If you have been fortunate enough to visit Canada, you will know that there are a myriad of gorgeous locations throughout this country. In 2013 we visited Toronto and Niagara Falls for the first time which was an amazing experience so moving forward we are excited about exploring more of what Canada has to offer.
Next up on our agenda of Dream Destinations features Quebec City where we are currently planning on visiting in May 2014 over the Memorial Day weekend. Road tripping through the New England states into Canada and up to Quebec City is our tentative plan but with so many awesome attractions there, we would be crazy not to at least try and follow through with this.
Here are some of the top attractions and things to see in Quebec City that we are particularly excited about visiting.
Montmorency Falls
Image courtesy of Marc Bélanger [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia CommonsOf course Canada will always be famous for having part of Niagara Falls but don’t think there are not other spectacular waterfalls throughout this beautiful country. Quebec City plays host to Montmorency Falls which is a large waterfall a few miles outside of the old city center.
These falls are about 275 feet tall and there are ample observation towers, bridges and other exhilarating viewpoints along the way allowing for visitors to capture some amazing photographs of treasured memories.
Le Château Frontenac
Image courtesy of Hurteau, Paul ; Parent, Claude [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia CommonsIt’s rare that a hotel will feature on top attractions in a Dream Destination but the Fairmont LeChâteau Frontenac is one of the finest hotels in Canada and likely throughout North America. With such grandeur filling both the exterior and interior, it is no surprise that this landmark was designated as a National Historic site of Canada in 1980.
With breathtaking views of old Quebec City available from this hotel, it is certainly a sought after accommodation for the rich. Just as an additional note, my research suggests that LeChâteau Frontenac is actually pretty reasonably priced for this type of hotel so this will certainly be on our radar whenever we head to Quebec City in May 2014.
Old Quebec
Image courtesy of Guilhermeduartegarcia (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia CommonsOld Quebec is a historic part of Quebec City and is unsurprisingly categorized as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Two of the main attractions in this historic neighborhood are the Citadel and Fortifications of Quebec which provide a unique military history of this city.
Much of the French influence can be seen in this part of the city also, with much of the architecture following the French design in particular with the cathedrals, museums and fine dining options.
The Battlefields Park
Image courtesy of Skarg at en.wikipedia [CC-BY-2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5)], from Wikimedia CommonsEvery city around the world seems to have a relaxation spot. Take Central Park in New York City and Hyde Park in London for example, well Quebec City is no different and their unique hub is The Battlefields Park. However, there is so much more to this park in terms of overall history and background in comparison to the two aforementioned examples.
This was the site of many ferocious battles between the French and British in the late 18th Century but nowadays is common ground for locals and tourists alike to take a few moments away from the city life and grab some lunch or just wind down after a long day.
Quartier du Petit Champlain
Image courtesy of Jeangagnon (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia CommonsIf you want a spot in Quebec City that reminds you of a stereotypical French village by the coast, check out the Quartier du Petit Champlain which offers a plethora of local shops, museums and local cuisine. Many of the locally owned shops sell home-made crafts or local food which is a great way to grab a cherished memory from your trip to Quebec City.
Chris Boothman is the co-founder of A Brit and A Southerner. Born near Manchester, England, Chris moved to USA in 2006 where he soon after met his wife and travel partner in crime, Heather.
They have since embarked on an amazing journey of travel as they challenge others to follow in their paths of working full-time but also being able to travel frequently!
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact Chris at [email protected]
24 COMMENTS
Wow, that castle is massive!! I’ve no idea if I’ve ever seen such a huge and beautiful one even though we have lots of them in Germany….Would love to visit Quebec! Stopping by from the Sunday Traveler. Have a nice Sunday!
Wow, a dream destination indeed! I didn’t know much about it but I really want to visit now. The waterfall is really impressive, and the chateau is just breathtaking. Thanks for sharing and happy easter to you!
Quebec is a dream destination for me, too. I knew about the Frontenac and Old Quebec, but the other sites you list are new to me. Those falls are beautiful, and I’d like to see them in person as well as stroll through Quartier du Petit Champlain.
Quebec City, a dream destination – now you are talking my language :). Road tripping through the New England states into Canada and up to Quebec City is an awesome plan, guys. We did this trip back in 2004 and we absolutely loved it.
Quebec has been on my radar for quite some time, especially visiting during Christmas. The Fairmont Le Château Frontenac has me especially intrigued, I need to research that a bit more. Even if there’s a hotel that’s out of my price range I still like to walk through it and enjoy having a drink in their bar or possibly indulging in their spa. There are many ways to enjoy luxury hotels, you don’t always have to sleep there to feel pampered. Can’t wait to hear what you think about it on your upcoming visit. Very exciting.
Had to share this blog post on my FB page. I wanted to road-trip from Virginia to Quebec City this past August, but unfortunately our plans fell through. We planned to hit all the sites you mention here! Have fun in May!
Great pick for Q. I’ve never been here and that hotel alone is on my dream destinations list. And you’re right about the waterfalls. When I visited Niagara Falls, I became obsessed not just with waterfalls, but those in Canada specifically. This one looks pretty amazing.
I really, really can’t wait until my next trip to Canada. Such a diverse country.
Great post! Unfortunately even as a Canadian I’ve only had the chance to visit Montreal – once, and for a school trip so the sightseeing was limited. Can you believe I can fly to Europe or South America for the same price as Quebec? Regardless it’s definitely a province I want to explore more. And it’s one of the only places in BC with a respectable amount of history 🙂
I was really impressed when I found out about those waterfalls because both Heather and I tend to be attracted to those sorts of natural landmarks. Our experience in Canada so far has been excellent, despite us only having visited Toronto and Niagara Falls up to this point!
I’ll be following your blog closely once you get back from this trip – we’re looking to go to Quebec City for a few days in the summer! I’ve always wanted to go there and I think this summer we’ll get the chance! Excited for you!
Cheers Lauren, we will definitely let you know how the trip goes and what sort of attractions/landmarks we are able to check out! We are really excited about touring the North East USA and then heading into Canada for Quebec City and Montreal.
Sounds like an absolute must do to me! Le Château Frontenac looks like a beautiful place to stay, straight out of a fairytale and Old Quebec and the Quartier du Petit Champlain look like fabulous places to explore. You must go and then tell us all about it! I hope I get there myself one day.
I’ve never been to Quebec City and, in all honesty, know little about it, but it looks like a lovely place to visit. I had no idea that there was such a spectacular waterfall nearby – that alone seems good reason to visit soon!
Prior to doing this research on Quebec City Paul, I was pretty much in the same boat aside from knowing that this is the French speaking portion of Canada. We are both very attracted to locations that have such impressive waterfalls nearby so we will certainly be heading outside of the city to see this spectacular falls for ourselves.
Quebec City has been on my radar for so long – I would really love to go there and Montreal. It is a shame it is just so damn far from Australia or I am sure I would have. Next time we go to North America, we want to do a road trip through NE USA and that pocket of Canada. I can’t wait!
That’s our plan Sharon so will let you know how it goes for us! We are only doing this over a 5 day period so it will be one of our stereotypical ‘fast’ long weekend breaks but you just have to take advantage of whatever time you have and see as much as possible. Both Quebec City and Montreal are very intriguing, I think probably because both have a distinct European feel to them!
Sure Ashley! Will try to contribute and join up each week a little more frequently now. That was probably one of the reasons we had to drop out as co-hosts because we just couldn’t commit to doing this every week. We are really excited about heading to Quebec City next month.
![Image courtesy of Marc Bélanger [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](https://abritandasoutherner.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Montmorency-Falls.jpg)
![Image courtesy of Hurteau, Paul ; Parent, Claude [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons](https://abritandasoutherner.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Le-Château-Frontenac.jpg)
![Image courtesy of Guilhermeduartegarcia (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](https://abritandasoutherner.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Old-Quebec.jpg)
![Image courtesy of Skarg at en.wikipedia [CC-BY-2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5)], from Wikimedia Commons](https://abritandasoutherner.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/The-Battlefields-Park.jpg)
![Image courtesy of Jeangagnon (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](https://abritandasoutherner.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Quartier-du-Petit-Champlain.jpg)
Wow, that castle is massive!! I’ve no idea if I’ve ever seen such a huge and beautiful one even though we have lots of them in Germany….Would love to visit Quebec! Stopping by from the Sunday Traveler. Have a nice Sunday!
Chris, Quebec is awesome. Can’t wait to hear about your trip! Have a blast!
Gorgious!! I’ll put it in my list 😉
(Found you through #SundayTraveler)
Wow, a dream destination indeed! I didn’t know much about it but I really want to visit now. The waterfall is really impressive, and the chateau is just breathtaking. Thanks for sharing and happy easter to you!
I went to Quebec City when I was too young to remember, and I wish I could! That pic of the little streets in the snow looks perfect 🙂
Quebec City is beautiful, I look forward to following your adventures here.
Quebec is a dream destination for me, too. I knew about the Frontenac and Old Quebec, but the other sites you list are new to me. Those falls are beautiful, and I’d like to see them in person as well as stroll through Quartier du Petit Champlain.
Quebec City, a dream destination – now you are talking my language :). Road tripping through the New England states into Canada and up to Quebec City is an awesome plan, guys. We did this trip back in 2004 and we absolutely loved it.
Quebec has been on my radar for quite some time, especially visiting during Christmas. The Fairmont Le Château Frontenac has me especially intrigued, I need to research that a bit more. Even if there’s a hotel that’s out of my price range I still like to walk through it and enjoy having a drink in their bar or possibly indulging in their spa. There are many ways to enjoy luxury hotels, you don’t always have to sleep there to feel pampered. Can’t wait to hear what you think about it on your upcoming visit. Very exciting.
Had to share this blog post on my FB page. I wanted to road-trip from Virginia to Quebec City this past August, but unfortunately our plans fell through. We planned to hit all the sites you mention here! Have fun in May!
Great pick for Q. I’ve never been here and that hotel alone is on my dream destinations list. And you’re right about the waterfalls. When I visited Niagara Falls, I became obsessed not just with waterfalls, but those in Canada specifically. This one looks pretty amazing.
I really, really can’t wait until my next trip to Canada. Such a diverse country.
Definitely a city I would love to visit someday, it is such a beautiful and historic place to discover.
Great post! Unfortunately even as a Canadian I’ve only had the chance to visit Montreal – once, and for a school trip so the sightseeing was limited. Can you believe I can fly to Europe or South America for the same price as Quebec? Regardless it’s definitely a province I want to explore more. And it’s one of the only places in BC with a respectable amount of history 🙂
It looks beautiful there. We have never been to Canada but it’s on the list of places to visit. The falls look spectacular!
I was really impressed when I found out about those waterfalls because both Heather and I tend to be attracted to those sorts of natural landmarks. Our experience in Canada so far has been excellent, despite us only having visited Toronto and Niagara Falls up to this point!
I’ll be following your blog closely once you get back from this trip – we’re looking to go to Quebec City for a few days in the summer! I’ve always wanted to go there and I think this summer we’ll get the chance! Excited for you!
Cheers Lauren, we will definitely let you know how the trip goes and what sort of attractions/landmarks we are able to check out! We are really excited about touring the North East USA and then heading into Canada for Quebec City and Montreal.
Sounds like an absolute must do to me! Le Château Frontenac looks like a beautiful place to stay, straight out of a fairytale and Old Quebec and the Quartier du Petit Champlain look like fabulous places to explore. You must go and then tell us all about it! I hope I get there myself one day.
I’ve never been to Quebec City and, in all honesty, know little about it, but it looks like a lovely place to visit. I had no idea that there was such a spectacular waterfall nearby – that alone seems good reason to visit soon!
Prior to doing this research on Quebec City Paul, I was pretty much in the same boat aside from knowing that this is the French speaking portion of Canada. We are both very attracted to locations that have such impressive waterfalls nearby so we will certainly be heading outside of the city to see this spectacular falls for ourselves.
Quebec City has been on my radar for so long – I would really love to go there and Montreal. It is a shame it is just so damn far from Australia or I am sure I would have. Next time we go to North America, we want to do a road trip through NE USA and that pocket of Canada. I can’t wait!
That’s our plan Sharon so will let you know how it goes for us! We are only doing this over a 5 day period so it will be one of our stereotypical ‘fast’ long weekend breaks but you just have to take advantage of whatever time you have and see as much as possible. Both Quebec City and Montreal are very intriguing, I think probably because both have a distinct European feel to them!
I’d love to go to Quebec – someday! Thanks for linking up to the #SundayTraveler!
Sure Ashley! Will try to contribute and join up each week a little more frequently now. That was probably one of the reasons we had to drop out as co-hosts because we just couldn’t commit to doing this every week. We are really excited about heading to Quebec City next month.