3 Days in Beautiful Quebec City

The Quebec City Tourism office hosted a group of 9 bloggers for a whirlwind 3 days in Quebec City to celebrate the opening of the Holy Door at Notre Dame de Quebec Basilica.  Quebec is such a great family-friendly city, with lots to do and see.  It is impossible to cover all aspects in one piece, so I am just including highlights to whet your appetitite.

Where to Stay

Quebec’s newest hotel, Monastere des Augustines , located at 77 Rue des Remparts, is a walk back through history.  The 400 year old monastere has been re-created into Quebec’s premiere wellness hotel, and is a refuge of peace and calm.  You can choose an authentic room experience, and stay in one of the authentic monastic rooms, a “cell” with antique furniture with modern comfort.  Or you may choose to stay a contemporary room, with clean contemporary furnishings.  (for more information, see http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2015/nov/11/monastere-des-augustines-wellness-hotel-quebec-city-canada ).

Another top choice is the Hotel Manoir Victoria, located at 44 Cote du Palais.  Though undergoing renovations while there, I found the hotel to be quite modern with sleek furnishings and a hip contemporary vibe.  The rooms are large and comfortable and offer lots of space to spread out and work.  The Manoir Victoria hotel is also attached to one of the hottest restaurants in Old Quebec – Chez Boulay which was absolutely superb!

What to do

German Christmas Market

Quebec offers lots of choices to travelers.  If planning your visit during the winter holidays, there is the German Christmas market, located across from Notre Dame Cathedral.  With stalls offering everything from hand-made soaps to hand-woven scarves and hats, wooden toys, to mulled wine, there is certainly something for everyone on your Christmas list and lots of fun to be had wandering from stall to stall.  And what better way to stay warm and meet new friends than to huddle around one of the many outdoor fire places with a cup of mulled wine or hot chocolate?

Quartier Petit Champlain

This neighborhood is nestled up at the top of Old Quebec City, easily reached by the funicular.  Very remincencent of old world Europe and filled with tiny white lights, buildings dating back to the 1700’s, small shops and bistros.  I found Petit Champlain to be one of my favorite stops during my whirlwind weekend.

Quartier Petit Champlain is a unique neighborhood where residents, merchants, employees and vistors all come together collectively and form a small village in the heart of the city.  It is here that you will find the largest selection of moccasins in all of Canada, hand-made leather goods, art galleries, confectionaries and other unique shopping experiences.

The Cathedral-Basilica of Notre-Dame de Quebec

The Cathedral-Basilica of Notre-Dame de Québec (“Our Lady of Quebec City”) is located at 20, rue de Buade, Quebec City.  Notre Dame is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Quebec, and is the oldest in the Americas north of the Spanish colonies in Florida and New Mexico.  Located on this site since 1647, the cathedral has twice been destroyed by fire throughout the centuries.

Filled with impressive works of arts (many dating back to the establishment of Notre Dame in 1647) sculputures and stained glass windows, and houses he tomb of François de Laval, the first Roman Catholic bishop of Quebec.

The Cathedral is central to the history of Quebec.  If you were to only choose one place to visit to discover the history of Quebec, The Cathedral-Basilica of Notre-Dame de Quebec would be it!

When to Visit

There is no bad time to visit Quebec!  Winter in Quebec brings snow covered slopes, perfect for skiing or snowshoeing; outdoor ice skating, the Christmas markets in Old Quebec, nordic spas, dog sledding and Winter Carnival, one of the world’s largest, among the offerings.

Summer in Quebec offers visitors over 400km of bike paths, fishing, hot air balloon rides above the city, white water rafting, cruises on the St. Lawrence river,  and Festival d’été de Québec music festival, just to name a few activities.