Part cobbled world heritage site, part creative hotbed, Quebec, Canada’s only French-speaking province is a mash up of old-world charm and modern innovation.
Dramatic views are in ample supply thanks to its gorges, cliffs and waterfalls, and as a Mecca of mountain biking it offers plenty of opportunities for active adventurers to get up close and personal with the landscape.
But foodies and music fans will be kept just as busy too, with a French/Québécois restaurant culture that’s a tourist destination in itself, and one of the most fertile music scenes in the world.
Read our guide and then download the Night Time Navigator to aid your voyage of discovery...
5 PLACES TO VISIT
Sainte-Anne waterfall
This 74-metre high, 1.2 billion-year-old waterfall is host to the highest pedestrian bridge in Quebec and had a flashy bit-part in the John Travolta flick Battlefield Earth. Explore giant potholes and test your stomach on the dizzying zip line.
Colisée Pepsi (250 boulevard Wilfrid-Hamel)
Owned and coached by NHL goalkeeping legend Patrick Roy, ice hockey team the Quebec Remparts play to 10,000+ spectators at this arena, with tickets costing around 10 Euros.
Choco-Musée Erico (634, rue St-Jean)
Indulge your inner Willy Wonka fantasies at this chocolate factory-come-museum, which is free to visit, though you may find yourself spending all your pocket money on ice creams, cakes and brownies at the on-site chocolaterie.
Quartier du Petit Champlain
North America’s oldest shopping district, steeped in 400-year-old culture, has elements of Paris’ Faubourg St-Honore and Edinburgh’s Royal Mile as actors jostle for space with bistros.
Musée de la Civilisation (85 rue Dalhousie)
Since opening in the 80s, this eclectic waterfront museum has hosted everything from a murder mystery puzzle to an exhibition of the science and fiction of dragons, and offers lots of hands-on interactivity as well as an informative then-and-now guide to Quebec’s history.
5 FAMOUS CANADIANS FROM QUEBEC
William Shatner
The original captain of the USS Enterprise, chanteur (of sorts) and all-round icon grew up in Montreal.
Leonard Cohen
The noir-pop legend and king of musical melancholy grew up in Westmount on the Island of Montreal.
Mario Lemieux
One of the greatest ice hockey players of all time, Lemieux was born in Quebec in 1965 and served 17 seasons as a forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Geneviève Bujold
This Golden Globe-winning Québécoise, best known for playing Anne Boleyn in the 1969 classic Anne of the Thousand Days, also trained at Montreal's Conservatory of Dramatic Art.
Céline Dion
World Pop superstar grew up in a family of 14 in Charlemagne.
5 BEST BANDS
Arcade Fire
Montreal’s hottest indie rock export just got hotter, having just sensationally won Best Album at this year's Grammys.
Monogrenade
Up and coming folktronica quartet who sound variously like Fleet Foxes tripping on sunshine or coming down in an orchestra pit.
Rufus Wainwright
One of Montreal’s most successful crossover artists and greatest showmen who flits from confessional pop to fully staged opera.
Karkwa
An indie rock band from Montreal, Quebec, Canada, formed in 1998.
Fred Fortin
A Canadian rock singer-songwriter. Formerly associated with the bands Galaxie 500 and Les Breastfeeders, he has also released several solo albums.
5 BEST CLUBS
Pub Ozone (2810 boul. Laurier, Ste Foy)
Right in the heart of Quebec’s Grande Allée, this bar/restaurant/nightclub is nothing short of an institution in the city and it’s the place to be on Thursday, March 17, when it hosts the official Red Bull Crashed Ice kick-off party.
Dagobert (600 Grande Allée East)
Especially popular with young tourists, this club boasts three floors, a crazy laser show, Canadian and international DJs often playing urban music, and live rock bands too.
Maurice (575 Grande Allée East)
Named ironically after stern 50s leader Maurice Duplessis, this mansion-like club includes a cigar lounge, oriental sake bar and salsa dancing spot.
Les Voutes de Napoléon (680 Grande Allée)
Catch free live music every night of the week at this cave-like haunt in a stone arch-wayed cellar.
Le Drague (804 rue Saint-Joachim)
If all that testosterone from the Red Bull Crashed Ice competitors is becoming overwhelming then try a change of pace at Le Drague. This is one of the high spots of Quebec City’s village, particularly when the drag queens put on their cabaret. Not for the faint of heart!
HOW TO SPEND…
5 EUROS
It’s got to be a plate of poutine, a Québécois classic that’s now so popular across Canada you can even get it in McDonalds. But opt for a roadside wagon for your chips, cheese and gravy served the traditional way.
5O EUROS
Invented by one George Herbert for training soldiers during WWI, Herbertism – which involves climbing through tree canopies using suspension platforms, ladders and cables – is now all the rage in ecotourism. There are various sites across Quebec (one even offers moonlight courses), and sessions cost around 25 euros per person.
500 EUROS
Sail over the St Lawrence River and the Laurentian Mountains at either sunrise or sunset on a hot air balloon ride. 500 Euros will buy you two tickets for an hour’s ride and a truly unforgettable site-seeing experience.
If you’re heading to Quebec for the Red Bull Crashed Ice final, then check out the Red Bull Crashed Ice Invasion App, which brings all the action to your iPod, iPhone or iPad, helps you connect with friends and other fans as well as all the best places to be around Quebec City. Download the Red Bull Crashed Ice Invasion App from the Apple store.
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Sebastian Marko/Red Bull Crashed Ice
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