The focus of our article today will be the city of Quebec (Canada). Photos of this metropolis give the impression of a romantic and very beautiful place. And not in vain. Seventy thousand tourists visit Quebec every year. In this article you will find not only a description of the numerous sights of the city. We'll give you some helpful tips on where to stay, how to get around and what to try in Quebec.
The history of this city is very entertaining and full of exciting events. Quebec is the capital of the province of the same name. Although not the largest city in the region. In terms of population, it is three times ahead of Montreal with its figure of 1,670,000 people (against 508,000 in Quebec). Therefore, the gloss of the capital does not interfere with the chamber, almost homely atmosphere of the "metropolis". Other cities in the province of Quebec - Laval, Gatineau, Longueuil and others - are very small settlements with a population of one hundred to three hundred thousand inhabitants. The capital plays a huge role in the Canadian economy. itthe fourth-largest city in the country after Saskatoon, Calgary and Edmonton. It has the lowest unemployment rate. Quebec is also the third largest seaport in the country.
How to get there
Quebec is a city lying on the north bank of the St. Lawrence River, closer to the mouth. This location gave the city its name. According to one version, the narrowing of the channel in the language of the Algonquin Indians is called kebek. The future city was founded in the place where the river, on the contrary, expands, and the mouth turns into an estuary. The province, whose capital is Quebec, borders four US states (these are Vermont, New York, New Hampshire and Maine) and three Canadian territories (these are Newfoundland, Ontario and New Brunswick).
Quebec has an international airport. Jean Lesage, where flights arrive from major cities of the country, as well as from New York, Chicago, Detroit, Paris. The Quebec Air Gate is a twenty-minute drive from downtown. You can cover this distance by taxi. This pleasure is estimated at a fixed amount - thirty-two and a half dollars. Several times a day, city bus number 78 runs to the airport. A ticket will cost two and a half dollars.
Quebec can also be reached by train from Montreal, Toronto and Windsor. The main bus station is located in the same building as the central railway station. Cars of the Orleans Express and Interstar companies arrive there, plying between different cities of Canada. There is a ferry from Montreal to Quebec during the summer. The journey by water will take almost seven hours, but such a journey is alreadytourist attraction.
Best time to visit
The province of Quebec is the largest province in Canada by area. It occupies four climatic zones: arctic, tundra, temperate continental and maritime. In the latter, the breath of the Atlantic Ocean softens the summer heat and winter cold. But where the city of Quebec is located, the climate is temperate continental. This means that the winters here are severe. Minus fifteen is common in January in Quebec. And in the coldest month - February - the thermometer can drop below forty degrees.
Spring in these places is very short and rainy. A week or two - and the population changes warm high boots for sandals. Summer in Quebec is very hot. High humidity (80 percent) makes the heat unbearable. The best time to visit the city is the so-called Indian summer. This is September and early October. During this period, which we usually call the Indian summer, clear and warm weather sets in Quebec, quite comfortable for excursions and leisurely walks around the city. This is followed by the same as spring, short in duration autumn. The first snow usually falls by the end of October. In winter, storms and storms are not uncommon, accompanied by heavy snowfalls and snowstorms.
History
One of the oldest settlements of Europeans on the North American continent is Quebec (city). Canada then was not a state, but a locality. Its name was translated from Indian languages as "villages". BUTThe province of Quebec occupied a narrow strip along the St. Lawrence River, which was cultivated by the first settlers from France. On July 3, 1608, the city was founded by Samuel de Champlain, who at first wanted to name it Louis, in honor of the king.
Quebec was not built from scratch, but on an abandoned Iroquois settlement called Stadacona. Therefore, when the city became the capital of the province, the idea of restoring its old historical name was seriously considered. Samuel de Champlain was its manager until his death. Quebec - the capital city of New France - became a bone of contention in three major battles. As a result, in 1763, he, along with the entire province, went to Great Britain. When the struggle of the States for secession from England began, unrest was also observed in Quebec. The American revolutionaries attacked the British garrison but were defeated. Thus, Quebec and its province showed their will not to be part of the newly formed state of the United States. Now these territories are occupied mainly by the French-speaking population.
Quebec City: Where to Stay
There is no shortage of hotels in this provincial capital of Canada, from budget hostels to luxury hotels. If you plan to stay in Quebec for a long time, then it is best to look at apartments (residences). In this case, we can recommend Universite Laval. If you rent an apartment in such a residence for a period of more than four weeks, then a day will cost you eleven dollars.
The most budget hotel in Quebec - "Auberge de Junesse". Number withkitchenette and breakfast will cost only $20. In the Old City there is a wonderful family hotel "Hotel du Vie Quebec". The price from 96 to 266 dollars per room is quite acceptable, considering that this place is located a couple of steps from all significant attractions, museums, banks and shops. Not the most expensive, but the most photographed hotel in North America is Le Château Frontenac. This hotel, stylized as an old castle, is rightfully proud of the city of Quebec (Canada). The hotels, which look rather nice in the photos, cannot be compared with this picturesque and proud citadel. Frontenac Castle can be seen from anywhere in Quebec. This is the oldest hotel in the city. A night in this hotel will cost you from three hundred dollars. However, the hotel often offers discounts.
How to get around in the city
Local authorities are very promoting a he althy lifestyle and environmental protection. Therefore, traveling by car in the center is a real torment. The streets are often one-way traffic. Paving stones and expensive parking add to the negative driving experience. Quebec is a slow city. There are no running crowds like in New York. Public transport, represented by buses and shuttles, runs infrequently, but clearly on schedule. The ticket costs $2.5 and is valid for two hours after purchase. You can also buy a travel card - for one day or for a whole month.
There is a wide network of bike paths for city residents and tourists. We can say that Quebec is a city of cyclists. At least from April toOctober the number of people pedaling on two-wheeled vehicles of various (sometimes very original) designs significantly exceeds motorists. In the city, which is twinned with the Russian St. Petersburg, they plan to introduce (or rather, resume) tram service. The bridges of Pierre Laporte, Quebec and Orleans are thrown across the St. Lawrence River. A ferry service has been established with the Levi area on the south coast.
Quebec City Attractions
The entire old part of this first European settlement on the St. Lawrence River is fully included in the UNESCO list. Most tourists are amazed by the European appearance of this city in the New World. It's like traveling in Lyon or Brussels! Maybe, with a wave of a magic wand, we were transported to "old Europe"? But no, this is Canadian Quebec. Photos of the city show that it has many winding, cobbled streets, beautiful houses, ancient castles.
It is recommended to start exploring Quebec from Place Royale. On this square back in 1608, Samuel de Champlain laid the first stone of the city. Next, it is worth hiring a horse-drawn carriage to ride through all the significant places in the Old City. Then it would be nice to take a ferry ride to Levy - not to get to the area on the south bank of the St. Lawrence River, but to take panoramic photos of Quebec from the surface of the water. Well, now you can get acquainted with the sights of the city up close.
Don't miss the changing of the guard at the Citadel. It takes place every day at ten in the morning. Guardsmen in funny fur hats are stillsince guarded by the gates of Saint-Louis and Saint-Jean, leading to the Old City. Even if you were not lucky enough to be a guest of the Chateau Frontenac, it is still worth going up to this hotel on the old Quebec funicular. And, of course, we must not forget about the main sacred buildings of the city. This is the Basilica of Notre Dame de Victoire. Until the 60s of the twentieth century, the province of Quebec was under the great influence of the Roman Church. The buildings of the monasteries of the Jesuits, Ursulines and other orders have been preserved in the city.
Museums
The nuns left behind a good memory in the hospital for the poor, where they served as nurses. Now the Hotel Dieu has been turned into a museum. Its exposition is dedicated to the charitable activities of the Augustins. The Ursuline Museum testifies to the clerical past of Quebec. The National Gallery of Fine Arts keeps paintings by Canadian and European masters of various periods in its collections. This museum is worth a visit, especially since admission is free. The Citadel can also surprise with its exposition.
The fact that Quebec (city), Canada and other lands were the home of indigenous peoples, recalls the Museum of the First Nations. Its exposition is designed in the style of the culture of the aboriginal Indians. There is also the Historical Museum, the Museum of the 400th Anniversary of the City and other interesting places. It is worth returning once again to the Royal Square to pay closer attention to the huge frescoes on one of the houses.
Events
Every year in early February, hundreds of sculptors come to Quebec's winter carnival. Photos of the city flash not only in local, butand in international news. No wonder - after all, on the Place Jacques-Cartier in Quebec, a real palace grows out of ice. All week sculptors compete with each other in the skill of carving masterpieces of art from cold shining blocks. The winter carnival also includes swimming in the snow (and there is traditionally a lot of it in Canada), three parades and a canoe race.
Festival d'ete starts from mid-July. It lasts eleven days. But, unlike the winter festival, admission to the summer festival is paid. To listen to musicians of the first magnitude, who have come from all over the world to Quebec, you need to spend forty-five dollars. The badge-shaped ticket is valid for all eleven days. All summer from Thursday to Sunday on the streets of Quebec you can participate in the Edwin-Belanger Bandstand Festival. Jazz and blues are everywhere these days. On the first weekend of August, the New France Festival kicks off. Overwhelmed by nostalgia, the residents dress up in period costumes and hold parades. At the end of August, an international competition of military bands is held.
What to try
Don't think that the cuisine of this part of Canada is a complete copy of the French one. Yes, the city of Quebec (reviews of tourists repeatedly mention this) is famous for its cheeses. Thanks to the Canadian climate, local Camembert and Brie are more distinctive. These cheese varieties are considered the best in all of North America. And, of course, you need to try traditional French pancakes in some kind of creperie. But Quebec is able to surprise the gourmet and exotic. In the restaurant "At the Old Canadians" you cantaste amazing dishes of wapiti, caribou and buffalo. If you come to this place before six in the evening, you can order a Canadian-style set lunch for twenty-five dollars.
Try seafood, huge lobsters and melt-in-your-mouth filet mignon at Le Continental. Excellent French cuisine will be accompanied by fine wines and cozy stylish atmosphere. If you want to taste traditional Canadian dishes, order Quebec Tortier meat pie or fried potatoes with cheese with poutine sauce in any restaurant in the city. For oriental exotics, you should go to the restaurants "Elise Mandarin" and "Samurai". In these establishments, the main course will cost about ten dollars.
What to bring
Of course, in terms of shopping, the city of Quebec in Canada is inferior to Toronto with its Guinness-listed underground shopping center "Rat". But it is also full of branded clothing and footwear stores. It will also be profitable to buy electronics and household appliances. But if you want to take home the memory of hospitable Canada, get some delicious maple syrup. It is made only here and nowhere else in the world. A jar of blueberry jam will also be a good souvenir. Ice wine is another "trick" of Canada. Raw materials are harvested in winter already thoroughly frozen. The drink is tart, sweet and slightly viscous.
For esotericists Indian crafts will be interesting. In particular, "dream catchers" will protect the wearer from nightmares. If you are lucky enough to visit Canada on Christmas, buy a bottle of Egg Nog. This drink is made from rum, ale, wine, sugar, spices andeggs. Don't forget that all Canadians are proud of their hockey team. Any paraphernalia associated with this sport is welcome. The symbol of the country is the beaver. Fur figurines will also remind you of your visit to Canada.
