World City Guide

Mini Guide of Quebec City

City Overview

The ‘cradle of New France’ and the bastion of French culture in North America today, Quebec City is the most charming city on the continent. Nowhere else is the past so well preserved in an ensemble of 17th- to 19th-century buildings, wrapped tight in the fortifications of the only walled city north of Mexico. A popular destination for visitors, with its horse-drawn calèches rattling down cobblestone streets between grey-stone buildings, Old Quebec also won recognition from UNESCO and was declared a World Heritage Site in 1985.

Located in the eastern portion of massive Canada, the city’s fortunes are largely due to its geography and history. The walled Upper Town sits atop the strategic Cap Diamant, overlooking the spot where the St Lawrence River narrows (known as the kebec to the original Algonquin inhabitants). The view from the river is dominated by the towering copper-roofed Chateau Frontenac; the wide wooden boardwalk known as Dufferin Terrace running along in front of it is often the first place visitors head to when they enter the Upper Town.

At the foot of Cap Diamant and linked by a funicular, the Lower Town was the spot where Samuel de Champlain founded the city in 1608, some 73 years after Jacques Cartier was the first European to ‘discover’ the area. Today, the buildings in the Lower Town’s Place Royale have been restored to their original appearance – at a cost of around one million Canadian Dollars per house.

Few of the original structures survived the British bombardment of 1759 – a prelude to General Wolfe’s taking of the city from the French, when his troops secretly scaled the bluffs below the Plains of Abraham to the west. The battle saw the death of both Wolfe and the French general, Montcalm, although the British were able to consolidate their victory. To prevent a future attack from the same route, they constructed the Citadel, an enormous star-shaped fortress and one of the city’s most popular attractions.

With Confederation, Quebec City became the capital of the province of Quebec in 1867. The National Assembly meets in the Hôtel de Parlement, on Parliament Hill, which runs parallel to the Plains of Abraham, separated by the lively Grand Allée.

Tourism and government may be the most visible industries in the city but there are a growing number of high-tech firms. Some industry has also survived from the earliest days when the port was one of the busiest in North America, ferrying furs and later timber and wood pulp to markets overseas.

Although nearly all of the city’s present residents are of French descent (and thus largely Roman Catholic), nearly a third (29%) are bilingual, offering a friendly, warm welcome to visitors in English, as well as French. Their joie de vivre is infectious and never more so than during the summer festivals, when the whole town seems to be one continuous stage. Summer is worth celebrating as winters tend to be long, cold and snowy. But the locals compensate by heading to the hills for some of the best skiing on this side of the continent. The highlight of the winter, however, is the Carnaval de Québec – two weeks of frolics in the snow helped along by a bit of warming alcohol and general good spirits during the bleakest part of February.

Getting There By Air

Aéroport International Jean-Lesage (YQB)
Tel: (418) 640 2600. Fax: (418) 640 2656.
Website: www.aeroportdequebec.com

Quebec City’s airport lies 20km (12 miles) west of Old Quebec and handles primarily domestic flights, although there are a few flights from destinations in the USA as well as charters to Paris and the Caribbean. Most international flights arrive at Montreal, a short flight away. Quebec City’s airport also serves as the main departure point for the remote towns in the north and east of the province.

Major airlines: The national airline is Air Canada (tel: (888) 247 2262 or 422 7533; website: www.aircanada.ca), which also operates regional flights under the Air Canada Jazz (tel: (888) 247 2262 or 422 7533; website: www.flyjazz.ca) banner and low-cost flights as Tango (tel: (800) 315 1390; website: www.flytango.com). Other carriers serving the airport include Air Transat, American Eagle and Continental Express.

Approximate flight times to Quebec City: From London is 7 hours 55 minutes; from New York is 1 hour 45 minutes; from Los Angeles is 5 hours 45 minutes; from Toronto is 1 hour 30 minutes and from Sydney is 19 hours 10 minutes.

Airport facilities: These include bureaux de change, ATMs, restaurants, bars, newsagents, duty-free and other shops. Car hire is provided by Avis, Budget, Hertz and National.

Business facilities: Air Canada has an executive lounge, the Maple Leaf Lounge (tel: (888) 247 2262 or 422 7533; e-mail: mapleleafclub@aircanada.ca; website: www.aircanada.ca), located in the domestic terminal and open daily 0445–2115. The lounge includes a Xerox Business Centre, with fax, photocopying and printing facilities, as well as a workstation with PC and Internet access.

Arrival/departure tax: This is included in the ticket price.

Transport to the city: There are no public transportation options available from the airport. Taxis to the city centre are charged at a fixed rate of C$24.50 (journey time – 20 minutes). Limousines are also available at the airport.

Getting There By Water

Quebec’s port has undergone a number of changes since those days a couple of centuries ago, when it was one of the continent’s pre-eminent ports. The port is located on the St Lawrence River, 1370 km (851 miles) from the Atlantic Ocean. Overseen by the Quebec Port Authority (tel: (418) 648 3640; fax: (418) 648 4160; website: www.portquebec.ca), it is divided into three sectors, two of which – Beauport and Anse au Foulon – handle industrial cargoes. The central sector, at the convergence of the St Charles River and St Lawrence River, the Estuary, handles general cargo and cruise ships. It includes the Bassin Louise, where leisure craft are moored and from which boat tours depart, as well as the Vieux Port (Old Port), much of which has been converted for leisure activities. Facilities include parking, restaurants, bars, bicycle hire and a market.

Ferry services: The Société des traversiers du Québec (tel: (418) 644 3704; website: www.traversiers.gouv.qc.ca) operates the ferry from Lévis, directly across the river to Quebec City, departing every 30–60 minutes 0630–0220 (journey time – 10 minutes). The fare is C$2 each way (C$2.50 in summer).

Transport to the city: The Bassin Louise is situated directly north of Old Quebec and, although short, the walk to town is uphill. The ferry from Lévis docks near Place Royale in Basse-Ville and the easiest route to the upper part of Old Quebec is by the funicular (website: www.funiculaire-quebec.com).

Getting There By Road

Quebec City is well served by a network of autoroutes (motorways), which are normally two-digit numbers identified by red and blue signs, as well as main (100–199) and secondary (200–399) highways, which have green signs.

Traffic drives on the right. Road signs are international but usually in French. Maximum speed limits are 100kph (62mph) on motorways, 80kph (50mph) on rural highways and 50kph (31mph) in built-up areas. Commencing in spring 2003, it will be legal throughout the province (except in Montreal) for drivers to turn right at a red light.

The minimum driving age is 16 years. An International Driving Permit is recommended, although it is not legally required. Visitors to Quebec may drive on their national driving licences for up to six months. Proof of insurance (minimum C$50,000 third-party liability) must be carried. Non-residents may be covered for compensation under the province’s no-fault insurance if driving a vehicle registered in Quebec or a province or US state with a reciprocal arrangement. The Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec – SAAQ (tel: (418) 643 7620; website: www.saaq.gouv.qc.ca/site/english.html) can provide further information.

There are often road checks for intoxicated drivers; the maximum legal alcohol to blood ratio for driving is 0.08%. Seatbelts are compulsory for all passengers. Radar detection devices are strictly prohibited and may not be carried in automobiles. Snow tyres are a necessity in winter.

Information on road conditions is available from the Ministère des Transports (tel: (418) 684 2363; website: www.mtq.gouv.qc.ca/index_en.htm). CAA-Québec (part of the Canadian Automobile Association) offers travel planning, insurance and other services to motorists (tel: (418) 624 0708 or 8222; website: www.caaquebec.com).

Emergency breakdown services:
CAA/AAA (800) 222 4357 or *222 from most mobile phones

Routes to the city: The main routes from the west – including Montreal, Ottowa and Toronto – are Highway 40, on the St Lawrence River’s north shore, and Highway 20, which bypasses the city on the south shore. Access to the city from Highway 20 is via Highway 73, arriving from the south and the US border. Highway 73’s northern half overlaps with Highway 175 from Chicoutimi. From the east, Highway 138 from Charlevoix becomes Highway 440, leading directly into the centre of the city. Many of these routes jump around – it is often necessary for drivers to exit the highway, follow another one for a couple of kilometres, then rejoin the original one.

Approximate driving times to Quebec City: From Montreal – 2 hours 35 minutes; Ottawa – 4 hours 20 minutes; Toronto – 8 hours.

Coach services: Orléans Express (tel: (418) 525 3000; fax: (418) 525 3029; e-mail: commentaire@orleansexpress.com; website: www.orleansexpress.com) is the main coach company within the province of Quebec, serving areas to the west and all along the south shore of the St Lawrence. Intercar (tel: (418) 627 9108 or (888) 861 4592; fax: (418) 627 1503; e-mail: info@intercar.qc.ca; website: www.intercar.qc.ca) serves the Lac St-Jean, Charlevoix and Côte Nord regions to the north and east of the city.

All buses depart from the main bus terminal, Gare D’Autobus de La Vielle Capitale, 320 rue Abraham-Martin (tel: (418) 525 3000), which is directly adjacent to the railway station. Facilities include ATMs, bars and restaurants, left-luggage and coach passes. Most buses arriving from the west also stop at the bus terminal in Ste-Foy, 3001 chemin des Quatre-Bourgeois (tel: (418) 650 0087).

Getting There By Rail

VIA Rail (tel: (418) 692 3940; website: www.viarail.ca) is Canada’s national rail service provider. Quebec City’s main rail station, Gare du Palais, is located northwest of Old Quebec, at 450 rue de la Gare-du-Palais, adjacent to the main coach station. The château-like railway station contains restaurants, cafés and left-luggage facilities. Trains arriving from the west also stop at Ste-Foy Station, 3255 chemin de la Gare, to the southwest. National rail enquiries and reservations should be directed to VIA Rail’s central hotline (tel: (888) 842 7245).

Rail services: Quebec City lies at the eastern end of the Quebec City–Windsor corridor, which accounts for 85% of Canada’s passenger rail traffic. Both economy and first class (VIA 1) cars are available on corridor trains, which link Quebec City with Montreal (journey time – 3 hours) to the west. The carriages are clean and quiet, with large windows that confer a sense of the country’s vastness, as the train passes acres of farmland and mixed conifer and deciduous forests. VIA 1 fares include a surprisingly good meal and complimentary Canadian wines. From Montreal, connections to Ottawa (journey time – 2 hours) and Toronto (journey time – 4–5 hours) are possible, as are Amtrak trains (tel: (800) 872 7245, toll free in the USA and Canada; website: www.amtrak.com) to New York City.

Transport to the city: Gare du Palais is a short walk from Old Quebec. Bus 18 stops in front of the station and a taxi stand is located along the side of the building, directly opposite the exit from the platforms.

Getting Around

Public Transport
Public buses in the Quebec City region are run by the Réseau de transport de la Capitale – RTC (tel: (418) 627 2511; website: www.stcuq.qc.ca). The buses run from 0600 to 0100 and are supplemented by a limited system of night buses (Friday and Saturday until 0300). Express Métrobus services run more frequently and link the university area of Ste-Foy with northern suburbs, stopping near Place D’Youville en route. Each stop has an Info-Bus number; telephoning 621 followed by this four-digit number gives schedule information for that particular bus stop.

One-way fares for STCUQ services are C$2.25 for adults and are available for purchase upon boarding the bus (exact change is required); tickets purchased in advance from newsagents and other outlets are available singly and cost only C$1.90 (concessions are available). It is possible for commuters to transfer from one bus to another at no extra cost, provided a transfer slip is obtained upon boarding the first bus. A one-day pass is available for C$5.10 and is valid for two people at the weekend.

The upper part of Old Quebec is linked to Basse-Ville by a funicular (website: www.funiculaire-quebec.com), which runs 0730–2300 (until 2400 in summer). The fare is C$1.50.

During ski season, the HiverExpress winter shuttle is a shared-taxi service that links the city with the main ski centres. Departures are from central hotels (which also handle bookings) and the cost is C$23 return. There is also a shuttle bus run by Intercar (see Coach Services in Getting There By Car); the cost is C$9 to Stoneham and C$12 to Mont Ste-Anne.

Taxis
Taxis are available from taxi ranks at major hotels and at the airport, or they can be hailed on the street in Old Quebec and in areas where bars and restaurants are clustered. Taxis can also be ordered by telephone; Taxi Québec (tel: (418) 525 8123 or 522 2001) and Taxi Co-op Québec (tel: (418) 525 5191) are the main firms in the city. Fares start at C$2.50 and increase by C$1.25 per kilometre. A tip of 15% is customary.

Limousines
Service de limousine Guy Samson (tel: (418) 652 7316; fax: (418) 652 7250; website: www.limousinesamson.com) offers sedans and stretch limos for C$50 and C$100 per hour, respectively. Groupe Limousine A-1 Inc (tel: (418) 523 5059; fax: (418) 524 5608; website: www.limousinequebec.com) has sedans for C$55 per hour and vans and stretch limos for C$100–125.

Driving in the City
Walking is the way most visitors prefer to see the sights in Quebec City – most likely because it creates the right romantic ambience, although the difficulties of driving and parking in Old Quebec no doubt have their effect. Motorists not only have to contend with narrow, twisting streets filled with pedestrians but also have to wait while horse-drawn calèches amble along. To try and preserve the quiet atmosphere, motorcycles are not permitted in Old Quebec. Although the Autoroute Dufferin-Montmorency (Highway 440) passes within a couple of blocks of the city walls and so provides a direct link to the attractions east of the city, the other highways crossing the city to the north and west can be confusing, as not enough information about exits and routes is given.

There are parking lots scattered around the periphery of the Old Town, the most convenient being the ones near the tourist office on avenue Wilfrid-Laurier, near the Grande Allée and Porte St-Louis. Within the Old Town itself, there is parking below the Hôtel de Ville (City Hall) at the end of rue St-Jean. Longer term, unattended parking is available across from the coach station off rue Abraham-Martin. There are a number of lots in the Old Port area, along Quai St-Andre and rue Dalhousie – a convenient option in that they are a walk downhill after seeing the sights. Parking costs around C$12 per day.

Car Hire
In general, drivers must be over 21 years and possess a national driving licence and credit card. An International Driving Permit is not legally required but is recommended. Third party liability insurance is required.

One of the major car hire firms in Quebec City is Budget, 29 Côte du Palais (tel: (418) 692 3660; website: www.budgetmtl.com), which generally charges C$45–50 per day (C$30–35 per day at the weekend) for a small car, not including insurance (C$23 per day) or taxes. Other firms are Avis, in the Hilton hotel, 1100 boulevard René-Lévesque East (tel: (418) 523 1075; website: www.avis.com), Discount, 12 rue Ste-Anne (tel: (418) 692 1244; website: www.discountcar.com), and Kangouroute, at the Gare du Palais train station (tel: (418) 694 1727; website: www.kangouroute.com).

Bicycle & Scooter Hire
As part of the province-wide Route Verte (Green Route) of cycling paths (website: www.routeverte.com), there are two long-distance cycling paths passing through Quebec City, in addition to shorter paths and bike lanes for regular commuters. The long distance-paths are useful for visitors, since one links the Old Port with the Montmorency Falls, while the other branches off to the west, eventually linking up with a longer trail to one of the provincial parks. Promo-Vélo (tel: (418) 522 0087; website: www.promo-velo.org) has information on local cycle paths, while Vélo Québec (tel: (800) 567 8356; e-mail: velo_quebec@velo.qc.ca; website: www.velo.qc.ca) has a wealth of information on cycling in the province. Cyclists are required to follow all the laws of the highway code, as well as bike-specific signs.

There are two main companies that hire out bikes. Vélo Passe-Sport Plein Air, 22 Côte du Palais (tel: (418) 692 3643; website: www.velopasse-sport.com), an Upper Town-based company, is open from mid April until the end of October and hires out scooters (C$40 for one and a half hours or C$90 for eight hours) in addition to bicycles (C$14 for two hours or C$30 for eight hours). Cyclo Services, in the Marché du Vieux-Port, 160 rue du Quai St-André (tel: (418) 692 4052; website: www.microtec.net/cyclo), is located in the Old Port and offers bikes for C$10 an hour, C$18 for four hours and C$25 for 24 hours. Both companies sell maps of the cycle path.

Business

Business Profile
Quebec City’s importance as a port has declined since the heady days when much of Canada’s fur trade passed through its wharves and, later, the timber used for shipbuilding and pulp for paper processing. Yet it still moves over 15 million tonnes of cargo. Today, tourism and government are the mainstay of the economy and this is reflected in the labour market, where 86% of the working population is involved in the tertiary sector. Manufacturing and other secondary industries make up much of the rest – the region is the second most important in Canada for pulp and paper processing – although there is an increasing trend towards new technologies. The key sectors are the biomedical, information technology, geomatics, environmental technology, bio-food, building materials, metal, mineral and advanced materials industries. These are bolstered by some 100 research centres, including the National Optics Institute and the CHUL biomedical research centre at Université Laval (founded in 1663), which is also home to the Geomatics Research Centre, grouping everything from digitised mapping to GPS technologies.

Quebec City has four million visitors a year, including the groups of tourists arriving on the many cruise ships that dock there. The city’s role as a conference destination was put to the test during the Summit of the Americas in April 2001 and the World Ecotourism Summit the following year.

In terms of influence, Quebec City is home to the majority of government ministries as well as the National Assembly itself and is the principal regional centre for the eastern part of the province. Government activity is concentrated around Parliament Hill, just to the west of Old Quebec, while down the hill in the St Roch area, Quebec’s National Centre for New Technologies (CNNTQ) is beginning to take shape.

Unemployment has improved markedly, compared to the rest of the country, with a seasonally adjusted rate of 5.7% in November 2002, compared to 8.6% in the province as a whole and the Canadian national average of 7.5%.

Business Etiquette
Although more English is spoken in the business world than on the streets, a few words of French before switching to English will ensure a much better reception than launching into English straight away. Translations of certain key items, such as executive summaries, would be considered a beau geste. Due to the touchy political situation, it is best for visitors to avoid discussing language rights or the sovereignty movement.

Standard international business courtesies should be observed, although businesspeople in Quebec City are less formal than Europeans and usually use first names after the initial introduction. When speaking French in a business context, it is best for one to use ‘vous’ until the other party uses the less formal ‘tu’; after that, lapsing back into ‘vous’ is considered bad form. Business cards are exchanged either at the beginning or end of the first meeting. Both men and women generally wear suits but short-sleeved shirts are acceptable in summer. Business hours are generally 0900–1700 weekdays. Breakfast and lunch meetings are more common than evening meetings.

Sightseeing

Sightseeing Overview
Quebec City is a delightful place for visitors to wander around for a few days, although that may not give enough time to see all of the specific museums and attractions. The main areas of interest are in Vieux-Québec (Old Quebec), which is divided between Haute-Ville (Upper Town) within the city walls and Basse-Ville (Lower Town) at the foot of the cliff on which Upper Town stands. Attractions in the Upper Town include many museums devoted to recounting historic events and those set up by religious organisations, such as the Musée des Augustines de l’Hôtel-Dieu de Québec – recounting the history of the nuns who founded the first hospital north of Mexico – and the Musée des Ursulines. There are also some delightful churches, historic houses and other tourist attractions, such as the Québec Experience multimedia show and the diorama that is the centrepiece for the show at the Musée du Fort.

In the Lower Town, the charming Quartier Petit Champlain is a cobblestone street filled with restaurants and boutiques. It is supplemented by history museums and the renowned Musée de la Civilisation, which hosts excellent archaeological and anthropological exhibitions. Adjacent to the Lower Town and bordering the St Lawrence River, the Vieux-Port (Old Port) has been converted into a riverside promenade with entertainment and dining and a couple of small museums devoted to the port’s history and seafaring in general.

To the southwest of Upper Town, the imposing Citadel was added to supplement the fortifications guarding Old Quebec; it protected the city from attack to the southwest, where the Plains of Abraham stretch as far as the Musée du Québec. Parallel to the plains and separated from it by the bars and restaurants of Grand Allée is Parliament Hill, where the provincial legislature sits in the ornate Second-Empire Hôtel de Parlement.

Summer hours for attractions typically begin on the Fête St-Jean (24 June) and end on Labour Day weekend in early September. Visitors should note that most attractions are closed on Monday during the winter.

Tourist Information
Bureau d’information touristique du Vieux-Québec
835 avenue Wilfrid-Laurier
Tel: (418) 649 2608. Fax: (418) 522 0830.
E-mail: bit@cuq.qc.ca
Website: www.quebecregion.com
Opening hours: Daily 0830–1930 (late Jun–early Sep); daily 0830–1830 (early Sep–mid Oct); Mon–Sat 0900–1700, Fri until 1800, Sun 1000–1600 (mid Oct–late Jun).

Run by the Quebec City and Area Tourism and Convention Bureau, the Bureau d’information touristique du Vieux-Québec centre covers Quebec City and vicinity. The Discovery Pavilion downstairs provides information on the Plains of Abraham (see Key Attractions).

Centre Infotouriste
12 rue Ste-Anne
Tel: (514) 873 2015 or (877) 266 5687. Fax: (418) 864 3838.
E-mail: info@tourisme.gouv.qc.ca
Website: www.bonjourquebec.com
Opening hours: Daily 0830–1930 (late Jun–early Sep); daily 0900–1700 (early Sep–late Jun).

The Centre Infotouriste, operated by Tourisme Québec, provides information on the whole of the province (including Quebec City) and shares its location with bureaux de change, tour operators and car hire and travel agencies.

Passes
The Military Passport, costing C$23 (concessions available), will appeal to history buffs, as it includes access to five military attractions (La Citadelle de Québec, Centre d’interprétation des Champs de Bataille, Parc de l’Artillerie, Fortifications de Québec and Fort No 1 at Pointe de Lévy on the south shore of the St Lawrence), as well as the Observatoire de la Capitale.

The Three-site Discovery Package allows entry to the Musée de la Civilisation, Musée de l’Amérique française and Centre d’Interprétation Place-Royale for C$11 (concessions available).

Passes are available for purchase at the participating attractions.

Key Attractions

Vieux-Québec/Haute-Ville (Old Quebec’s Upper Town)
The first thing most visitors head for when they visit Quebec City is the Old Town’s Haute-Ville (Upper Town), where the towering Chateau Frontenac is located. This hotel was built in 1893, although the tower that gives it its distinctive appearance was added in the 1920s. Tours are available by reservation (tel: (418) 691 2166) and cost C$7. 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 Terrasse Dufferin – 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 contains the Hôtel de Ville (City Hall) but is dominated by the Basilique-Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-Québec, the city’s main Catholic cathedral. This imposing edifice has suffered numerous disasters over three-and-a-half centuries, much of which is documented in the Heavenly Lights show, a son et lumière spectacle that also relates the history of the city and lights up the cathedral’s architecture to sublime effect.

Basilique-Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-Québec
20 rue De Buade
Tel: (418) 694 0665 or 4000 (Heavenly Lights only). Fax: (418) 692 5860.
Website: www.patrimoine-religieux.com
Transport: Bus 3, 7, 11, 800 or 801 to Place D’Youville.
Opening hours: Daily 0800–2100, although access is limited after 1300 to half-hour intervals between Heavenly Lights shows (May–mid Oct); daily 0800–1600 (mid Oct–Apr).
Admission: Free (cathedral); C$7.50 (Heavenly Lights); concessions available.

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 Haute-Ville and the Old Port, linked to the Upper Town by the funicular, the escaliers 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 Place-Royale, a modern interpretation centre within one of these historic buildings, displays period artefacts and panels that illustrate the area’s history. The historic Maison Chevalier captures the times, with displays of domestic scenes in the 17th century. Between the two, the Quartier Petit Champlain is a lively and crowded area of shops and restaurants along a romantic cobblestone street.

Centre d’interprétation de Place-Royale
27 rue Notre-Dame
Tel: (418) 646 3167.
Website: www.mcq.org
Transport: Bus 1 or funicular.
Opening hours: Daily 1000–1700 (summer); Tues–Sun 1000–1700 (winter).
Admission: C$3; free on Tues (Sep–Jun) and Wed–Sun (Nov–Mar); concessions available.

Maison Chevalier
66 rue du Marché-Champlain
Tel: (418) 643 2158.
Website: www.mcq.org
Transport: Bus 1 or funicular.
Opening hours: Daily 0930–1700 (Jul–Aug); Tues–Sun 1000–1700 (May–Jun and Sep–Oct); Sat and Sun 1000–1700 (Oct–Apr).
Admission: Free.

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 north of Mexico. It is possible for one 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. It is the departure point for 90-minute guided tours (from June to mid-October) by costumed Parks Canada staff and is also the best place for self-guided walkers to set off from.

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. Now an interpretation centre features the 1808 model of Quebec City inside the foundry, the 1712 Dauphine Redoubt, which housed French soldiers and now replicates the 19th-century British officers’ mess, and the 1818 British Officers’ Quarters. Further along, cannons are ranged along the wall, overlooking the St Lawrence River and the opposite shore. Beyond where it joins the Terrasse-Dufferin, it is possible for walkers to continue along a boardwalk on the cliff below the walls, which surround the Citadel.

Centre d’interprétation des Fortifications-de-Québec
100 rue St-Louis
Tel: (418) 648 7016 or (800) 463 6769. Fax: (418) 648 4825.
E-mail: parcscanada-que@pch.gc.ca
Website: www.parkscanada.gc.ca
Transport: Bus 3 or 11.
Opening hours: Daily 1000–1700 (early May–mid Oct); open other days upon reservation.
Admission: C$3; C$10 (guided tours of the walls); concessions available.

Parc de l’Artillerie
2 rue D’Auteuil
Tel: (418) 648 4205 or (800) 463 6769. Fax: (418) 648 4825.
E-mail: parcscanada-que@pch.gc.ca
Website: www.parkscanada.gc.ca
Transport: Bus 3, 7, 11, 800 or 801.
Opening hours: Daily 1000–1700 (early May–mid Oct); Wed–Sun 1000–1700 (Apr–early May); open other days upon reservation.
Admission: C$4 (guided tours); C$4 (Apr–Aug); concessions available.

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 are given a compulsory one-hour guided tour of the site, which includes the Governor General’s residence, the powder magazine and a former prison that now houses a small museum. In the summer, two ceremonies are held. 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.

Cap Diamant
Tel: (418) 694 2815. Fax: (418) 694 2853.
Website: www.lacitadelle.qc.ca
Transport: Bus 3 or 11.
Opening hours: Daily 1000–1600 (Apr); daily 0900–1700 (May–Jun); daily 0900–1800 (Jul–Aug); daily 0900–1600 (Sep); daily 1000–1500 (Oct).
Admission: C$6 (concessions available).

Parc des Champs-de-Bataille nationaux (National Battlefields Park)
The National Battlefields Park – occupying the 108-hectare (267-acre) Plains of Abraham, situated to the southwest of the Citadel – is the site of the decisive battle of 1759, which saw the British, under General Wolfe, defeat Montcalm’s French forces. Today, it is a wide green space popular for summer concerts and as a place to stroll. 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 information on the battles as well as the historical multimedia exhibition, Canada Odyssey. Midway through the park, Martello Tower No 1 has costumed guides who explain the role of these defensive structures (during summer only). A part of the Musée du Québec is occupied by the Centre d’interprétation des Champs-de-Bataille, which has a multi-media show explaining the history of the park and the battle between the French and British in particular. Abraham’s Bus connects the sites, with the driver providing commentary as it winds through the park during summer days and autumn weekends.

Discovery Pavilion of the Plains of Abraham
835 avenue Wilfrid-Laurier
Tel: (418) 648 4071. Fax: (418) 648 3809.
E-mail: ccbn.mdld.pa@videotron.ca
Website: www.ccbn-nbc.gc.ca or www.canadaodyssey.com
Transport: Bus 3 or 11.
Opening hours: Daily 0900–1730 (May–mid Oct), daily 0900–1700 (mid Oct–Apr).
Admission: C$3.50 (Discovery Pavilion); C$6.50 (Canada Odyssey)

Centre d’interprétation
1 rue Wolfe-Montcalm
Tel: (418) 648 5941 or 5371. Fax: (418) 648 3809.
Transport: Bus 3 or 11.
Opening hours: Daily 1000–1730 (late May–mid Oct), Tues–Sun 1000–1700 (mid Oct–late May).
Admission: C$3.50; C$9 for Centre d’interprétation, Martello Tower No 1 and Abraham’s Bus combined; concessions available.

Musée du Québec (Quebec Museum)
The most important collection of paintings and sculpture by Québécois artists is held by the Musée du Québec. A selection of works are displayed in three chronological exhibitions – the earliest dates from the beginnings of Québécois art and is largely influenced by religion, the second covers the European-influenced modernist period up to 1945, and the third showcases figurative and abstract art from the mid-20th century. These are supplemented by travelling shows and permanent exhibitions that focus on painter Jean-Paul Lemieux and abstract painter and sculptor Jean-Paul Riopelle. The museum’s site at the southwest end of the Plains of Abraham is dotted with sculptures.

Parc des Champs-de-Bataille
Tel: (418) 643 2150 or (866) 220 2150. Fax: (418) 646 3330.
Website: www.mdq.org
Transport: Bus 11 to rue Wolfe-Montcalm or bus 800 or 801 to rue de Bourlamaque.
Opening hours: Thurs–Mon 1000–1800, Wed 1000–2100 (1 Jun–31 Aug); Tues, Thurs –Sun 1000–1700, Wed 1000–2100 (1 Sep–31 May).
Admission: Free (permanent collection); C$10, free on Wed in winter (temporary exhibitions); concessions available.

Musée de la Civilisation (Museum of Civilisation)
One of the city’s strongest museums, the Museum of Civilisation, situated in Lower Town, hosts excellent temporary shows in addition to its two 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. The other is a tribute to the First Nations peoples who live in the province, with videotaped oral histories, birchbark canoes, teepees and many smaller artefacts.

85 rue Dalhousie
Tel: (418) 643 2158 or (866) 710 8031. Fax: (418) 646 9705.
Website: www.mcq.org
Transport: Bus 1.
Opening hours: Daily 0930–1830 (summer); Tues–Sun 1000–1700 (winter).
Admission: C$7; concessions available; free on Tues in winter.

Further Distractions

Observatoire de la Capitale (Capital Observatory)
The best view of the city itself 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. Across the St Lawrence River it is easy for visitors to pick out where General Wolfe amassed his troops prior to the attack on the city.

Marie-Guyart Building, 31st Floor, 1037 rue de la Chevrotière
Tel: (418) 644 9841 or (888) 497 4322. Fax: (418) 644 2879.
Website: www.observatoirecapitale.org
Transport: Bus 11, 25, 800 or 801.
Opening hours: Daily 1000–1700 (24 Jun–15 Oct); Tues–Sun 1000–1700 (16 Oct–23 Jun).
Admission: C$4 (concessions available).

Musée d’Art INUIT Brousseau (Brosseau Museum of Inuit Art)
One of the city’s newest museums, this former collection of the Brousseau family (who own the gallery next door) is a small but thoughtfully chosen collection of Inuit art, predominantly from the last half-century. Exhibits show the development from the naïve sculpture of the 1950s to the very individual works of contemporary artists working in whalebone or caribou antlers, as well as soapstone. Other displays show how the choice of material as well as the subject matter reflects the great regional diversity of Canada’s northern peoples.

39 rue St-Louis
Tel: (418) 694 1828. Fax: (418) 694 2086.
E-mail: artinuit@globetrotter.net
Website: www.inuitart.ca
Transport: Bus 3 or 11.
Opening hours: Daily 0930–1730.
Admission: C$6 (concessions available).

Musée de l’Amérique française (Museum of French America)
The Museum of French America comprises three separate buildings within the grounds of the vast Séminaire de Québec, the Catholic institution for religious and educational instruction. The museum details the history of the seminary and showcases a tiny part of the seminary’s vast collections of objects from the natural sciences and other disciplines. The museum also includes the former chapel, where daytime concerts are given during the summer. For American visitors, the highlight is the exhibition on the dispersal of their ancestors from New France throughout the USA; panels illustrate the paths of migration and there are genealogical tables available for family-tree researchers.

2 Côte de la Fabrique
Tel: (418) 692 2843. Fax: (418) 646 9705.
Website: www.mcq.org
Transport: Bus 3, 7, 11, 800 or 801 to Place D’Youville.
Opening hours: Daily 0930–1700 (summer); Tues–Sun 1000–1700 (winter).
Admission: C$4; concessions available; free on Tues in winter.

Musée des Ursulines de Québec (The Ursulines of Quebec Museum)
Marie Guyart de l’Incarnation arrived in Quebec City in 1639, along with two other Ursuline nuns, to found the first Ursuline monastery and girls’ school in North America. Although most of the monastery is off limits, visits to the chapel with its early 18th-century decor, the Centre Marie-de-l’Incarnation information centre and the museum itself are possible. The museum includes artefacts from the settlers’ early days as well as religious paintings and other artworks.

12 rue Donnacona
Tel: (418) 694 0694. Fax: (418) 694 2136.
E-mail: murq@bellnet.ca
Website: www.museocapitale.qc.ca/014a.htm
Transport: Bus 3, 7, 11, 800 or 801 to Place D’Youville.
Opening hours: Tues–Sat 1000–1200 and 1300–1700, Sun 1300–1700 (summer); Tues–Sun 1300–1630 (winter).
Admission: C$5 (concessions available).

Tours of the City

Walking Tours
Dozens of companies and attractions provide tours of Quebec City. One of the classic routes is to walk the 4.6km (2.9 miles) along the top of the fortification walls, with the option of continuing around the Citadel and along the Plains of Abraham; a partial tour is available from the Centre d’interprétation des Fortifications-de-Québec (see Key Attractions).

The most flexible tours are offered by CD Tour (tel: (418) 990 8687) and are available for booking at either tourist office (see Tourist Information). These are audio tours that allow the visitor to take their time and see the sights in whatever order they please. The cost is C$10 or C$15 per couple.

Thematic walking tours are offered by the Quebec Historical Society (tel: (418) 692 0556; fax: (418) 692 0614; website: www.societehistoriquedequebec.qc.ca) and the Corporation du patrimoine et du tourisme religieux de Québec (tel: (418) 694 0665; website: www.patrimoine-religieux.com), which covers the city’s religious heritage. Private companies, Maple Leaf Guide Service (tel: (418) 622 3677 or (877) 622 3677) and Les Tours Adlard (tel: (418) 692 2358; website: www.adlardtours.com), offer walking tours as well as bus tours.

Bus Tours
Nearly a dozen companies offer bus tours, with the basic city tour starting at around C$25 for approximately two hours, including the Upper and Lower Towns, the fortifications and the Citadel, the Plains of Abraham and the National Assembly buildings. Most companies offer optional excursions, entry to attractions and/or combined tours (bus/walk or bus/boat), at increased duration and cost. Autocars Dupont/Gray Line de Québec (tel: (418) 649 9226 or (888) 558 7668; website: www.orleansexpress.com/grayline) offers a year round, daily ‘Once Upon A Time Our City&’ tour, which takes in the main sights, including the Plains of Abraham, Parliament Buildings and the St Lawrence River. The two-hour bus tour costs C$25 and is also available as a walking tour for C$15. Free hotel pick up is available. Old Quebec Tours (tel: (418) 664 0460 or (800) 267 8687; website: www.toursvieuxquebec.com) offers a similar tour costing C$22.

Boat Tours
Boat cruises, which allow a magnificent view of the city, travel downstream to the Ile d’Orléans and beyond; departures are from the Bassin Louise, in the Old Port north of Upper Town. Les Croisières Le Coudrier (tel: (418) 692 0107 or (888) 600 5554; website: www.croisierescoudrier.qc.ca) offers 90-minute cruises for C$22, as well as dinner and cruise packages and longer excursions. Croisières AML (tel: (418) 692 1159 or (800) 563 4643; website: www.croisieresaml.com) offers similar packages starting at C$19, as well as whale-watching trips (see Excursions).

Other Tours
The most romantic way to tour the city is in a horse-drawn calèche. These can be hired just inside the city walls near Porte St-Louis from Calèches du Vieux-Québec (tel: (418) 683 9222 or 520 1555). Tours costs C$60 for 45 minutes for up to four people.

Héli Express Tours (tel: (418) 877 5890; website: www.heliexpres.com) has helicopter flights over the St Lawrence River allowing views of the city and the Montmorency Falls. Departures are between 0900 and 2000 from the heliport on rue Abraham-Martin, located across the Bassin Louise from the Old Port. A 15-minute flight costs around C$65 per person, with a minimum of four passengers.

Excursions

The following excursions are all located east of Quebec City, along Highway 138 (Highway 362, which runs along the coast east of Baie-St-Paul, offers a slower but incredibly scenic alternative). Twice-daily Intercar coaches (tel: (418) 627 9108 or (888) 861 4592; fax: (418) 627 1503; e-mail: info@intercar.qc.ca; website: www.intercar.qc.ca) stop at Ste-Anne-de-Beaupré, Baie-St-Paul and Tadoussac. A car is necessary to visit the Canyon-Ste-Anne and Ile d’Orléans. Many bus-tour companies include these destinations in their itineraries (see Tours of the City).

For a Half Day

Côte de Beaupré: The different attractions east of Quebec City in the Beaupré Coast region (website: www.cotedebeaupre.com) could be visited individually in as little as a couple of hours but could easily be combined to fill a whole day. Nearest the city, the Montmorency Falls (tel: (418) 663 3330; website: www.chutemontmorency.qc.ca) is a waterfall half as tall as Niagara Falls, although with less water. A cable car costing C$5.50 one way or C$7.50 return leads from the car park (C$7.50) to the centre d’interprétation (open daily from 0830 until around dusk, from mid April to late October) and a bridge over the falls. The Montmorency Falls is the only attraction in the region that is accessible by public transport. Bus 53 travels here on a 50-minute journey from Place Jacques-Cartier.

Further east, the enormous Basilique de Ste-Anne-de-Beaupré (website: www.ssadb.qc.ca) has been drawing Catholic pilgrims for centuries; the cathedral is part of a complex including a museum and smaller chapels that mark the start of the Way of the Cross processional route up the hillside.

Six kilometres (four miles) further on, three bridges are suspended across the Canyon Ste-Anne (tel: (418) 827 4057; website: www.canyonste-anne.qc.ca), offering dramatic views of the 74m (243ft) waterfall located there. Admission is C$7.50 (concessions available) from May to October only.

Ile d’Orléans: The rustic countryside of the Ile d’Orléans is visible from Quebec City’s Old Town and many locals escape here for fresh produce from roadside market stalls and the many excellent restaurants in the island’s inns. It is a pleasant place for visitors to drive around and the tourist office (tel: (418) 828 9411; website: www.iledorleans.com), located near the bridge to the mainland, provides audio tours, costing C$10, which chart the background of the early settlers and sailors who lived here. The bridge is located about 20km (12 miles) northeast, of central Quebec City, off Highway 440.

For a Whole Day

Charlevoix: Around 60km (37 miles) east of Quebec City, the terrain changes dramatically as the Laurentian mountain chain meets the St Lawrence River. Amidst the forest-covered mountains are a couple of scenic provincial parks (tel: (418) 890 6527 or (800) 665 6527; website: www.sepaq.com). These include the Parc des Grands-Jardins (where caribou can be spotted) and Parc des Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie, with its mighty ravines. Closer to the coast is the town of Baie St-Paul. The initial view from the west is breathtaking, as the highway drops out of the mountains into the valley where the town lies. Artists have found the scenery stimulating and their output is visible at the many galleries in Baie St-Paul, supplemented by numerous restaurants and country inns. Information on the region is available from Tourisme Charlevoix (tel: (418) 665 4454 or (800) 667 2276; website: www.tourisme-charlevoix.com). Transport to the region is by Intercar coach (see above).

Whale-watching: The Saguenay–St Lawrence Marine Park (website: www.parkscanada.gc.ca) begins at the eastern end of Charlevoix and is an excellent place for watchers to spot belugas, humpbacks, fin whales and the occasional mighty blue whale. From Quebec City, Croisières AML (tel: (418) 692 1159 or (800) 563 4643; website: www.croisieresaml.com) offers a coach-and-cruise trip for C$79–86, while for C$129, Croisières Dufour (tel: (418) 692 0222 or (800) 463 5250; website: www.familledufour.com) provides a ten-hour excursion entirely by boat, departing at 0800. By car, it is a three-hour drive each way to Baie Ste-Catherine, where numerous companies offer three-hour whale-watching trips for around C$40–45, although it is better for visitors to stay overnight in one of the many bed and breakfasts in the pretty town of Tadoussac, located on the north side of the Saguenay Fjord, and make a weekend of it.

Sport

Hockey dominates the city’s sporting life, despite the fact that with the loss of the Québec Nordiques ice hockey team, Quebec City has been left without a team in any national league. Ice hockey action is now limited to Les Remparts de Québec (tel: (418) 525 1212; website: www.remparts.qc.ca), which plays at the Colisée Pepsi, a 15,000-seat arena at the ExpoCité exhibition complex (website: www.expocite.com). The complex, situated at the junction of highways 175 and 138, is also home to the Hippodrome de Québec harness-racing track. In summer, the Northern League baseball team, Les Capitales de Québec (tel: (418) 521 2255; website: www.capitalesdequebec.com), play at the 5000-seat Le Stade de Québec, in Victoria Park near Highway 173. The Transat Québec/St-Malo is the major sailing event; every four years (the next being 2004), sailboats and catamarans compete in the Quebec City to St Malo, France race. More distant is the Wolrd Police and Fire Games, which is set to take place in 2005, when 10,000 athletes will compete at a various venues (website: www.2005wpfg.com).

The emphasis in the city is on participating in sports rather than watching them. This is not surprising, given that within a 20-minute drive there are facilities for downhill and cross-country skiing, rafting, cycling, hiking, hunting and fishing. Within Quebec City itself, the Plains of Abraham offer residents and visitors alike a terrific outdoor venue for recreational activities, including playing fields, ten kilometres (six miles) of jogging and cross-country skiing trails and a large inline skating track at the park’s west end. Cycle paths begin at the Old Port, linking it with the Montmorency Falls to the east and a longer distance bike path to the west.

Tickets to sporting events are available through Admission (tel: (800) 361 4595; website: www.admission.com) and Réseau Billetech (website: www.billetech.com).

Fitness centres: The YMCA, located in the Edifice Vieux-Québec, 650 avenue Wilfrid-Laurier (tel: (418) 522 0800; fax: (418) 522 0758), has squash courts, a swimming pool and workout facilities. The YWCA, 855 avenue Holland (tel: (418) 683 2155; fax: (418) 683 5526; website: www.ywcaquebec.qc.ca), has a swimming pool and classes such as aerobics but no gym.

Golf: There are courses at a number of the ski centres around Quebec City, including Club de Golf Stoneham, 324 1ère avenue (tel: (418) 848 2414), with two 18-hole courses. Greens fees start at C$24. East of Quebec City, Le Grand Vallon, 100 rue Beau-Mont in Beaupré (tel: (418) 827 4653 or (888) 827 4579, ext. 470; website: www.grandvallon.com), has a par-72 course below the slopes of Mont Ste-Anne at. Standard rates are C$55–78, dipping as low as C$32 for late-afternoon rounds. Closer to town, the Club de Golf St-Laurent, 758 chemin Royale, on Ile d’Orléans (tel: (418) 829 2244), has a par-72, 18-hole course overlooking the St Lawrence River. Green fees are C$34–42, depending on the day, with prices dropping in the afternoon. The above clubs are all open to the public.

Skiing: There are three great ski hills in Quebec City’s vicinity. The Station touristique Stoneham (tel: (418) 848 2411 or (800) 463 6888; website: www.ski-stoneham.com) is 30km (19 miles) north of the city, near the Réserve Faunique des Laurentides, which itself has excellent cross-country skiing in the Fôret Montmorency. Forty kilometres (25 miles) to the east, Mont-Ste-Anne (tel: (418) 827 5281 or (800) 463 1568; website: www.mont-sainte-anne.com) is one of the best-known ski resorts in eastern North America and has a wide range of activities throughout the year. Further east, in Charlevoix, Le Massif (tel: (418) 632 5876 or (877) 536 2774; website: www.lemassif.com) has incredible views of the St Lawrence River.

Tennis: The Club de tennis et squash Montcalm, 901 boulevard Champlain (tel: (418) 687 1250; website: www.tennismontcalm.qc.ca), has four interior and seven exterior courts, as well as three squash courts. Play costs C$13–26 for tennis and C$7–10 for squash, plus C$6 per person for non-members.

Shopping

Within Old Town, the main shopping areas are on rues Ste-Anne, De Buade and St-Jean, where there is a mix of tourist shops, clothing stores and boutiques selling everything from handicrafts to Inuit art. The best example of the latter is Brousseau et Brousseau, at 35 rue St-Louis (next door to the Inuit art museum), and its outlets at 69 rue Ste-Anne and 43 rue De Buade, both under the name Aux Multiples Collections.

The most atmospheric place for visitors to shop has to be in the Quartier Petit Champlain, in Lower Town (website: www.quartier-petit-champlain.qc.ca). Here, the cobblestone streets are lined with boutiques and shops selling artisanal wares, as they have done for centuries. The Verrerie La Mailloche (website: www.lamailloche.qc.ca) is especially interesting as one of the province’s ‘economuseums’ combining a glass-blowing workshop, displays on the craft and a boutique where the finished product can be purchased.

Beyond Old Quebec, most local residents shop at the larger suburban shopping malls or on avenue Cartier, a delightful street of boutiques, local fashion designers and restaurants, not far from the Musée du Québec. To the southwest of Quebec City, in the suburb of Ste-Foy where highway 175 meets the 740, is one of the largest shopping complexes in North America, made up of three adjoining shopping malls – Place Laurier, Place Ste-Foy and Place de la Cité – with over 600 shops between them. The other main centre is Galeries de la Capitale, with 250 shops, located at the junction of highways 40 and 740, west of Old Town.

In the Old Port, north of Old Town, at 160 Quai St-André, is the large public market, Le Marché du Vieux-Port. Fresh produce, flowers, cheese and meat are on sale here daily between 0800 and 1900. For truly farm-fresh goods, it is only a 20-minute drive to the Ile d’Orléans, where dozens of roadside stalls are heaped with fruits and vegetables throughout the summer and cabanes à sucre (sugar shacks) offer maple syrup products in the early spring.

Shops are generally open Monday to Wednesday 1000–1800, Thursday and Friday 1000–2100 and Saturday and Sunday 1000–1700. The 7% federal Goods and Services Tax (GST) and 7.5% provincial Quebec Sales Tax (QST) are levied on most products and services. Non-residents can apply for a rebate on the GST portion on goods for use outside of Canada as well as on short-term accommodation; the total pre-tax value must exceed C$200, with a C$50 minimum for each individual invoice. The Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (tel: (902) 432 5608 or (800) 668 4748; website: www.ccra-adrc.gc.ca/visitors) can provide further information.

Culture

Quebec City’s cultural scene runs the gamut from the high aspects of opera and symphony to intimate boites à chansons, with their Celtic-tinged Québécois folk music. While there is some experimental theatre – boosted by local son Robert Lepage – much of the theatre tends towards the mainstream, with larger performances often consisting of light-hearted musicals, such as Starmania and Notre-Dame de Paris, both by local son Luc Plamondon. Films are primarily in French but there are usually at least a couple of screens showing English-language flicks at any given time. The best way for visitors to appreciate the culture, however, is during one of the large festivals, in which almost the whole city seems to become involved.

Québec Sur Scène (website: www.surscene.qc.ca) has information on dance, theatre, classical music and other shows. Listings can also be found in the free alternative weekly, Voir (website: www.voir.ca), the weekly English-language newspaper, the Québec Chronicle Telegraph, or the French dailies, Le Soleil (website: www.cyberpresse.ca/soleil) and Journal de Québec (website: www.journaldequebec.com). The free tourist publications, Québec Scope and Voilà Québec, are also helpful, as is the online Télégraphe de Québec (website: www.telegraphe.com).

Tickets for many events are available from Réseau Billetech (website: www.billetech.com) and Admission (tel: (800) 361 4595; website: www.admission.com), as well as the venues themselves.

Music: The city’s main symphony orchestra, the century-old Orchestre symphonique de Québec (tel: (418) 643 8486; website: www.osq.qc.ca), performs at Quebec City’s most prestigious venue, Le Grand Théâtre de Québec, 269 boulevard René-Lévesque East (website: www.grandtheatre.qc.ca). The Grand Théâtre is also the home of the Opéra de Québec (tel: (418) 529 4142; website: www.operadequebec.qc.ca) and features performances by visiting soloists and orchestras organised by the Club Musical de Québec (tel: (418) 527 6378; fax: (418) 687 4225; website: www.cqm.qc.ca/repert.html) music society. The chamber orchestra, Les Violons du Roy (tel: (418) 692 3026; fax: (418) 692 2078; e-mail: info@violonsduroy.com; website: www.violonsduroy.com), performs at the Palais Montcalm, Place D’Youville, when they take a break from their hectic touring schedule.

Many of Quebec City’s churches provide a wonderful ambience for classical concerts – Chalmers-Wesley United Church, 78 rue Ste-Ursule, has organ concerts on Sunday at 1800 during the summer, while the chapel in the Musée de l’Amérique française, 2 Côte de la Fabrique (tel: (418) 692 2843; fax: (418) 646 9705; website: www.mcq.org), has daytime concerts. The Salle Albert-Rousseau, 2410 chemin Ste-Foy (tel: (418) 659 6710 or (877) 659 6710; website: www.sallealbertrousseau.com), also hosts a variety of performances.

In summer, music moves out of doors, with classical concerts at the Kiosque Edwin-Bélanger bandstand (tel: (418) 648 4050) on the Plains of Abraham, as well as occasional concerts at the open-air Agora, in the Old Port. Further afield, Domaine Forget (tel: (418) 452 3535 or (888) 336 7438; website: www.domaineforget.com), 140km (87 miles) east of Quebec City in Ste-Irénée (near La Malbaie in Charlevoix), is renowned for its summer concert series.

Theatre: The Grand Théâtre de Québec, 269 boulevard René-Lévesque East (website: www.grandtheatre.qc.ca), hosts some of the city’s larger theatrical productions, in addition to concerts. The resident company is the three-decade old Le Théâtre du Trident (tel: (418) 643 5873; website: www.letrident.com), which performs modern French works and translations of American and European plays. Le Capitole de Québec, 972 rue St-Jean (tel: (418) 694 4444 or (800) 261 9903; website: www.lecapitole.com), has dinner theatre performances and a smaller cabaret venue that features comedy and musical acts. Théâtre de la Bordée, 315 rue St-Joseph (tel: (418) 694 9631; website: www.bordee.qc.ca), has a contemporary and often cutting-edge programme.

Dance: There are no major permanent dance companies in the city. La Rotonde, 310 boulevard Langelier (tel: (418) 649 5013; website: www.larotonde.qc.ca), produces shows by touring and local contemporary dance companies, although only some of these performances take place at the venue itself.

Film: Most films are screened in French, although at the beginning of a film’s run the original English version (v.o.a.) may be available in the suburban multiplexes, especially in Ste-Foy. Cineplex Odeon Ste-Foy, 1200 Boul DuPlessis (tel: (418) 871 1550) shows mainstream and arthouse movies. The main repertory house, Cinéma le Clap, 2360 chemin Ste-Foy (tel: (418) 650 2527; website: www.clap.qc.ca), also has arthouse and occasional English-language offerings. The weekly Voir (website: www.voir.ca) is the best source for listings (French only).

The 1991 film Robe Noire (Black Robe) captured the life of 17th-century New France, with a young Jesuit priest departing early Quebec City with his Algonquin guides to visit a remote mission. Filming took place near La Baie, a two-and-a-half-hour drive away. The set has been converted into a tourist attraction – Site de la Nouvelle-France, du Vieux chemin, Saint-Félix-d’Otis (tel: (418) 544 8027; website: www.royaume.com/nouvelle-france).

Le Confessional (1995), directed by renowned theatre director Robert Lepage, jumps back and forth between present day Quebec City and 1952, during the time that Alfred Hitchcock filmed I Confess (released in 1953).

Cultural events: Three festivals dominate the Quebec City calendar, including the Carnaval de Québec (tel: (418) 626 3716 or (866) 422 7628; website: www.carnaval.qc.ca), famous for its mascot, Bonhomme Carnaval. The two-week winter carnival has long been a boozy favourite – necessary to ward off the February cold, of course – although organisers are trying to change the focus to a more family-orientated atmosphere. All sorts of winter activities from building ice castles to tobogganing and ice skating are on offer.

In early July, the 11-day Festival d’Eté (Summer Festival) transforms the whole of the city centre into a stage, with a full schedule of over 500 concerts including classical music, opera, Québécois rock and techno sets (tel: (418) 529 5200 or (888) 992 5200; website: www.infofestival.com). The following month, Les Fêtes de la Nouvelle-France (tel: (418) 694 3311 or (866) 391 3383; website: www.nouvellefrance.qc.ca) takes participants back to the 17th and 18th centuries, before the British conquest. Visitors from around the province dress in period costume to partake in events in Lower Town, whose perfect setting is enlivened by open-air markets, entertainers and typical activities of the period.

Throughout 2003, the Centenary of the Orchestre symphonique de Québec – OSQ (website: www.osq.qc.ca), will include special concerts performed at various venues around the city.

The city is looking forward to one of the biggest cultural events, which is set to take place in 2008, with the Quebec City’s 400th Anniversary (website: www.quebec2008.com).

Literary Notes
Other than journals of the early explorers, such as Samuel de Champlain, the first literature out of Quebec City was François-Xavier Garneau’s Histoire du Canada (1845–48). The life and habits of late 18th-century Québécois were captured in Philippe Aubert de Gaspé’s Les Anciens Canadiens (1863), a name that is now used by the restaurant that occupies the 1677 Maison Jacquet, 34 rue St-Louis, where he lived. Anne Hébert, the novelist and poet born in Ste-Catherine-de-la-Jacques-Cartier, a village west of the city, wrote Kamouraska (1974), based on a real-life love-triangle and murder in the 1840s, in the eponymous town on the south shore of the St Lawrence, east of Quebec City. Jacques Poulin, known for The ‘Jimmy’ Trilogy of novels (1967–70) studied at Université Laval, as did Antonine Maillet, whose Pélagie-la Charette (1979) won the Prix Goncourt, France’s top literary prize. Gabrielle Roy, author of The Tin Flute (1945), lived in Quebec City (the main civic library now bears her name), while the poet, playwright and musician, Félix Leclerc, lived on nearby Ile d’Orléans.

Nightlife

There is no shortage of drinking establishments and entertainment venues in Quebec City, both within the city walls and in the districts nearby. Within the Old Town, there are boites à chansons (intimate and lively venues featuring solo singers or small groups of musicians), classy hotel lounge bars, pubs and more alternative bars, especially on and around rue St-Jean. West of Place D’Youville, rue St-Jean becomes more laid-back, attracting students to the friendly local bars and gay men and lesbians to the small but lively gay scene. Grand Allée has some of the best clubs, although these are mixed in with tourist traps and venues with hardly anyone over 21 years of age. Further afield, there are some decent local bars amidst the restaurants on avenue Cartier, while the ever-changing discos in the suburb of Ste-Foy are the stomping grounds of students from Université Laval. Although few clubs have specific dress codes, it is better to avoid jeans or trainers when visiting one of the smarter venues. The average price of a drink is C$3–5 for a beer and C$5–7 for a cocktail, depending on the venue.

For the latest on Quebec City’s bar and club scene, check the listings in the free alternative weekly, Voir (website: www.voir.ca), the weekly English-language newspaper, the Québec Chronicle Telegraph, or the French dailies Le Soleil (website: www.cyberpresse.ca/soleil) and Journal de Québec (website: www.journaldequebec.com). The free tourist publications, Québec Scope and Voilà Québec, are also helpful, as is the online Télégraphe de Québec (website: www.telegraphe.com).

Québec Sur Scène (website: www.surscene.qc.ca) has information on rock concerts, comedy shows and cultural events. Tickets for many events are available from Réseau Billetech (website: www.billetech.com) and Admission (tel: (800) 361 4595; website: www.admission.com).

The legal minimum drinking age is 18 years. Taverns and brasseries serve alcohol 0800–0300 every day. Cocktail lounges and cabarets stay open until 0200 and 0300 respectively.

Bars: Relaxed, studenty spots can be found on rue St-Jean, a five- or ten-minute walk from the Old Town. Check out Le Fou Bar, 525 rue St-Jean, or Sacrilège, 447 rue St-Jean. At the other end of the spectrum, although not as pricey or stuffy as you might expect, given the terrific view and prestigious location, is the Bar St-Laurent, in the Chateau Frontenac, 1 Rue des Carrières.

The brew-pub, L’Inox, 37 rue St-André, in Lower Town, has a great terrace and serves artisanal cheeses to go with the local beer. In the Upper Town, at 1087 rue St-Jean, Le Pub Saint-Alexandre’s attempt to recreate a British pub is helped by the selection of over 200 beers and 40 single malt scotches. Pub Java, away from Old Quebec, at 1112 avenue Cartier, serves up a few varieties of draught beer as well, although in a less touristy setting. Just down the street, at 1060 avenue Cartier, Jules et Jim is an established local favourite.

Gay offerings include L’Amour Sorcier, 789 Côte Ste-Geneviève, which attracts a predominately lesbian clientele. Boys tend to congregate on the short stretch of rue St-Augustin, where La Drague, 804 rue St-Augustin, has Sunday night drag shows, a bar and dancefloor.

Casinos: The nearest casino is the Casino Charlevoix (tel: (418) 665 5300 or (800) 665 2274; website: www.casinos-quebec.com), adjacent to the grand old hotel, Le Manoir Richelieu, in La Malbaie, 150km (93 miles) east of Quebec City. There is no entrance fee and a passport is not required, although photo ID may be necessary as proof of age – the minimum age is 18 years. Gamblers should be respectably dressed, although jeans are allowed.

Clubs: Many of the city’s bars have dancefloors and an atmosphere that becomes more club-like later on in the evening. Otherwise, the hottest spot at the moment is Maurice, 575 Grande-Allée East, part of a complex of bars and restaurants that includes a lounge with salsa dancing and a swanky cigar lounge. Le Dagobert, across the street, at number 600 Grande-Allée East, has been around for years and is popular with very young tourists. At 1175 avenue Cartier, Le Turf is an Irish pub with a dancefloor. Quebec City’s main gay dance venue is La Drague (see Bars above). For after-hours dancing, head to Système, 3920 boulevard Wilfrid-Hamel (at boulevard Masson), in the western suburbs, where DJs spin techno, house and the like from 0200 until daylight.

Live music: Big-name acts play at the Colisée Pepsi, on the ExpoCité grounds at the junction of highways 175 and 138. In the summer, the open-air Agora, situated in the Old Port, has all manner of acts from rock to classical, while the city comes alive with stages all over the place during the 11-day Festival d’Eté (Summer Festival), when many indoor venues also get into the act.

One of the more popular boites à chansons is Chez Son Père, 24 rue St-Stanislas, which is a lively spot for Québécois music; in the Lower Town, try the Maison de la Chanson, 78 rue du Petit-Champlain. The best spot for jazz is in the Art Deco confines of L’Emprise in the Hôtel Clarendon, 57 rue Ste-Anne. For a mix of alternative, rock and punk, try Le Kashmir, within the city walls at 1018 rue St-Jean, or Temps Partiel, in the St-Jean district, at 698 rue D’Aiguillon; the former also has DJ nights of techno and hip-hop.

City Statistics

Location: Province of Quebec, Canada.
Country dialling code: 1.
Population: 509,950 (city); 682,757 (metropolitan area).
Ethnic mix: Canadian 41.8%, French 38.6%, combined origin 13.5%, other 4.7%, British 1.4%.
Time zone: GMT - 5 (GMT - 4 from first Sunday in April to last Sunday in October).
Electricity: 110 volts AC, 60 Hz; regular two-pin and grounded three-pin US-style plugs are standard.
Average January temp: - 8°C (18°F).
Average July temp: 25°C (77°F).
Annual rainfall: 882mm (34 inches).
Annual snowfall: 337cm (130 inches).

Special Events

Festival Bleue Blanc Blues, blues music festival (website: www.ski-stoneham.com), mid–Jan, station touristique Stoneham
Carnaval de Québec, winter carnival (website: www.carnaval.qc.ca), early–mid Feb, various locations
Le Rallye de de la Capitale, car rally (website: www.rallyedequebec.com), late Feb–early Mar, throughout the region
Quebec International Pee-wee Hockey Tournament, an important ice hockey tournament for 12 and 13-year-olds from Canada, the US and Europe (website: www.tournoipee-wee.qc.ca), mid–late Feb, Colisée Pepsi
Festiglace – The North Face of Quebec, ice-climbing festival and competition (website: www.festiglace.com), late Feb–early Mar, Jacques-Cartier River
Festival Images du Nouveau Monde (Images of the New World), pan-American film festival (website: www.festival-inm.com), early Apr, various cinemas
Salon international du livre de Québec, French-language book fair (website: www.silq.org), mid–Apr, Centre des Congrès
Festival de la gastronomie de Québec, celebration of regional gastronomy (website: www.parcoursgourmand.com), late Apr, Centre de Foires, Expocité
Carrefour international de théâtre de Québec, biennial theatre festival (website: www.carrefourtheatre.qc.ca), mid–late May (next 2004)
Transat Québec/St-Malo, sailboats and catamarans compete in the quadrennial Quebec City to St Malo, France race, Aug (next event 2004)
Le Grand Rire Bleue, comedy festival (website: www.grandrirebleue.com), early–mid Jun, various venues
Tissot-UCI Mountain Bike World Cup (website: www.mont-sainte-anne.com), late Jun, Mont Sainte-Anne
Fête Nationale du Québec, parade and celebrations (website: www.cfn.org), weekend of 25 Jun, throughout the city
Le Tour de L’Ile d’Orléans, 77km (48-mile) swimming marathon, late Jun–early Jul, Ile d’Orléans
La Fête du Faubourg, local street fair, early Jul, rue St-Jean
Festival d’été de Québec (Quebec Summer Festival), outdoor concerts of popular music from opera to techno (website: www.infofestival.com), early–mid Jul, various stages throughout Old Quebec
Les Grands Feux Loto-Québec, fireworks festival (website: www.lesgrandsfeux.com), late Jul–early Aug, Montmorency Falls
Les Fétes de la Nouvelle-France (New France Celebration Days), festival celebrating the early days of the city, with storytellers, musicians, singers dancers and street performers (website: www.nouvellefrance.qc.ca), early Aug, Lower Town
Festival des Journées d’Afrique – Danses et Rythmes du Monde, world music festival (website: www.festivaljourneedafrique.com), mid–Aug, various locations in the St-Roch neighbourhood
Plein Art, outdoor art exhibition (website: www.metiers-d-art.qc.ca), early–mid Aug, Parc de la Francophonie (Pigeonnier)
Expo Québec, agricultural exhibition and fun fair (website: www.expocite.com), mid–late Aug, ExpoCité
Festival International de Musiques Militaires de Québec (Quebec City International Festival of Military Bands), military music festival (website: www.fimmq.com), late Aug, various locations
Marathon des Deux Rives (website: www.marathonquebec.com), late Aug, Lévis to Quebec
Quebec International Film Festival (website: www.telegraphe.com/fifq), late Aug–early Sep, various locations
Fête Arc-en-ciel, gay pride festival, early Sep, various locations
Festival des couleurs Mont-Sainte-Anne, music, outdoor activities and a craft fair (website: www.mont-sainte-anne.com), mid Sep–mid Oct, Mont-Ste-Anne
Le Parcous Gourmand, celebration of regional gastronomy (website: www.parcoursgourmand.com), early Oct, various venues
Snow Goose Festival, activities to coincide with snow goose migration mid Oct, St-Joachim, Beaupré Coast
Festival des Haut-Parleurs, spoken word festival (website: www.mcq.org), late Oct, Musée de la Civilisation and Musée de l’Amérique française
Festival des Musiques Sacrées de Québec (website: www.festivalmusiquesacree.ca), late Oct–early Nov, various venues in the St-Roch neighbourhood
Skate Canada International, figure skating competition (website: www.skatecanada.ca), late Oct–early Nov, Colisée Pepsi
Un Noël Victorien (A Victorian Christmas), Christmas celebrations (website: www.parkscanada.gc.ca), early Dec, Parc de l’Artillerie
Christmas Market, 1–24 Dec, Marché du Vieux-Port
Snowboard FIS World Cup (website: www.fis-ski.com), mid Dec, Mont-Ste-Anne

Cost of Living

One-litre bottle of mineral water: C$1–1.50
33cl bottle of beer: C$1.50
Financial Times newspaper: C$2
36-exposure colour film: C$8
City-centre bus ticket: C$1.90–2.25
Adult baseball ticket: C$6–13
Three-course meal with wine/beer: From C$20

1 Canadian Dollar (C$1) = £0.49; US$0.85; A$1.12; ¬0.72
Currency conversion rates as of October 2005