In Quebec, old world Europe combines with North American splendor to create a place like no other. In terms of size, Quebec is the largest province in Canada and it’s the only province where French is the sole official language. Interestingly for French speaking visitors, isolated from France for centuries, Quebec has developed its own “accent” which is similar to the one in France in the 16th century.
As predominantly French speaking, Quebec is one of the only areas in North America to have preserved its Francophone culture. This gives the province a unique European feel, combined with the type of awe-inspiring natural scenery that North America is so famous for. Quebec City is the capital of the province and is located at a commanding position on cliffs overlooking the St. Lawrence Seaway. The city has a remarkable history as the fortress capital of New France since the 16th century. The Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Quebec is the only city in North America, outside of Mexico, that still boasts its original city walls.
Today, it is a tourist district packed full of small boutiques and hundreds of historical and photogenic points of interest. Some of the buildings are original structures, while others are built in the same style and architecture as former buildings. Walking is the best way to get around the Old Town, thanks to its compact layout, and, beautiful old buildings and little vistas can be found around every corner.
One of these sights is Montmorency Manor, which was built in 1781 as the summer residence of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, and father of Queen Victoria. Meanwhile, the postcard-pretty Place Royale or town plaza is the heart of historic Lower Town. This is the spot where Samuel de Champlain landed in 1608 and founded the first French settlement in North America. This moment is immortalized in a large mural covering the entire side of a nearby building. The Chateau Frontenac is a Quebec City icon and holds the Guinness World Record for being the most photographed hotel in North America. The hotel was designed by American architect Bruce Price as one of a series of “chateau” style hotels built for the Canadian Pacific Railway company. Currently owned by Fairmont hotels, it holds a commanding position perched atop a tall cape overlooking the Saint Lawrence River, affording a spectacular view across the city. While Quebec City is the political capital of Quebec Province, it is Montreal that is considered to be the cultural and economic capital. The second largest city in Canada, it is a city rich in culture and history and has a well-deserved reputation as one of the liveliest cities in North America. Situated on an island in the St. Lawrence River, the city is famous for having a peculiar geography. Indeed, Montreal has been described as the only city in the world where the sun ‘rises in the south’. Montrealers use the rivers on the mountain as cardinal points of the compass, with St. Lawrence River deemed as being ‘south’ and Mount Royal ‘north’. Areas in the city, such as West Island and East End are named accordingly despite the fact that, in reality, the ‘East’ End is actually north and ‘West’ Island is south.
One thing that Montreal certainly isn’t short of is great places to stay. At the luxury end of the scale there’s the Hotel Le St.James, which is situated at one of the most prestigious addresses in historical Old Montreal. With exceptional architecture from 1870, each room and suit is individually decorated and furnished.
Meanwhile, L’Hotel enjoyed a previous life as a bank before being transformed into one of Montreal’s most popular and luxurious hotels. It’s particularly well known as being home to one of the most impressive Pop and Contemporary collections in North America, which can be found on walls throughout the hotel. The Queen Elizabeth Fairmont Hotel is another grand hotel built for the Canadian National Railway and completed in 1958. With 1039 rooms and 21 floors, it is the largest hotel in the province of Quebec.
It gained worldwide fame when John Lennon and Yoko Ono conducted a Bed-In in Room 1742 between May 26 and June 2, 1969. Moving outside of the cities, the Gaspe Peninsula in south-eastern Quebec extends between the mouth of the St. Lawrence River and the Atlantic Ocean. The area is sparsely populated but incredibly scenic with a rugged coastline dotted with small fishing towns and lighthouse.
Gaspe is a city at the tip of the Peninsula and it’s a popular summer destination for Canadian and international visitors alike. The city is where Jacques Cartier first took possession of Nouvelle-France (now Canada) in the name of Francois I of France on July 24,1534. At the outer tip of the Gaspe Peninsula, spectacular natural scenery can be found in Parc National Forillon, which is one of the 43 national parks and park reserves across Canada.
Covering 244 sq. km, the park was created in 1970 and was the first national park in Quebec. It embraces forests, sea coast, salt marshes, sand dunes, cliffs, and the Eastern End of the Appalachinas. The park includes nesting colonies of sea birds and whales, seals, black bears, moose and other woodland animals. Meanwhile, Cape Gaspe Lighthouse is located at the very tip of the park. And there is no shortage of lighthouses in Quebec, with around 80 are remaining today. The province is home to the tallest lighthouse in Canada — the 34.1 m (112 ft. tall) Cap-des-Rosiers Lighthouse. It was built in 1858 and its while marble walls are 2.1 meters (7 feet) thick at the base, tapering to 0.9 meters (3 feet) at the top of the tower. Meanwhile, the La Martre lighthouse is hard to miss being made out of bright red wood. Dating from 1906 and still in operation, the lighthouse boasts the original timing system that controls the light. The lighthouse at Pointe au Pere stands at 33m tall, which makes it the second tallest in eastern Canada. On the same site, there is a historical museum that displays some 200 years of maritime history, including the only submarine open to the public in Canada, the HMCS Onondaga. The Pot a l’Eau-de-Viel lighthouse, which is located on a tiny island in the heart of the St. Lawrence River, gives visitors the opportunity to actually stay for the night. Abandoned in 1964, 102 years after it was first commissioned, the Pot a l’Eau-de-Vie was restored in 1989 and turned into a cosy inn with three attractive rooms. Both Pointe au Pere and Pot a l’Eau-de-Viel are located in the Bas-Saint-Laurent province of Quebec, which is located along the south shore of the lower Saint Lawrence River. The town in Cap-Sante can be found on the northern bank of the Saint Lawrence, 40 km west of Quebec City. Legend has it that the community’s name, which means “Cape Health”, was coined when soldiers suffering from an unknown disease miraculously recovered thanks to a cure discovered in the village. Beautiful river views can be enjoyed along the Chemin du Roy tourist rout, which was the first road open to vehicles between Quebec City and Montreal.
The route hugs the shoreline of the St-Lawrence, extending some 102 km, and bears witness to some three centuries of history, Along the way, there are some 23 attractions and 14 points of interest. The route passes through the Mauricie region, which stretches from the north shore of the St. Laurent River deep into the Laurentian Mountains. Populated by French settlers under the seigneur system in the 17th and 18th century, it has some of the oldest towns and villages in Quebec.
The St.Maurice River, which gives the region its name, meanders through Mauricie to its mouth at Trois-Rivieres. Trois-Rivieres is the second-oldest city in Quebec and was founded in 1634. It lies almost half-way between Montreal and Quebec City. Today, it is home to an unusual attraction in the form of the Old Prison. Once a working prison, this has been re-classified as a historical monument and offers visitors a real and exceptional experience.
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