.
Quebec City’s unique confluence of rich history, ornate architecture, commanding views of the St. Lawrence River and adjacent towns, French culture, flavorful cuisine, and friendly people, makes it one of the world’s jewels for tourists. The surrounding area adds with contributions ranging from world-class skiing on Mont Sainte-Anne to Montmorency Falls. With everything it offers, no matter how often one visits or for how long, one can only leave the Quebec City area with lasting memories.
In this blog piece, I provide a quick sketch from a selection of the areas I visited. This sketch offers sort of an appetizer for one’s own trip to Quebec City. My list is far from all-inclusive. Entire books could be written on various aspects of Quebec City.
The Upper City and Adjacent Areas:
The Upper City is filled with old homes, historic churches, restaurants, and charming hotels. It contains a number of cobblestone roads and has an atmosphere that transports one back in time to the 18th or 19th centuries. Some of the main highlights are:
• The Château Frontenac: A majestic building erected in the château style to serve as the residence of the British colonial governors of Lower Canada. The building opened in 1893, but was expanded in subsequent years. Today, the Château is an elegant 618-room luxury hotel.
The Château Frontenac
• The Citadel: A fortress, museum, and active military base combined in a single structure built between 1820 and 1830. One can witness the changing of the guard on a daily basis. The official residence of Canada’s Governor-General is also located within the Citadel.
• The Jacquet House: Constructed between 1675 and 1676, the Jacquet House is one of Quebec City’s oldest buildings. Philippe-Aubert de Gaspé, author of Les Anciens Canadiens resided there between 1815 and 1824. Today, the home serves as the Aux Anciens Canadiens restaurant, which features a menu with such delicacies as giant shrimps and scallops with white wine sauce, Lac St-Jean meat pie made with wild meats, Coulibiac style salmon, and more. If one is looking for 18th century ambiance and an old-fashioned meal, this restaurant is a “must.”
• Musée National Des Beaux-Arts Du Quebec: Located on the Plains of Abraham where the decisive battle that led to British control over Quebec City took place, the museum seeks to preserve Quebec art from all periods of time. It currently maintains the world’s largest existing collection of Quebec art.
• Notre Dame Basilica-Cathedral: The Cathedral, which has been rebuilt most recently after a fire leveled it in 1922, stands on the site on which the Church was established in 1647. It offers a stunning interior filled with exquisite detail. It is among the treasures of Quebec City’s rich religious history.
• Quebec Parliament Building: Just outside the walled portion of Quebec City, the Parliament Building opened April 8, 1886. It is constructed in French Renaissance style and its 172-foot central tower is dedicated to French explorer Jacques Cartier. Free guided tours are available to visitors.
The Lower City:
The present-day location of the Lower City is where Samuel-de-Champlain established Quebec City below the cliffs of Cape Diamant.
• Place Royale: Place Royale was reconstructed in 18th and 19th century style. It once served as Quebec City’s commercial heart with banks and flourishing maritime-related industries.
Place Royale
• Notre-Dame-des-Victoires Church: This stone church was built on the spot where Samuel de Champlain first settled and was rebuilt in 1763. Its name arises from Quebec’s residents having attributed French victories in 1690 and 1711 to the Virgin Mary’s intervention.
Surrounding Areas:
• Île d’Orléans: The island, located approximately 3 miles from Quebec City features a rolling landscape, apple orchards, strawberry farms, and many 18th and 19th century homes.
View from Île d’Orléans with the St. Lawrence River and Laurentian Mountains in the distance
• L’Isle-aux-Coudres: Located in Quebec’s picturesque Charlevoix Region, this island offers spectacular scenery, opportunities for bird-watching, biking and hiking, a treasure hunt, as well as many activities for youth.
Sunset at L’Isle-aux-Coudres
• Montmorency Falls: At 272-feet high, the falls are higher than Niagara Falls. The falls can be viewed both from below and above. For cardiovascular exercise, one can climb 487 steps to the top of the falls. At the top of the falls, one can dine at the charming Manoir Montmorency.
• Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré Basilica: The enormous basilica was built to replace the original one that burned down on March 29, 1922. The Neo-Romanesque edifice with its distinct twin spires towers over the surrounding area and can be seen from miles away. The basilica contains 240-stained-glass windows, myriad statues and sculptures, nine bells, and a massive organ. Adjacent to the basilica is a museum filled with relics. The Memorial Chapel and Scala Santa (Holy Stairway) are situated near the basilica. The latter building contains a wooden stairway that religious pilgrims ascend on their knees on Good Friday.
View from Île d’Orléans
Finally, although Quebec City is, in many ways, an enormous museum of early North American history, 21st century amenities are widely available. The Quebec Office of Tourism offers apps in English and French to aid tourists. The apps are free and can be downloaded from the iTunes Store and Google Play. The Office of Tourism’s site is also available for smartphones and tablets. Hotels and motels serving the Quebec City area offer high-speed wireless Internet access. Rental cars equipped with GPS are readily available.
With its rich history, beautiful scenery and amazing architecture, Quebec City is one of Canada’s top travel destinations. Have you been there? What was your favorite place? Let us know as we love to learn!
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