The second stop on our Canadian adventure was the quaint and romantic Quebec City. Ted and I came here just after graduating from college in 2012 and we loved it so much we came back a second time. Quebec City might just be the prettiest city in North America. I’m not kidding. I’ve been to a lot of cities and few compare to the beauty of Quebec City. You have hilly cobbled streets, European architecture, gorgeous views of the St. Lawrence river, horse drawn carriages, and French speakers galore. It’s a fairy tale city and perfect for couples. Even better — you feel like you’ve crossed the Atlantic and gone to Europe but I promise your airfare is going to be a lot cheaper.
To convince you all to book your next trip to Quebec City, I’m sharing some breathtaking photos and sharing my favorite things from our three day stay in this gorgeous city. By the end of this post you’ll be adding Quebec City to your bucket list. I promise.
How We Got There
Coming from Montreal, the best way to get to Quebec City is by train. Ted and I took a ViaRail train. The trip was so easy, quick (only 5 hours), and affordable ($35 per ticket). It was better then renting a car and much cheaper than taking a flight.
Where We Stayed
We stayed for three days at the Manoir de la Terrasse. It’s a series of cute row houses overlooking the river and right next to the gorgeous Fairmont Le Château Frontenac. Literally the perfect location, but I forgot to take a picture so check out the website if you want to see photos.
Fairmont Le Château Frontenac
Speaking of the Fairmont — this is probably my favorite view in Quebec City. Its the most distinguishing landmark in the city and sits on the topmost hill overlooking the St. Lawrence. It’s an old hotel that reminds me of the castle from Beauty and the Beast. Famous people like Winston Churchill and Queen Elizabeth have stayed here. It’s so glamorous and timeless. Surrounding it is a large boardwalk known as the Dufferin Terrace that is a perfect spot for people watching.
The Architecture
All cities should look like Quebec City in my humble opinion. Cobbled stone streets, stone buildings, hills – every corner you turn there’s something pretty to enjoy. The best neighborhoods to explore include Vieux-Québec the area surrounding the Chateau. This area has tons of churches, hotels, and even government and residential buildings. Then there’s the Petit Champlain district that sits under the shadow of the Fairmont Hotel. To get there, ride the Funicular elevator or walk the steep hill down to visit the many restaurants and tourist shops that occupy the old stone buildings. While you’re down there make sure to take a photo under La Fresque des Québécois. It’s a huge mural depicting Quebec’s famous people and historic moments. It’s really cool and I love the colors.
The History
The history of Quebec City is fascinating. It is both French and English. Founded by Samuel de Champlain in 1608 the city operated under French rule until 1763. The British then took control after the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, but French culture still endures since even today, the official language is still French. The site of Quebec City’s famous battle is now know as the Plains of Abraham Park. How many North American cities have a huge preserved battle field right near their city center? Not many ! The plains are massive green fields that are open to the public and provide some natural beauty for the city. They provide locals with a fantastic workout space and a wide area for tourists to explore. There’s even some natural forest trails near by the Ted and I walked through when we needed some shade.
The Fortifications
The most prominent structure in the Plains of Abraham Park is the famous star shaped Citadel and the stone walls that surround the city. The Citadel is an old colonial style fort that is one of the last of its kind in North America. It’s a small vestige of the “old world” and pretty cool. I mean how often do you stumble across colonial forts while wandering around a world class city? The rest of old Quebec is literally surrounded by old stone walls and definitely makes you feel like you’re walking around an old European city.
Here’s a good shot of the stone wall remnants that still surround the city. If you look closely you also see Ted getting antsy and telling me to hurry up and take my picture 🙂
The Food
Quebec City is a very “international” city and has almost every food type that you’d imagine. So if you’re a foodie you won’t be disappointed. One of the famous local dishes is called Poutine Quebecoise – french fries topped with gravy and cheese curds. We got ours at a restaurant called Le Casse-Cou, and it was so tasty! As always I indulged in the ice cream as well. In case you were worried there is no shortage of ice cream shops in Quebec City.
The Shopping
One of my favorite shops is a small book shop called Bouquiniste La Reverie. I’m in love with the store’s signage, but I love the owner even more. He’s a sweet man in his 80s with family in Chicago that loves to talk to the people in his shop. While speaking to us, he proudly proclaimed he works everyday despite his advanced age. You can tell he’s one of those folks who stays busy and will easily make it to 100. The book shop is a classic and has some English books and fun prints. I picked up a few vintage French prints for only $5 each.
The Layout
Quebec City is incredibly walkable. There’s no major public transportation in the old quarter (though there are a few buses) but it’s not a problem due to the small size and layout of the city. As you wander the streets you’ll come across old churches, city fountains, gorgeous government buildings, statues. It has the vibe of a large city center but on a charming and small scale. The architecture is fantastic and very French inspired – just look at all of those chateau style turrets.
The Day Trips
Quebec City is close to some gorgeous natural beauty. To get outside of the city and explore the surrounding area, we rented a car and drove to Montmorency Falls and the Île d’Orléans. Both of these spots were literally a 45 minute drive outside of the city so you can even Uber there if you don’t want to rent a car (though I would recommend having one for the Ile d’Orleans).
Montmorency Falls
Check out these gorgeous view from Montmorency Falls — its so close to Quebec City that you can still see it in the distance from the top of the Falls. It’s completely free to visit and cisitors to the Falls can use the stairs to hike across and explore the gorgeous watery view from all angles. There’s even zip lining across the water falls that I saw a lot of brave souls doing !
Île d’Orléans
The Île d’Orléans is a large island not far from Quebec City (again you can literally see the city from the island) but you feel like you are out in the country in a spot that feels a lot like rural Galena, IL. The island is home to beautiful farms, 18th century buildings, and amazing locally grown food. I originally thought we could rent bikes and bike around the island (which is doable) but the island is actually large enough to spend some time driving through so I would recommend a car if you can swing it !
I had the best meal ever at a small restaurant called Le Moulin St. Laurent right in the heart of the island. I had the roasted chicken with summer vegetables cooked in duck fat and oh my I can still taste it until this day. The restaurant is only open May through October so make sure you visit in the warm summer months!
For dessert I of course had ice cream on the island and got vanilla covered in maple candy – it was glorious.
Another fun stop on the island was the currant farm called Cassis Monna & Filles! For those of you who don’t know I love currants but they are not yet popular here in the United States. We grow our own at home but its so nice to see currants (or casis) becoming more popular and grown locally.
So that’s it ! Have I convinced you to book a trip to Quebec City – it has so much to offer and is truly one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Let me know if you have any questions or need more tips – I want everyone to go here so ask away 🙂
