ON TOUR: Quebec ” Still Under the Crown
There are some wonderful holiday areas that are tantalisingly difficult
to get to from the UK. Quebec (Canada) both for summer and winter
escapes is one of these. There are no direct flights. Montreal
Airport with excellent connections to many British regional centres is
180 miles away and Boston 400 miles across the border. Quebec is
ranked the fourth best tourist destination in North America with
nearly 10m visitors last year. It”s a busy place, yes, but it copes.
The summer is the busiest time but in the dark months of the year
Quebec Province is a major skiing centre. One thing's for sure, you will
find that your money goes a lot further than in the USA.
The alternative is to arrive by ship and Quebec is a popular
destination with a very modern cruise terminal virtually in the centre
of the waterfront, most places within walking distance. Take the
funicular railway to Le Chateau and walk down through cobbled streets
and history. The big ships, except the very biggest, can go up the St
Lawrence all the way to Montreal.
Quebec is a French-speaking city. Note our words, it is not French in
the accepted sense but very Canadian. History tells us that General
Wolfe defeated the troops of Louis XV on the Plains of Abraham above
the city in 1759. However the British were magnanimous to their
erstwhile foes and gave various rights that are still the law to this
day. Come the subsequent American War of Independence, the
French-Canadians fought on the British side ” better the devil you know
than the devil you don”t! Whilst the citizens of Quebec can speak both
English and French don”t expect them to be word perfect in the
language of their Queen.
Old Quebec City is the only city in North America to have preserved
most of its defence system, the ramparts stretching for nearly three
miles, the area classified as a UNESCO world heritage site. The
fortifications interpretation centre and esplanade powder magazine,
dating from 1815 and entirely restored, introduces you to the history
of the defence works built under the French and British regimes. A
virtual reconstruction Sketch of a Fortified City takes you back to
Quebec City as it was in the 19th century. The Citadelle (left)
itself is lively (literally ” the noon gun goes off after a
demonstration of 18th century cannon loading by suitably dressed
militia) and adjoins Battlefields Park (Plains of Abraham) combining
history, culture and leisure. Here is where Wolfe fell and his
adversary Montcalm too. There are commemorative and interpretive
plaques detailing the incredible history of the site and an abundance
of woodlands and gardens. There is an open-air theatre and band
concerts.
The city offers gratis the Official Tourist Guide with a series of
self-paced walking tours but as an alternative you can join an
organised group or take a bus trip. Quebec has a Notre Dame Cathedral
in the grand style and as a diverse and equally free attraction the
splendid provincial parliament building dates from 1877 and is in the
Second Empire style. As you would expect in a city of real historical
importance there are museums galore, with the emphasis French with the
Mus”e de l'Am”rique Fran”aise, Canada's oldest museum, telling about
the development of French culture in North America. The narrow streets
are full of restaurants, boutiques, museums and points of historical
interest. You need to be fit mind you. Just outside the city walls
is the Old Port of Quebec Interpretation Centre describing a time in
the 19th century when Quebec was considered one of the five most
important ports in the world.
Now there are hotels that claim they are the best in the world and
hotels that tell you they have an outstanding location. The Fairmont
Le Chateau Frontenac dominates Quebec and some would claim it is
Quebec (see centre QM2 photo above). Opened in 1893, rebuilt after a
fire in 1926, and upgraded in 1993 it is a dazzling property, a
throwback from earlier times when a grand entrance meant a Grand
Entrance. There are 618 rooms on 18 floors. Guided tours take place
every day during the summer tourist season priced at CAN$10
(alternating in French and English). It”s not the normal type of tour.
The guides act their part telling you the history of the Chateau and
the list of world famous guests. Time your tour to take the splendid
lunch buffet at CAN$27 and relax with a fantastic view. Take the
funicular railway to the hotel and walk down through cobbled streets
and history.
Just 5 miles to the east of Quebec City lies Montmorency Falls Park
and with it the waterfall of the same name 272 feet tall, higher than
Niagara. For those less energetic a cable car takes you to the top
with a panoramic view. The walk down is impressive including a
pedestrian footbridge over the falls. As a young girl Queen Victoria
may well have visited the falls, her father a fan of the area (and
Governor General), Kent House (now re-built) his Canadian home.
Passing the falls, and another 20 minutes along the highway with the
Isle D”Orleans on your right you come into the region known as the
C”te-de-Beaupr” an all year around tourism centre. There are 40
different major attractions. The Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupr” Basilica, the
Mont-Sainte-Anne area for summertime walking and winter skiing, the
Sainte-Anne Canyon, Les Sept Chutes, the Cap Tourmente National
Wildlife area, an agro tourism centre, golf, museums and art galleries.
Here is said to be the birthplace of French America.
http://www.quebecregion.com
http://www.mcq.orghttp://www.cotedebeaupre.com
http://www.fairmont.com/frontenac