by Brett Manero
This past July, my girlfriend Katie and I visited the treasure that is Quebec City, located in the heart of Quebec, Canada. Just a seven-hour drive from Connecticut (our home state), Quebec is a great option for North Americans if you desire to visit somewhere “foreign,” without traveling too far.
Nearly everyone in Quebec, it seems, is bilingual in both French and English. It’s charming to hear baristas say “Bonjour Hi!” when you enter their establishment. You hear this in Montreal as well, although Montreal is perhaps more international and is a larger city. Quebec City feels much more legitimately French Canadian, a unique combination of Canada and France. As I wrote earlier, if you are North American and wish to travel somewhere wonderfully foreign and European, but lack the funds or the desire to hop on a plane to Europe, then Quebec City is an excellent option.
When one drives across the Vermont-Canada border, it’s somewhat amusing to see that Canada looks remarkably like America: most of it is empty space. After crossing the border from Vermont, I quietly wondered if all of Canada would appear like this, and if it was worth another two hours of driving all the way to Quebec City. Much of QC looks like any American city of neighborhood, unlike the smaller and tighter streets one finds in Europe. Well, it was worth driving all the way there, and I’d happily visit again.
Old Quebec City, of course, is where it’s at. An easy drive there, the old city looks like Paris or perhaps Lyons, or any French city. Every building, every street, looks like it’s been directly taken from the Old Continent all the way to New and placed directly there.
Perhaps the most famous site of Quebec City is the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac. This is the most prominent part of the city’s skyline, what almost always shows up on Google searches. Far too expensive to stay in, it’s lovely to look at, and to walk around inside it. Not far from it is the Citadel, the Old military base where the British guarded the city (after Quebec was ceded by France to Great Britain). It’s a pleasant walk around the Citadel, with marvelous views of the St. Lawrence River.
Regarding restaurants, take your pick! We dined at a simple one with American-style food on the second night, and (somewhat amusingly) at an Italian restaurant on the final night. There are so many excellent establishments – restaurants, cafes, ice cream shops – that I wouldn’t possibly have time to explain them all.
The most famous neighborhood the Petit Champlain, just down the stairway (you’ll see it) from the Fairmont Le Chateau. You can spend hours looking at the shops here. We enjoyed getting syrup tastings (somewhat like wine tasting) at a shop here, and probably the best ice cream shop is here as well. Walking around here feels like a walk around Paris. You’ll also enjoy meeting other tourists from all over both Canada and America. I met one family from Buffalo, New York, and foolishly mistook a Canadian family for an American one (oops).
If you’re looking for a spiritual experience, then visiting the Sancutaire Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre, some thirty minutes or so outside of the city, is a must. It’s one of the most beautiful Catholic churches in the world, and while every Catholic church is part of the New Temple, there is something unique about this place. God is truly present here. There is also supposedly, and amazingly, the forearm of St. Anne – the mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary – at this church, where one can pray and ask Anne for her intercession.
Finally, check out the Montmorency Falls, not far from the city as well. Not quite as magnificent as Niagara Falls, it’s still pretty impressive. I was hoping to zip line across the falls (which is offered!) but a thunderstorm cancelled this ambition. Next time.
All in all, Quebec City is one of North America’s treasures. I would happily go again.