Winter Weekend in Quebec City

Winter in Quebec City

As if winters in New England weren’t cold enough, we decided to head north to America’s hat for the weekend. Given that Quebec City is a 6-hour drive from the Boston area, turning this into a weekend trip was a bit ambitious, but we didn’t let that stop us. The drive through the White Mountains and northern Vermont is very scenic, and we can usually tolerate one another’s company for long stretches on the road, so we determined that the drive was worth it to briefly experience some of the best of what our French-speaking neighbors to the north have to offer.

Around Old Quebec

Everything we had heard about Quebec City is that it “feels like a European city“, and that it’s “much more French than Montreal”. Those were almost unanimously the reviews that we received from everyone we asked about their experience in Quebec, and it quickly became apparent upon our arrival that their descriptions were accurate. It really was a European oasis in Canada in terms of the architecture, cuisine, and culture. We stayed at the Auberge Place d’Armes in the heart of Old Quebec which turned out to be an ideal home base for exploring the sites of the historic city.

Fairmont Le Château Frontenac

Horse and buggie approaching the walls of the Old City

Founded by Samuel de Champlain in the early 1600’s and subsequently serving as the capitol of New France until 1760, Quebec City is overflowing with history. It is similar to Boston in this sense, only much smaller and much more European-feeling. The city is the only North American walled city north of Mexico and the walls and fortifications remain in place today. With its cobblestone streets, historic homes and churches, and the towering Château Frontenac, it is no surprise that the Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The fact that there was constant light snow flurries made the city even more fairytale-eque.

Funicular

We took the $3.00 (Canadian dollars) funicular ride down from the statue of Samuel de Champlain to the Quartier Petit Champlain. It is a very short ride and a bit of a tourist trap, but there are some great views of the Saint Lawrence River and it is definitely an iconic feature of the city. Since it was the dead of winter, there was hardly any wait to board the funicular.

Petit Champlain

The funicular spit us out down in the heart of the Petit Champlain neighborhood which is the oldest commercial district in North America. While walking the cobblestone streets it really was hard to believe that we were in a North American city. Although the area is not without its fair share of touristy trinket shops, there were several cafes serving authentic French Canadian cuisine, multiple artisanal co-ops, live music, and numerous boutiques. We had brunch at Lapin Saute which we would highly recommend. The food in Quebec City in general was excellent. Lots of crepes, poutine, rabbit, and local maple syrup.

Weather

It should come as no surprise that Quebec City is cold. On average, it is 10-15 degrees colder than Boston during the winter months, so be sure to bundle up. We visited in March and it was about 30 the entire time we were there. Not terrible, but it likely would have been much colder had we visited in January or February. The cold weather, snow, and ice actually added to the experience, and the semi-frozen Saint Lawrence River was a sight to behold.