QUEBEC, "THE BEAUTIFUL PROVINCE"

QUEBEC CITY, "LA VIEILLE CAPITALE"

BY CLAY LARROY

Traveling can be an important part of your life, whether for business or for pleasure. You need to do all of your research so that you don't forget to pack something important, see what the best methods of transportation are, etc. Avoid crowds and save money by visiting in the off-season. If you want to be able to enjoy your vacation without having to battle a crowd of people everywhere you go, learn when the popular months are for the location and plan your vacation for the less popular time. Be aware, while it can save you money, in some locations you may have to contend with less than ideal weather. When you want to plan a vacation contact me!

City Attractions in Quebec City

Fortifications de Québec (Quebec Fortifications)

One of the city's most unique features is the 4.6km (2.9-mile) rampart encircling the Old Town, making it the only walled city in North America. It is possible to walk along the top of the fortifications, which offer sweeping views of the city and the St Lawrence River. Near the Citadel, at Porte St-Louis (one of the four surviving city gates) is the Centre d'interprétation des Fortifications-de-Québec, which includes displays on the city's history and a restored powder magazine. Continuing clockwise, the walls adjoin the Parc de l'Artillerie (Artillery Park), which was built by the French to defend the city from attack, before becoming the garrison for British officers until 1871, when it was turned into a munitions factory. Further along, cannons are ranged along the wall, overlooking the St Lawrence River and the opposite shore.

Disabled Access No

Unesco World Heritage Site Yes

La Citadelle de Québec (Quebec Citadel)

The Citadel, dating from 1820, is one of Quebec City's most distinctive features and a legacy of the British occupation. On the heights of Cap Diamant, the star-shaped fortress was built to withstand a repeat attack on the city from across the Plains of Abraham to the southwest. Today, visitors can do a one-hour guided tour of the site (included in the admission fee), which includes the powder magazine and a former prison that now houses a small museum. Separate, free tours of the Governor General's residence are also available. In the summer, the daily 'Changing of the Guard' takes place at 1000, with the Regimental Band and the Citadel's mascot ('Batisse', the regimental goat) joining the garrison personnel. The pomp continues on selected evenings, when the Royal 22nd Regiment performs The Retreat as part of the flag-lowering ceremonies

Opening Times

Daily 1000-1600 (Apr); 0900-1700 (May-Jun); 0900-1800 (Jul-Aug); 0900-1600 (Sep); 1000-1500 (Oct); tour at 1330 only (Nov-Mar).

Admission Fees  Yes
Telephone (418) 694 2815.
Website http://www.lacitadelle.qc.ca

Disabled Access Yes

Unesco World Heritage Site Yes

Musée National des Beaux-Arts du Québec (Quebec National Museum of Fine Arts)

The most important collection of paintings and sculpture by Québécois artists is held by the Musée National des Beaux-Arts du Québec. A selection of works are displayed related to three main periods - the beginnings of Québécois art (largely influenced by religion), the European-influenced modernist period up to 1945, and the period of figurative and abstract art from the mid-20th century onward. These are supplemented by travelling shows and permanent exhibitions that focus on the art of Quebec City, abstract painter and sculptor Jean-Paul Riopelle, and other topics, as well as the Brousseau collection of Inuit art. The museum's site at the southwest end of the Plains of Abraham is dotted with sculptures.

Opening Times

Thurs-Tues 1000-1800, Wed 1000-2100 (Jun-early Sep); Tues-Sun 1000-1700, Wed 1000-2100 (early Sep-May).
Admission Fees   No
Telephone (418) 643 2150.
Website http://www.mnba.qc.ca

Disabled Access Yes

Unesco World Heritage Site No

Musée de l'Amérique Française (Museum of French America)

The Museum of French America occupies part of the vast Séminaire de Québec. The museum details the history of the seminary and showcases part of its diverse collection of artworks and religious and scientific objects. Summer concerts take place in the former chapel. For American visitors, the highlight is the exhibition on the dispersal of their ancestors from New France throughout the USA.

Opening Times

Daily 0930-1700 (end Jun-early Sep); Tues-Sun 1000-1700 (early Sep-end June).
Admission Fees Yes
Telephone (418) 692 2843.
Website http://www.mcq.org

Disabled Access Yes

Unesco World Heritage Site No

Musée de la Civilisation (Museum of Civilisation)

One of the city's strongest museums, the Museum of Civilisation, in Lower Town, hosts excellent temporary shows in addition to its three permanent exhibitions. One of these focuses on life in the province of Quebec throughout the centuries of European inhabitation, with displays of artefacts, photos and recreations of historic and domestic scenes. Another is a tribute to the First Nations peoples who live in the province, with videotaped oral histories, birch bark canoes, teepees and many smaller artefacts. The third, produced in collaboration with the National Film Board of Canada, looks at Quebecers' relationship with the land.

Opening Times

Tues-Sun 1000-1700.
Admission Fees  Yes
Telephone (418) 643 2158.
Website http://www.mcq.org

Disabled Access Yes

Unesco World Heritage Site No

Observatoire de la Capitale (Capital Observatory)

The best view of the city is from the Capital Observatory, 31 floors above the Hôtel du Parlement. Information panels give a good recap of Quebec City's history, linking events to the buildings spread out below. From here, the plan of the defensive fortifications stands out, as does the layout of the Citadel.

Opening Times

Daily 1000-1700 (Feb-mid-Oct); Tues-Sun 1000-1700 (mid-Oct-Jan).
Admission Fees   Yes
Telephone (418) 644 9841.
Website http://www.observatoirecapitale.org

Disabled Access Yes

Unesco World Heritage Site No

Parc Aquarium du Québec

Visitors can see walruses, seals, polar bears and other animals from northern maritime regions in an open-air environment, as well as tropical fish and other delicate creatures indoors. The aquarium is divided into seven sectors, focusing on regions such as the banks of the St Lawrence and the North Pacific.

Opening Times

Daily 1000-1700 (Jun-early Sep); daily 1000-1600 (early Sep-May).
Admission Fees   Yes
Telephone (418) 659 5264.
Website http://www.sepaq.com/ct/paq

Disabled Access Yes

Unesco World Heritage Site No

Parc des Champs-de-Bataille Nationaux (National Battlefields Park)

Southwest of the Citadel, the National Battlefields Park occupies the 108-hectare (267-acre) Plains of Abraham. It was the site of the decisive battle of 1759, which saw the British, under General Wolfe, defeat General Montcalm's French forces. Today, it is a wide green space popular for summer concerts and strolls. For those with a taste for history, the Discovery Pavilion (in the same building as the tourist office) has a large diorama of the site and the Odyssey historical multimedia exhibition. Midway through the park, Martello Tower No 1 has costumed guides who explain the role of these defensive structures (summer only). Abraham's Bus connects the sites, with the driver providing commentary as it winds through the park daily from late June until mid-September.

Website http://www.ccbn-nbc.gc.ca

Disabled Access Yes

Unesco World Heritage Site No

Vieux-Québec: Basse-Ville (Old Quebec's Lower Town)

The oldest part of Old Quebec, Lower Town, is clustered on the narrow streets between the ramparts of Upper Town and the Old Port, linked to Upper Town by the funicular, the escalier casse-cou (breakneck stairs) and the steep Côte de la Montagne. At its centre, Place Royale has been faithfully restored to its former glory, the 17th- and 18th-century houses surrounding the one-time market square now in pristine condition. The Centre d'interprétation de Place-Royale displays period artefacts and has panels that illustrate the area's history. The historic Maison Chevalier recreates domestic scenes in the 17th century. One block over, the rue du Petit Champlain is a lively and romantic cobblestone street full of shops and restaurants.

Disabled Access Yes

Unesco World Heritage Site Yes

Vieux-Québec: Haute-Ville (Old Quebec's Upper Town)

The Old Town's Haute-Ville (Upper Town), where the towering Château Frontenac is located, is one of Quebec City's major draws. This hotel was built in 1893, although the tower that gives it its distinctive appearance was added in the 1920s. Tours are available (www.tourschateau.ca). It sits between Place d'Armes (a central square with the narrow lanes leading off it filled with street artists and an artist's market) and the Dufferin Terrace (a wide wooden boardwalk offering a terrific view of Lévis, on the opposite shore). The Dufferin Terrace is filled with street entertainers and visitors milling around or promenading past the cannons and kiosks that predate the Château Frontenac. Nearby, the Place de l'Hôtel de Ville is dominated by the Basilique-Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-Québec, the city's main Catholic cathedral.

Disabled Access Yes

Unesco World Heritage Site Yes

REFERENCE SITES:

http://www.travelresearchonline.com/

Growing up in Quebec, we were always playing sports. Your first athletic competition was against the kids living on your block.

 Martin Brodeur

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