Explore the cities of Quebec and Montreal in Canada 🏙

August 2019, we went as a family to New France, better known as Canada. In North America, Canada is a country full of history and culture. Land of French emigrants, land of French conquests, land of new horizons, Canada is very famous among French people. Our trip to Canada lasted a total of 3 beautiful weeks of hiking, sightseeing, car trips. From Paris to Quebec by plane, from Quebec to Gaspesie(the article on Gaspesie is coming very soon!), from Gaspésie to Montreal, we explored Eastern Canada from coast to coast on a road trip.

Why Canada and not America? Firstly because this country emphasizes the preservation of the environment with many national and regional parks as well as protected areas such as caribou and moose. This relationship with nature has greatly seduced us. Also, the purpose of this trip was to visit our extended family in Canada.

In this first part, I will mainly talk to you about the cities of Quebec and Montreal, but I will come back to our excursion in Gaspésie in another article. Good reading !

> Quebec City: Old Quebec, historic heart

An emblematic district, Old Quebec is the historical and cultural center of Quebec City. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985 and attracts tourists from all over the world with its architecture that recalls the city's past. Indeed, there is a unique melting spot of Amerindian, French and British cultures, which can be seen in particular in the style of the buildings.

On our first day in Quebec, we strolled through the streets of Old Quebec. We first went through the Square of Arms, the central square inside the fortifications. Then, we discovered the Petit-Champlain district. This picturesque district allows you to learn more about the origins of Quebec, especially through the Royal Square. This place is the very place where Quebec was founded, because it is here that Samuel Champlain, founder of the city of Quebec, built his home. We then wandered down one of the oldest shopping streets in North America: Petit-Champlain Street. Along this magnificent street, pretty local artisan shops and restaurants line the sidewalks.

A few streets further, dozens of umbrellas of all colors are hung between the houses and form a fascinating artistic composition. This creation is called the "Umbrella Sky" project and aims to revive tourism. This corner of the city really exudes a warm and enthusiastic atmosphere, which pushed us to discover more and more of Old Quebec.

After having visited the historic heart of the city of Quebec, we moved away a little to contemplate the Palace Station. Made up of the old post office and the railway section, it is one of Canada's heritage railway stations. In front, a beautiful public square allows you to observe the station in all its splendour. Finally, we descended into the lower part of Quebec City, the Lower Town. To have a view of the heights of Old Quebec, we reached an esplanade by a staircase, not far from the Museum of Civilization. Up there, we could see the St. Lawrence River, the Castle of Frontenac, and the peaks of Old Quebec.

> Quebec City: the Castle of Frontenac, much more than a hotel

Iconic monument of Quebec City, the Castle of Frontenac is much more than a simple hotel. At the top of Cap Diamand, it overlooks the St. Lawrence River. Its majestic look will amaze many and its hundreds of windows allow you to observe the waves of the river.

We were able to enter the entrance hall of the castle, completely renovated. It was truly sumptuous! After that, we admired a magnificient panorama of the St. Lawrence River from the Dufferin Terrace, which runs alongside the Château de Frontenac. Disarmed cannons are displayed there and were once used as means of defence. We approached the edge to admire the view and then we continued to walk on the terrace to the Monument of Samuel Champlain. This monument is a tribute to the historical founder of Quebec: Samuel Champlain.

> Quebec City: Visits to the Museum of Civilization and the Citadel of Quebec

If you are interested in the history of Quebec City, here are two interesting places to visit: the Museum of Civilization and the Citadel of Quebec. First, the Museum of Civilization is located in the Lower Town of Quebec, at Boaters Square. As we did not know very well the historical origins of Quebec, a small visit was essential. We followed the exhibition "the time of the Quebecers" which retraces the history of Quebec and its cultural richness. Many objects and handwritten documents are exhibited and give life to this exhibition. It was both very enriching and interesting and we came away from the museum full of new historical knowledge. The Museum of Civilization is very large and also offers other temporary exhibitions depending on the time of year.

Similarly, we attended a guided tour of the Citadel of Quebec. Nicknamed the Gibraltar of America, it is the most important British fortress in North America. In addition, it was built on the highest hill in Quebec City to warn of the arrival of enemies. Seen from the sky, the Citadel has the shape of a cross. With our group for the guided tour, we wandered around the citadel until we arrived in front of a breathtaking panorama: we could see all of Quebec City with the Château de Frontenac and the Saint-Lawrence River.

> The Wendake Reserve, immersion in indigenous civilization

Only 30 minutes by car from Quebec City, the Wendake Reserve belongs to the Huron village. We were treated to a guided tour of the village with a guide dressed in traditional period clothing. First, we entered a longhouse, the traditional habitat of the Hurons. Inside, we discovered the way of life of the Hurons with animal skins as blankets and lots of sticks that cross the habitat to maintain the structure. Then we poked our heads into a giant tipi and I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the tipi. The guide then explained to us the traditional means of transportation of the Hurons such as the canoes they made themselves. We even got to sit in one of the canoes while we listened to the guide. After 2 hours of guided tour, we had the opportunity to return to the reserve to take pictures. We also took a tour of the shop which sells items from local artisans such as jewellery, clothing, leather clothing and dream catchers. For my part, I let myself be tempted by a dream catcher as a memory.

Finally, we made a stop at the Church of Notre-Dame-de-Lorette, where the owner of the church gave us a very warm welcome and explained the history of his church to us. A few meters away is the Kabir Kouba Waterfall, small but pretty.

> The Montmorency Falls, the highest falls in the Province of Quebec

15 minutes from the Old Quebec district, the Montmorency Falls are an unmissable natural site. From the top of their 83 meters, the Montmorency Falls greatly exceed the Niagara Falls, which makes them the highest falls in the Province of Quebec. The easiest way to access the falls is to park in the parking lot at the top of the falls. From up there, we descended scenic stairs to get a closer look at the falls. It was really impressive and captivating because we could feel the water on our face, the waterfall was so intense. The sound of running water reigned in the silence of the setting and we were lucky enough to spot a beautiful rainbow which made the scenery even more beautiful. After having contemplated the falls for a long time, we went back up by the stairs. For the bravest, there is a walkway over the falls to see them even closer. The Montmorency Falls are really superb and I strongly advise you to go there if you pass by Quebec City.

> Montreal: Discovery of Old Montreal

On our return from Gaspésie, we stopped in Montreal. We stayed with one of my uncles who has lived here for a very long time. First, we strolled through the Old Quebec district, the historic center of the city. We passed by the Amrs Square where Notre-Dame de Montréal Basilica is located as well as the Bank of Montreal. In the Bank of Montreal, we discovered an exhibition on the history of money. Then, we reached the Castle of Ramezay in which we were able to visit a very beautiful museum which retraces the history of the city of Montreal. The castle also has a pretty garden at the back of the building. Just opposite, we admired Montreal city hall before stopping at Jacques-Cartier Square, which bears witness to the rich heritage of the city.

To end our short stay in Montreal, we set off to climb Mont Royal. We took the walking trails in Mount Royal park which leads to the belvedere of Mont Royal. The climb is quite steep but the view at the top is definitely worth it. Indeed, at the top of Mount Royal, we had a magnificent view over the city of Montreal with its huge skyscrapers.

> Montreal: the Botanical Garden

Near the Montreal Biodôme and the Olympic Park and a few minutes walk from downtown Montreal, the Botanical Garden is known as one of the largest garden in the world with its 75 hectares of flowers and plants of all kinds. It also includes around twenty thematic gardens and my favorite is of course the one on Japan with all Japanese lanterns. It's a real pleasure to come here in the summer, especially to discover a fascinating and exotic flowery universe of all colors.

> My tips and tricks for exploring the cities of Quebec and Montreal

First of all, you must absolutely taste a poutine, the Quebec specialty, in one of the restaurants in downtown Quebec City, such as Maison Ashton, which offers delicious poutines. For my part, I didn't enjoy eating it too much because I found it too greasy, but I hope you'll like it. Then, you have free time during your stay in Quebec City, you can walk on the Great Plains of Abraham. In Montreal, I also strongly recommend that you visit the Botanical Garden and, on the way, go to Montreal Biodome, a unique place that brings together the ecosystems of America, or even climb to the top of the Olympic Tower to have a panoramic view of the town.

Summer and winter in Canada are two completely different periods in terms of the landscapes, the way of dressing, the atmosphere… I've never been there before in the winter but I would very much like to one day to be able to tell the difference between his two seasons. To conclude, I challenge you to try to imitate the Canadian accent and give me your feedback in the comments (for a laugh!).

Well, it's already the end! I hope this article make you want to come and explore the cities of Quebec and Montreal in Canada and that you learned some interesting things. These two Quebec cities are both very charming and unique and there are plenty of other things to do in Eastern Canada such as hiking in national and regional parks or kayaking on the sea facing the sunset in Gaspesie. An article on our road-trip in Gaspesie will be released soon.

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See you soon for new articles!

Laura🤍