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Why VisitÌýQuebec?

Quebec is the only French-speaking provinceÌýofÌýCanada, which, due to its unique history, has a fascinating culture distinct from the rest of the country. The capital, Quebec City, is the most vibrant centre ofÌýEuropean influence and French culture in modern-day North America, while the province’s largest, and moreÌýcosmopolitan city, Montreal,Ìýhas long been considered one of Canada’s leading destinationsÌýfor those interested in art, music, and fine dining.

Orientation

Quebec’s main draws are its two big cities, both of which sitÌýalong the St. Lawerence River. Montreal is in the far south, about an hour from theÌýU.S. border, located on an island connected to the mainland by bridges. Quebec City is about three hours northeast of Montreal. ÈÎÄ㲩ŠÊ˜·³Ç an hour and a halfÌýnorthwest of Montreal isÌýthe city ofÌýMount-Tremblant nestled amid a mountain range known as theÌýLaurentians. They’reÌýhome toÌýthe province’s ski resorts — the largest in eastern Canada.

Language in Quebec

See also: language in Canada

Quebec is an overwhelmingly French-speaking province, and most public signage is in French. As it is government policy to treat French as the only language of the province, visitors may not even find English used in places where it’s commonly found in other non-English speaking countries, such as highway signs or public transportation.ÌýMontreal, however, is an extremely bilingual city with very high rates of English fluency. It is not considered controversial to assume restaurant servers, store attendants, etc. in Montreal can speak English. Outside of Montreal, however, rates of English fluency are much lower, and assuming people can speak English may be considered more rude or provocative.

Montreal Tourism

Quebec’s biggest city.

Sights

Montreal sits on an island surrounded by the Prairie RiverÌý(Rivière des Prairies) to itsÌýnorth and the St. Lawrence River to itsÌýsouth, with the downtown core located on the island’s southern half. The eastern half of the city is home of the French majority, while the western half is more English, with the major thoroughfare ofÌýSt. Laurent Boulevard (Boul. St-Laurent) considered the historicÌýdividing line.

So-called Old Montreal is located on the city’sÌýsouthern coast and is the most popular area for tourists, thanks to itsÌýconcentration of well-preservedÌýVictorian-era architecture, many of whichÌýnow house modern shops and restaurants. The massive Notre-Dame Basilica sits in the centre, withÌýthe equally imposing City Hall and Palace of Justice nearby. The parklikeÌýOld PortÌýwaterfront is popular with cyclists and joggers — and in winter, skaters, too.

East of Pius IXÌýBoulevardÌý(Boul. Pie-IX) is a multi-block collection of interconnected parks that originally served as the competition grounds duringÌýMontreal’s stint hosting the 1976 Olympics. Along with the iconic Olympic Stadium, the areaÌýnow contains multiple science-based museums (see below).

Connected to Montreal’s mainÌýisland via the Jaques Cartier Bridge isÌýSt. Helen’s Island (ÃŽle Sainte-Hélène) which is home to the massive Jean Drapeau Park as well as theÌý themeÌýpark and the giant, spherical Ìýenvironmental museum.

Mount Royal, to the north of downtown, is a small mountain home to extravagantly-priced real estate as well as breathtaking views of the city below. On the peak isÌýanother one of Montreal’s most iconic religious sites,Ìý.

Museums and Galleries

The ±Ê´Ç¾±²Ô³Ù±ð-à-°ä²¹±ô±ô¾±Ã¨°ù±ð, also known as theÌý, is the city’s premiere history museum, located in Old Montreal. It contains artifacts and exhibits on the long history of the city and province, as well as touring exhibitions from around the world.

The downtown houses one of Canada’s largest collections of paintings and sculptures by both Canadian and European masters.

Montreal’s former Olympic park grounds (see above) are now home to a clusterÌýof science based museums geared mainly towards young students: the Biodome, theÌýInsectarium, the Planetarium, and a Botanical Garden. All are jointly run by an organization called Ìý(Espace Pour La Vie) but charge separate admissions.

Shopping

The main downtownÌýshopping areas areÌýfoundÌýalongÌýSt. Catherine Street West, where all the big department stores are located, and Sherbrooke Street, which has the higher-end shops. The city’s biggest mall isÌý, while a 32-kilometer sprawl of shops known asÌý¸éɳ§°¿, or theÌýUnderground City, sits beneathÌýa significant portion of the downtown core with multiple street-level entrances.

Outside downtown, European-style publicÌý (or ³¾²¹°ù³¦³óé²õ)Ìýwhere shoppers can buy fresh produce, meat, baked goods, and more are popular with tourists and locals alike. The two biggest are Jean Talon Market, in the city’sÌýLittle ItalyÌýneighborhood to the north, and Atwater Market in the west end.

Nightlife

Montreal is saidÌýto have the best nightlife in Canada, with a wide variety of bars, clubs, and entertainment venues. As the birthplace of severalÌýinternationally-renownÌýbands and musicians, it’s particularly well-known for its live music scene.ÌýSt. LaurentÌýStreet,ÌýSt. Denis StreetÌýandÌýCrescent StreetÌýare considered the main hubs of nightlife.ÌýThe gay area is St. Catherine Street East.

Events

Every year, two big international festivalsÌýputÌýMontreal on the map: the (Festival International de Jazz de Montréal), which fills the city with hundreds of outdoor concerts for 11 days in late June early July, and the Ìýcomedy festival in July, which brings the world’s top stand-up comics to town for 20 days of shows.

Spectator Sports

Montreal is home to perhaps the most iconic team in the NHL, the , who play at the . The city has a CFL team as well, the who play on their own exclusive field known asÌýPercival Molson Stadium.

TheÌýLaurentians

The area of Quebec around theÌýLaurentian mountain range is a majorÌýmagnet for tourists and offers a wide array of activities and attractions that take advantage of the local landscape.ÌýAlong with providing ample opportunities for hiking, swimming, rafting, and dirt biking in the summer, in the winter, the LaurentiansÌýare second only to those found in British ColumbiaÌýfor those looking to ski, snowboard, or otherwise enjoy alpine adventures.

The main resort town isÌýMont-Tremblant, which contains the area’s preeminent ski slopesÌý(located on a mountain also calledÌýMt. Tremblant) as well as the enormousÌýMont-Tremblant National ParkÌýwith a vast array of trails and campgrounds. Nearly equally popular is the slightly smaller city of St-Sauver-Des-Monts, home to Mt. Saint Sauver and four other peaks. Mont-Tremblant is located about an hour and a half north of Montreal and four hours south of Quebec City.

Quebec City Tourism

QuebecÌýsecond-biggest city.

Sights

Quebec City (often called simply “Quebec” by locals) is the best-preserved European-style big city in Canada, andÌýthere’s no shortage of uniqueÌýbuildings and monuments for those interested in old-world architecture. Most of this is concentrated in the clearly-named Old TownÌý(Vieux Québec)Ìýareas, which are split into UpperÌý(Haute) and LowerÌý(Basse) Old Town neighborhoods. Key sights in the Upper Old Town include hilltopÌý — the largest surviving fortress in North America — and the longÌýÌýwhich once protected the city. Both are open to tours. The Château Frontenac is the province’s most famous building, and the supposed “most photographed hotel on earth,” while the grandÌýNotre Dame Basilica is one of theÌýoldest and most beautiful Catholic cathedralsÌýon the continent. Multiple pedestrian trails and boardwalks including Samuel De Champlain Promenade (La Promenade Samuel-De Champlain),ÌýGovernors’ TerraceÌý(Terrace des Gouverneurs), andÌýDufferinÌýTerraceÌý(Terrasse Dufferin) offer scenic views of the river and neighborhoods below.

The UpperÌýOld Town connects to the Lower via aÌý, which is a sort of railway car that descends a steep hill, thoughÌýthe city’sÌývarious steep staircases are an equally iconic attraction.ÌýA large public square known as Place Royale is the centerpiece of the Old Town, along with another massive Catholic church, the Church of Our Lady ofÌýVictoriesÌý(Eglise Notre-Dame-des-Victoires). Lower Town marksÌýthe coast of the St. Lawrence RiverÌýwith theÌýOld Port.

Outside “the city walls,” as they say, is one of the most famous sites in Canadian history: the Plains of Abraham where the English army defeated the French to secure control of Canada. Today, the sprawlingÌýarea is known as Battlefields ParkÌý(Parc des Champs-de-Bataille) and contains museums and exhibits on Quebec history, as well as plenty of green space for walks, sports, and picnics. An hour’s drive outside the city isÌýMontmorency FallsÌý(Chute-Montmorency), a 272-foot waterfall and another leading natural attraction of the greater Quebec City area.

Museums and Galleries

Many of Quebec City’s historic landmarks, particularlyÌýthe churches and fortifications, double as museum, with informative displays, exhibits, and tours to provide visitors with greater contextÌýfor what they’re seeing. The city’s leading history museums are the (²Ñ³Ü²õé±ð de l’Amérique francophone), which documents the history of French colonists on the continent, and the nearbyÌýÌý(²Ñ³Ü²õé±ð de la civilisation or MCQ), which is a more general history museum with both Canadian and international-themed exhibits. In the Upper Old Town,ÌýtheÌý (²Ñ³Ü²õé±ðÌýnational des beaux-arts du Quebec, or MNBAQ) houses a collection of historic and modern art with a focus on Quebec painters.

Events

Quebec’s most famous festival, the winterÌý, has been held every year in Quebec City for over six decades. Spanning aÌý17 day period between late January and early February, the festival is a celebration of winter, with parades, snow sculptures, winter sports, andÌýBonhomme, the lovable French-Canadian snowman mascot.

Though Quebec is not nearly as Catholic as it once was, the June 24 Feast Day of John the BaptistÌý(Fête de laÌýSaint-Jean-Baptiste), the patron saint of French-CanadiansÌýremains a provincial holiday (officially known as La Fête Nationale), and the once hyper-religious Quebec City continues to celebrate hardest.ÌýIt’s a deeply patriotic day of outdoor revelryÌýwith street parties, concerts, and fireworks.