Québec City, A Taste of Old Europe in North America
by Clint Leung
One can get a taste of old Europe right in North America when
visiting Québec City in Canada. Québec City is the capital of the
province of Québec. It can be easily reached by a short flight from
points in the northeastern United States and eastern Canada. It is a
three hour drive from Montreal. The high season is the summer
when visitors from all over the world visit. Recently, the number of
tourists from the United States and Europe has increased
dramatically. This may be partly due to the fact that even some
cruise ships originating from eastern US ports are now including
Québec City as a port of call.
Back in 1608, explorer Samuel de Champlain saw the potential of
the natural citadel here and founded a fur trading post. With the
fortifications of the Upper Town of Québec City became the area
where government and religious institutions set up. Meanwhile,
merchants and craftsmen settled in the Lower Town along the St.
Lawrence River. Québec City was fought over by the English and the
French many times during wars in the 17th and 18th centuries. The
English finally took the city over in 1759 resulting with New France
becoming a British colony. Québec City is still considered as the
cradle of French civilization in North America. The old quarter of the
city was declared a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1985 and is
the only fortified city in North America.
Today, the winding streets and alleys of the old quarter of Québec
City is filled with elegant restaurants, bistros, cafes, museums, art
galleries and retail shops. There are artists selling their artwork in
some of the alleys. Most of the restaurants in the old quarter are
smaller, independent business rather than large chains and they fill
up quickly during busy periods so advance reservations are
recommended. One of the landmarks of Québec City is the huge
medieval looking hotel, the Château Frontenac which along with the
adjacent Terrasse Dufferin, overlooks the St. Lawrence River. A one
of a kind funicular connects the Upper Town with the Lower Town.
There are also several smaller hotels right in the old quarter. The
old quarter can be visited by car and there are parking areas
strategically located.
Just outside the walls of the old quarter is the rest of downtown
Québec City where newer high rise hotels such as the Hilton and
Loews are located. Along the main street of Grand Allée is another
section of restaurants and cafes, many of them priced a bit lower
than the ones within the old quarter which gives visitors more dining
choices. It is a very easy walk from Grand Allée to the old quarter.
Still another alternative for both accommodation and dining is in the
Sainte Foy area which is a 10 minute drive west of downtown
Québec City. In fact, Sainte Foy is actually closer to the airport and is
well represented by lower priced hotels such as Best Western,
Travelodge, Comfort Inn and Days Inn. During the high season,
some of the hotels in Sainte Foy offer free shuttle bus service to the
old quarter of Québec City. Sainte Foy also has two shopping malls
side by side along the main street of Laurier Boulevard.
Visitors may also want to drive 30 minutes east of Québec City to the
small village of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré which has one of the most
famous churches in North America, Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré
Basilica. This site was built in the mid 17th century and receives 1.5
million visitors per year. Along the way is a 272 foot high water falls
visible from the highway called the Chute Montmorency.
Although the summer is the high season, Québec City gets a fair
number of visitors to its Carnaval festival in February and the major
ski resort Mont Sainte-Anne is busy with the ski and snowboard
crowds all winter. Most skiers and snowboarders going to Mont
Sainte-Anne use Québec City as the base for accommodations and
dining. An added winter attraction during the last few years has been
the Ice Hotel near Lac Sainte-Joseph which was modeled after the
one in Europe.
Québec City has become one of Canada's top tourist destinations
with attractions all year round catering to both summer and winter
visitors. With the added old European charm, it is the closest thing to
being in Europe without actually leaving North America.
About the author:
Clint Leung is owner of Free Spirit Gallery
http://www.FreeSpiritGallery.ca , an online gallery specializing in Inuit
Eskimo and Northwest Native American art including carvings,
sculpture and prints. Free Spirit Gallery has numerous information
resource articles with photos of authentic Inuit and Native Indian art
as well as free eCards.
QUEBEC CITY HOTELS, QUEBEC CITY
by Clint Leung
One can get a taste of old Europe right in North America when
visiting Québec City in Canada. Québec City is the capital of the
province of Québec. It can be easily reached by a short flight from
points in the northeastern United States and eastern Canada. It is a
three hour drive from Montreal. The high season is the summer
when visitors from all over the world visit. Recently, the number of
tourists from the United States and Europe has increased
dramatically. This may be partly due to the fact that even some
cruise ships originating from eastern US ports are now including
Québec City as a port of call.
Back in 1608, explorer Samuel de Champlain saw the potential of
the natural citadel here and founded a fur trading post. With the
fortifications of the Upper Town of Québec City became the area
where government and religious institutions set up. Meanwhile,
merchants and craftsmen settled in the Lower Town along the St.
Lawrence River. Québec City was fought over by the English and the
French many times during wars in the 17th and 18th centuries. The
English finally took the city over in 1759 resulting with New France
becoming a British colony. Québec City is still considered as the
cradle of French civilization in North America. The old quarter of the
city was declared a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1985 and is
the only fortified city in North America.
Today, the winding streets and alleys of the old quarter of Québec
City is filled with elegant restaurants, bistros, cafes, museums, art
galleries and retail shops. There are artists selling their artwork in
some of the alleys. Most of the restaurants in the old quarter are
smaller, independent business rather than large chains and they fill
up quickly during busy periods so advance reservations are
recommended. One of the landmarks of Québec City is the huge
medieval looking hotel, the Château Frontenac which along with the
adjacent Terrasse Dufferin, overlooks the St. Lawrence River. A one
of a kind funicular connects the Upper Town with the Lower Town.
There are also several smaller hotels right in the old quarter. The
old quarter can be visited by car and there are parking areas
strategically located.
Just outside the walls of the old quarter is the rest of downtown
Québec City where newer high rise hotels such as the Hilton and
Loews are located. Along the main street of Grand Allée is another
section of restaurants and cafes, many of them priced a bit lower
than the ones within the old quarter which gives visitors more dining
choices. It is a very easy walk from Grand Allée to the old quarter.
Still another alternative for both accommodation and dining is in the
Sainte Foy area which is a 10 minute drive west of downtown
Québec City. In fact, Sainte Foy is actually closer to the airport and is
well represented by lower priced hotels such as Best Western,
Travelodge, Comfort Inn and Days Inn. During the high season,
some of the hotels in Sainte Foy offer free shuttle bus service to the
old quarter of Québec City. Sainte Foy also has two shopping malls
side by side along the main street of Laurier Boulevard.
Visitors may also want to drive 30 minutes east of Québec City to the
small village of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré which has one of the most
famous churches in North America, Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré
Basilica. This site was built in the mid 17th century and receives 1.5
million visitors per year. Along the way is a 272 foot high water falls
visible from the highway called the Chute Montmorency.
Although the summer is the high season, Québec City gets a fair
number of visitors to its Carnaval festival in February and the major
ski resort Mont Sainte-Anne is busy with the ski and snowboard
crowds all winter. Most skiers and snowboarders going to Mont
Sainte-Anne use Québec City as the base for accommodations and
dining. An added winter attraction during the last few years has been
the Ice Hotel near Lac Sainte-Joseph which was modeled after the
one in Europe.
Québec City has become one of Canada's top tourist destinations
with attractions all year round catering to both summer and winter
visitors. With the added old European charm, it is the closest thing to
being in Europe without actually leaving North America.
About the author:
Clint Leung is owner of Free Spirit Gallery
http://www.FreeSpiritGallery.ca , an online gallery specializing in Inuit
Eskimo and Northwest Native American art including carvings,
sculpture and prints. Free Spirit Gallery has numerous information
resource articles with photos of authentic Inuit and Native Indian art
as well as free eCards.
QUEBEC CITY HOTELS, QUEBEC CITY
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FAMILY TRAVEL FUN.COM
QUEBEC CITY
QUEBEC CITY
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