Colonial History
As the center of the French colonial empire in North America, Quebec City is filled with relics of and monuments to that bygone era. Old Quebec was a walled town, and some of those old walls still stand. The city center still has a number of 17th- and 18th-century buildings, especially in the Place-Royale district, but the main site is the battlefield at the Plains of Abraham. Now one of the city's main green spaces, it was here that the British General Wolfe and the French General Montcalm, both of whom were killed in the battle, decided the fate of France in North America in 1759. During the winter, the Plains of Abraham becomes a cross-country skiing and snowshoeing site, right in the city limits of Quebec City itself.
Plains of Abraham Battlefield Center
835 Wilfrid-Laurier Avenue
Quebec City, QC G1R 2L7
(418) 648-3506
ccbn-nbc.gc.ca
Famous Hotels
Quebec is home to two of the most famous hotels in the world, and both are worth a visit in their own right. First is the famed Chateau Frontenac, which is arguably the most photographed hotel in North America. It is certainly the icon of the Quebec City skyline. Your budget may not allow you to stay there, but you should at least step in for a drink at the hotel bar. The other is Quebec City's Ice Hotel, which is open from January to early April. It is the only ice hotel in North America, and one of fewer than half a dozen that open annually around the world. Once again, your budget may not permit you to stay, but you should visit and have a look around.
Chateau Frontenac
1 rue des Carrières
Quebec City, QC G1R 4P5
(866) 540-4460
fairmont.com/frontenac/
Hotel de Glace
75, Montée de l'Auberge, Pavillon Ukiuk
Sainte-Catherine-de-la-Jacques-Cartier, QC G3N 2Y5
(418) 875-4522
icehotel-canada.com
Mont-Sainte-Anne
Mont-Sainte-Anne is Quebec City's closest major outdoors recreation site. During the summer, this area hosts hiking, mountain biking, canyoning and paragliding. However, it is when the winter snows come that the mountain's main virtues come out. Then it has downhill and cross-country skiing, as well as snowshoeing. There are 33 different trails on three different sides of the mountain, with 17 suitable for night skiing. While 23 percent of these trails are rated easy and suitable for beginners, this mountain is a place for veteran skiers. Fully one-third of the trails are rated as Very Difficult or Extreme.
Mont-Sainte-Anne
2000 boul. Beau Pre
Beaupre, QC G0A 1E0
(888) 827-4579
mont-sainte-anne.com
