My day within the walled city of Quebec began in a genteel, sophisticated manner: poking into antiques shops during a walk along cobblestone streets, touring an art museum, eating lunch in a French bistro.
But by afternoon we were screaming through a forest, being splashed with mud as teams of Siberian huskies with wolf blood pulled us on a hip-displacing, one-of-a-kind “dog buggy” ride.
That evening, after scraping the mud from our shoes and spiffing up, we strolled the Grande Allee, a broad boulevard lined with fine restaurants and busy sidewalk cafes.
The best of both worlds converge here. Founded nearly 400 years ago along the banks and cliffs of the St. Lawrence River, Quebec City is one of only three cities in North America to win UNESCO’s designation as a World Heritage treasure.
Yet jump in a car or a bus, and within 15 minutes you’ll find yourself in charming villages with church spires poking above the trees, riding past red barns surrounded by pastures and fields that stretch from the road to the river. Just outside the city limits, you can walk across a bridge above a waterfall that’s higher than Niagara Falls, or tour a winery, or go rock climbing, or pick your own fruit in an orchard, or watch the buffalo roam. Or, if you’re feeling the least bit adventurous, you can discover what sled dogs do for recreation in the off-season.
Urban sprawl has managed to remove most American cities far from the source of their food and from nature. Canadian cities in general have done a better job of managing that growth, but Quebec City is the model for a lifestyle that allows the best of urban and rural cultures to coexist closely.
I love the city’s old quarter and the elegance of its two- and three-story buildings, some of them survivors from the 1600s.
Their grace is punctuated by the two towering buildings in and just outside the old-quarter walls – the Parliament building and the Chateau Frontenac. I love the city’s boardwalk promenade, with its views of the St. Lawrence and islands in the distance. But I’m equally enamored of the charm of its nearby villages and farms.
A face-lift for the city
If you live in North America, there are three cities you must not miss visiting: New York, San Francisco and Quebec City.
Things are only expected to get better as Quebec City leaders launch major improvements as part the 400th anniversary of the city’s July 3, 1608, founding. It is in the midst of refurbishing a promenade along the St. Lawrence, and is building a new city park and bike path along the St. Charles River.
The anniversary organizing committee has been working since 2000 to plan shows, concerts and other events, like an outdoor multimedia show on a screen that is a third of a mile long – a world record.
Special anniversary events begin Dec. 31, 2007, and continue for about 10 months.
If hoopla isn’t your thing, you should go now.
Just before you enter Vieux Quebec – the old city within granite and limestone walls that on average are 40 feet high and 7 feet thick – be sure to watch for the Parliament building. With luck or planning during the summer months, you’ll see the changing of the guard, a la London’s Buckingham Palace.
It’s about the only thing you’ll see that hints at the fact that the British beat the French for control of Quebec in 1759.
Oh, there’s an English garden here and there, and a rather impressive Norman-style Anglican church, but overall, Quebec City is the domain of Francophiles.
If you were brought here blindfolded after a long, mysterious plane ride, you would no doubt guess you were in France.
And yet something wouldn’t seem quite right. Because in a way that is impossible to identify or describe, French Canadians have put their own stamp on the architecture, art and culture they brought with them from the home country. The city feels exactly like what it is: French Canadian.
Then again, Quebec City is enough of a dead ringer for France that when Steven Spielberg wanted to re-create the capture of famed impostor Frank Abagnale Jr. in the 2002 movie “Catch Me If You Can,” this is where he came.
Remember the scene in which Leonardo DiCaprio is outside a beautiful French church? That was actually in Quebec City’s Notre Dame des Victoires, built in 1688, the oldest stone church in North America. It’s one of a number of churches worth a look, or even a guided tour, while you’re in Quebec.
A short walk from the church takes you to Battlefields Park, a 270-acre urban oasis that during our visit was being enjoyed by bikers and in-line skaters, families with picnics and couples in love. But as occasional monuments and plaques remind you, these fields were the scene of major battles over who would control not only Quebec but all of North America west of the Mississippi.
Benedict Arnold, who at the time was still on the American side, was wounded here during an American invasion of Quebec in 1775.
Commanders of both the British and the French forces died on these fields in the 1759 battle won by Britain.
Museums not to miss
You can get major doses of history at the city’s Musee de la Civilisation, although if you’re pressed for time or museumed out, you needn’t feel compelled to visit. It would be a shame, however, to miss the Musee National des Beaux-Arts. Just the building itself is worth visiting, especially the part in a former jailhouse.
Some years ago the art museum was looking to expand. The natural thing would have been to look next door at a shuttered, derelict, 19th-century jail and tear it down. But someone obviously noticed that the red-brick jail, built in a neo-Italianate style, was really quite attractive. So the museum simply built an extension and now has wonderful old walls of exposed brick for hanging pictures. The museum even kept some of the cells intact, taking the bars off the rounded archways and leaving cool little nooks and crannies to show art or create workspaces.
In addition to the usual European masters, the museum has an extensive collection of aboriginal art – which got a boost recently when the museum acquired about 5,000 pieces of Inuit art from collector Raymond Brousseau.
But some of my favorite hours in the city were spent walking around. There’s something pleasant to look at just about anywhere you turn, and safety isn’t a major issue even at night; the city has one of the world’s lowest crime rates.
But don’t cheat yourself: Save time for the countryside.
From the city, you can head in any direction and find natural beauty, including lakes, rivers and mountains in either the Laurentian or Appalachian ranges. I choose the 15-minute trip to Ile d’Orleans, a rural preserve that, as the crow flies, is about 3 miles, and visible from, Quebec City. Just before crossing the Taschereau Bridge to the island, I stop at Montmorency Falls Park.
If you’re a cheater and ride the cable car from the base of the mountain, you need only an hour to see the falls. The cable car drops you in front of a mansion that is now a restaurant with fabulous views, and a short walk takes you along a pathway to a bridge across the falls that cascade 272 feet in a rushing torrent to a pool below.
But the real way to do it – walking up 487 steps that wind up the mountain to the bridge over the falls – will take you much longer.
I do the hour-long version and am soon on my way to the first stop on Ile d’Orleans: a tour of an award-winning black currant winery, Cassis Monna et Filles. Owner Bernard Monna, who moved here from France, pours four wines, including my favorite, a strong portlike red. I buy a second bottle, with a sweeter taste, to mix with white wine for the popular cocktail kir.
I’m told that on weekends at the height of the summer and fall fruit picking seasons, traffic on the island backs up. But you’ll want to reserve as much time as possible to make numerous stops.
The island, for now at least, has found the perfect equilibrium between preserving open spaces and allowing for interesting attractions to visit.
In late May, I’m a tad early for picking, but I happily stop at several of the 27 art galleries listed on our island map. All are selling high-end merchandise – paintings, handmade jewelry, pottery and wooden items. Having budgeted only for tourist trinkets, I find myself outclassed.
Eating in farm country
Although you might not expect to find fine dining in the midst of farm country, you’ll find it here. Residents of Quebec City drive here for special occasions just to eat at places like Auberge La Goeliche and Auberge Le Canard Huppe. If I had the trip to plan over, I’d spend at least one night on the island and try a fine restaurant.
I actually catch ingredients for dinner on the island, but unfortunately, having no place to cook, leave them with the owner of Erabliere Richard Boily.
The maple syrup farm brings in extra cash in summer by stocking a trout pond and makes it easy by providing fishing poles and bait. I thread a couple of pieces of corn on a hook, cast and, within seconds, have a bite, pulling in a 12-inch brook trout.
I cast again, and soon have another bite. Obviously, there’s not a lot of suspense in fishing here: It’s pretty much like scooping goldfish out of an overcrowded aquarium. It’s a kid’s dream of sport fishing, but for an adult, it’s too easy to be interesting for long.
But really, the farmer isn’t selling it as exciting; the point is to get dinner.
The proprietor measures the fish you catch, charges you 35 cents an inch, then cleans them and ices them down. It’s nearly as quick as going to the supermarket.
There’s a bit more excitement just down the road, at Expedition Mi-Loup.
There, on a farm where his mother lives in a house built in 1647, Marc Antoine Simard has found a unique means of extending the dog-sledding season.
Simard, who for his winter dog-sledding operation has 50 Siberian huskies, some with wolf mixed into the breed, put together what he calls a “dog buggy” several years ago. A former welder, Simard created four dog buggies by welding together iron tubes and adding pieces from a number of other vehicular contraptions.
On the back of the dog buggy he mounts the small spare tires used in cars. In front is a motorcycle tire and a steering device from a Ski-Doo snowmobile. Using dog-sled harnesses and leashes, he links six dogs to each buggy, which is less like a sled and more like an oversize tricycle with a platform instead of a seat.
His prototype had no brakes, but given how much the dogs love pulling and hate stopping, that really didn’t work, so he eventually added foot brakes. The buggies he has now have been through three years of improvisation and testing; this is the second year he’s offered rides to visitors.
Simard drives the lead buggy, and an assistant in an ATV follows at the back of the packs, in case of trouble.
The dogs take off, speeding along at about 6 mph, the buggy bumping over ruts and stones and rushing through muddy puddles. Much as I love dog-sledding, I must say this is definitely a more edgy, thrilling, exhilarating ride.
INSIDER’S GUIDE
GET THERE
There are no direct flights to Quebec City from Denver, but numerous airlines have connecting flights. Round-trip fares begin at about $713. Alternatively, take a direct flight to Montreal, which is about a three-hour drive from Quebec. Fares begin at $460.
GET AROUND
Walking will take you to the majority of Quebec City’s attractions, and public buses will take you anywhere else.
Landmarks including the St. Lawrence River, the wall and the towering Chateau Frontenac serve as orientation guides. That, and the city’s compactness, make it easy to find your way around.
While you can take a bus to Montmorency Falls and Ile d’Orleans, having the freedom of a car is
ideal, and again, finding your way around is easy.
WHEN TO GO
A year-round destination, Quebec City is blissfully cool in the summer, with average maximum temperatures in the 70s.
Although the winter months are frigid – average temperatures in January range from 3 to 19 degrees – the snow-covered city is exceptionally beautiful then, and outdoor winter sports are close at hand. Quebec’s Winter Carnival (Jan. 26 to Feb. 11 next year) is one of the world’s largest outdoor parties. There won’t be much happening on Ile d’Orleans in winter until late February or early March, when the maple sap starts to run and visits to sugar shacks become popular.
The shoulder seasons – spring and fall – offer many of the benefits of summer, but without the crowds.
STAY
Prices quoted are in U.S. dollars.
Quebec City: The city has an unusually large stock of unique properties, including ultra-hip hotels and historic lodgings large and small. Even the budget properties I visited were clean and well-maintained. The tourism bureau’s website (see below) is well-organized and allows you to search by type of property and borough (there are eight). My first preference is the old quarter, but Parliament Hill is equally convenient.
The premier landmark choice, with a great location in the center of town along the river promenade, is Fairmont’s Le Chateau Frontenac (1 Rue des Carrieres, 800-257-7544, fairmont.com/frontenac).
While regularly posted rates for a double begin at about $355 in summer, Internet specials can drop to about $265.
Get the same great location, but more modest accommodations, next door at Hotel de la Terrasse Dufferin (6 Pl. Terrasse Dufferin, 800-694-9472, quebecweb.com/terrassedufferin/introang.html). Small double rooms without a view on the third floor – no elevator – give you a clean place to sleep for $95. Spacious rooms on lower floors, some with river views, start at $115.
Hotel Sainte-Anne (32 Rue Ste.-Anne, 877-222-9422, hotelste-anne.com) is a charming historic building with a great location in Old Quebec. The website says rooms begin at $114 from Oct. 16 to June 14, and at $150 the rest of the year. However, a test of sample dates shows huge price variations, with prices as low as $87 in late fall and, on a sample summer day, $208 for the cheapest rooms still available.
If you want a trendy boutique hotel, consider Hotel Dominion 1912 (126 Rue St.-Pierre in the old quarter, 888- 833-5253, hoteldominion.com). Doubles start at $150 and include continental breakfast.
Ile d’Orleans: Auberge La Goeliche (22 Chemin du Quai, 888-511-2248, goeliche.ca) has luxurious rooms in an attractive old building along the St. Lawrence River. Double rooms begin at about $148, with breakfast. Le Canard Huppe (2198 Chemin Royal, 800-838- 2292, canardhuppe.com) is a typical French Canadian inn, with a view of the river across the fields. Double rooms begin at about $110, with breakfast.
For a budget stay in a hostel-like environment, Le P’tit Bonheur (183 Cote Lafleur, 418-829-2588, leptitbonheur.qc.ca) offers rooms in a 300-year-old stone farmhouse on a working farm. A double is $57. The property also has dorm rooms for 10 or 12 for $18 per person, or rent a wigwam for $29 per person.
DINE
Quebec City: For gourmet French Canadian fare served in one of Canada’s oldest buildings, try Aux Anciens Canadiens (34 Rue St.-Louis, 418-692- 1627). Dinner entrees range from $23 to $44. Portofino (54 Rue Couillard, 866- 692-8882) is an Italian fish, meat and pasta restaurant in a lovely old stone building in the center of Old Quebec. Dinner entrees range from $12 to $24, or order pizza from a wood-fired oven for about $15.
Dine among members of Parliament at Le Parlementaire (1045 Rue des Parlementaires, 418-643-
6640). This restaurant in a beaux-
arts dining room inside the Parliament building serves gourmet food and is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (evenings and weekends only for groups of 25 or more). Lunch costs about $20 per person.
About a 10-minute drive from central downtown, the Napa Grille is in an upscale hotel, Le Chateau Bonne Entente (3400 Chemin Ste.-Foy, 800-463-4390).
California-style dinner entrees in the restaurant overlooking a garden range from $22 to $37.
Ile d’Orleans: Auberge La Goeliche (22 Chemin du Quai, 418-828-2248) serves gourmet French meals in an upscale building along the river.
Dinner entrees range from $26 to $44. Cafe Bistro de la Plage (1180 Chemin Royal in St. Jean, 418-829-3315) is a simple but pleasant restaurant on the water, with fish and meat entrees, burgers, pizza and a kids menu. Adult entrees range from about $9 to $14.
PLAY
Expedition Mi-Loup (183 Cote Lafleur, 418-829-2588, leptitbonheur.qc.ca) offers dog-sledding (about $44 for one hour, $70 for two hours) from late fall through spring, whenever there is snow, and dog buggy rides in summer and parts of spring and fall.
Peche a la Truite (4739 Royal in Ste. Famille, 418-829-2874) provides a rod and corn for bait and charges only for what you catch – about 35 cents per inch of fish.
DETAILS
Quebec City Tourism, 418-641-6654, quebecregion.com
– Cindy Loose
