Winter in Quebec offers endless opportunities for fun
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Lined in the early 1600s with fur traders shops and merchants mansions, Quebec City's Rue du Petit-Champlain in Lower Town (Basse-Ville) today is home to quaint shops, art galleries and restaurants.
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Carnaval de Quebec, the world's largest winter festival with parades, sleigh and dog-sled rides and a crazy ice canoe race on the St. Lawrence River, concludes today. Yet there's still plenty of cold-weather merrymaking to be had on a winter vacation to Quebec City, site of Canada's world-famous Hotel de Glace. Unlike the ice hotel, most don't involve shivering.
History abounds in Quebec City, which celebrated its 400th anniversary in 2008, so if cobblestoned streets, 18th-century houses and 300-year-old churches drive you wild, you'll think you're in heaven. Most tourists spend their time either in the old Lower Town (Basse-Ville), on the banks of the river and in the old Upper Town (Haute-ville), which remains enclosed by the town's original stone walls. Both feel decidedly like Europe. To orient yourself, consider taking a tour
Officially, Canada is bilingual, but don't be surprised if not everyone speaks English: Quebec takes its French heritage very seriously.
Where to stay: The most famous, and expensive, place to stay is in the castle-like Fairmont le Chateau Frontenac at Place d'Armes in Upper Town; it's been wowing celebs and royalty since 1893. (Even if you don't stay there, take a walk through its luxurious lobby.) There's also a large selection of chain hotels, small luxury boutique hotels, bed-and-breakfasts and inns. Our room in Hotel 71, a 60-room urban hotel in a former bank in the Old Port area ($170 and up), offered views of the St. Lawrence River and sleek, modern decor. Other top picks include Auberge Saint-Antoine (for romance) and Hotel Champlain, where free cappuccinos are served 24/7.
What to eat: No trip to Quebec would be complete without a meal, or three or five, at a French restaurant. If you really, really feel like splurging, you can't miss with the absolutely exquisite Initiale on Rue St.-Pierre; it might have been the best meal of my life. We also enjoyed a terrific rabbit poutine at Le Lapine Saute, an intimate and charming French bistro in the Petit-Champlain district, and to-die-for crepes at Casse-Crepe Breton on Rue St.-Jean. Across the street, Saint Alexandre Pub offers more than 200 beers on tap, and Paillard makes the world's best chocolate croissant and bowls of hot chocolate. For soup and sandwiches, don't miss Le Petit Cochon Dingue on boulevard Laurier near the river.
First Published February 12, 2012 12:00 am
