48 HOURS IN QUEBEC CITY
COBBLESTONE CULTURE 17th-century European flavour, Canadian prices
DAY ONE
Morning If you’ve chosen the grand Château Frontenac for your weekend stay, enjoy the fall colours along the St. Lawrence coastline from your window. You’re sitting on prime real estate atop the Cape Diamant ( a $5 taxi ride takes you to the top). Quebec City has bragging rights for the oldest walled city in North America, enclosing its bustling historic quarter — a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The Château’s legendary elegance comes at a price, but the hotel is offering a special promotion for couples until the end of October, including breakfast and gratuities for $245 to $345 per night, depending on the view (fairmont.com). The Palace Royal at 775 Honoré Mercier ( jaro.qc.ca) is an impressive compromise, offering interior balconies overlooking a tropical garden and swimming pool. Rooms with breakfast run $193 a night, and the hotel is located just two blocks from the gates of Old Quebec. Whatever your choice, get your bearings at the Visitor Information Centre at 12 Rue St. Anne, facing the Château Frontenac, and you’re set for a tour of the picturesque Quebecois capital. Afternoon
The Dufferin Promenade is perfect for walking off chocolate croissants while people-watching. Stop for a view of the cruise ships and sailboats on the St. Lawrence River below. ( When municipal officials proposed to take down the walls that Autumn’s palette and cool breezes make historic Quebec City an easy choice for a weekend of joie de vivre. Discover Quebecois warmth and French style while wandering the cobblestone streets of Old Quebec. Wind your way up to the Château Frontenac high above the massive St. Lawrence River and find yourself atop the oldest walled city in North America.
Quebec City offers 17th-century European architecture and first-class wining and dining that would usually require a trip to France — but without the euro. surrounded the city, it was Lord Dufferin who fought to keep them up.)
Next up, wander the Plains of Abraham, where the armies of Wolfe and Montcalm disagreed in 1759. Bring walking shoes and water for the peaks and valleys. Check out the many historical exhibits (ccbn-nbc.gc.ca) or go at your own pace, taking advantage of the shady areas, picnic tables and benches.
Nautical types may be interested in a cruise of the St. Lawrence on the Louis Jolliet. It leaves regularly from the Chouinard Pier to Montmorency Falls and Orleans Island. There are brunch cruises on Sundays at 11:30 a.m. and daily cruises at 2 p.m.; cruises last 90 minutes ( croisieresaml.com). Evening Visitors often stay within the gates of Old Quebec but move out along St. Jean Street for a more casual pace. Check out Le Veau D’or at 801 St. Jean, but don’t be fooled by the white tablecloths and candles. They offer table d’hôtes like beef bourguignon with soup, sugar pie and coffee for $12. The soft lighting and cool jazz inside compete with an outdoor patio on a pedestrian walkway leading to La Drague, Quebec’s largest gay bar.
Early evening is a good time to explore the Rue du Trésors, between Buade and St. Anne streets, where local artists hawk their sketches, engravings and paintings.
Although as touristy as Rue du Trésors, the well-travelled Petit Champlain is a slice of Europe with rows of stone houses converted to shops and restaurants. A one-minute funicular ride down from the Dufferin Promenade will take you there.
DAY TWO
Morning After your morning café au lait, take a walk to NotreDame de Quebec Basilica at 16 Rue De Buade. It was the first Catholic parish and cathedral in Canada, built in 1647. Bishops, archbishops and cardinals are buried here, as well as governors of New France, including Frontenac and Jonquière.
Farther down St. Jean at the St. James Hôtel, you’ll find a bistro in the form of an old English pub. The Sunday breakfast buffet begins at 7:30 a.m. and has a variety of choices, from lowcarb to eggs benedict. For breakfast with a view, try the rotating rooftop restaurant at Loews Concorde on Général De Montcalm. Also known as l’Astral, this 27thfloor perch is a popular spot for If you go:
The Jean Lesage International Airport is 10 kilometres west of the city centre. Via Rail trains run regularly to Quebec City from Montreal. The rail station — or Gare du Palais — sits just below Old Quebec. its expansive views. Afternoon
Stroll past the restaurant patios of Grand Allée, heading west to the Musée national des beaux-arts du Quebec at Parc des Champs-deBataille (mnba.qc.ca). Visiting collections include the sculptures of Rodin and the French impressionists but the permanent Riopelle exhibit is worth a visit on its own.
Don’t miss the Bibliothèque Sainte-Jean-Baptiste, a library in what used to be St. Matthew’s Anglican Church at 755 St. Jean. Its arched oak ceiling is almost as impressive as the panels of stained glass illuminating the altar and pulpit. Internet use is free with ID, but hours are limited: open Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from noon till 5 p.m., Wednesday from noon till 8:30 p.m. and weekends from 1 to 5 p.m. Evening Wander into the Château Frontenac’s Bar St. Laurent, slip past the octagonal bar for a window seat, and take them up on their Taste of Martini & A Touch of History. Try the Roosevelt Martini or one of many others named after famous guests such as Winston Churchill, Queen Elizabeth and Charles de Gaulle.
If that’s not your style, sample one of their 25 single malt Scotch varieties. The adjoining room, the Lounge St. Laurent, offers a more laid-back feel and an outdoor deck with hors d’oeuvre of foie gras and Burgundy-bred escargot.
There are a number of fine French restaurants, cafés and bistro-bars in Old Quebec — or take the advice given me by a local and try the Quebec Hilton’s seafood buffet. It’s an all- you-caneat feast of Quebecois seafood delicacies for $62 ( hilton.com).
Top off your weekend with a cocktail or glass of wine at L’auberge du Trésor and finish your journey where you started, carousing on the Dufferin Promenade in the shadow of the grand Château.