Discover Quebec through its most beautiful tourist sites
Two and a half times the size of France, Quebec is a destination of choice for most French visitors to Canada. Of course, we don’t visit « all » of Quebec, but this beautiful province is the perfect destination for two to three weeks of total change of scenery. From Montreal to Lac Saint-Jean, via the famous Quebec City, the famous whales of Tadoussac or the Eastern Townships, we take you on a Quebec-style road-trip. Follow the guide, and let’s go!
Cosmopolitan Montreal
Your plane has just touched down on the tarmac of Montreal’s Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport after a seven- or eight-hour flight. Once you’ve cleared immigration and customs, it’s time to explore Montreal. We start with the historic downtown area and a stroll along the waterfront to take the pulse of the city. The silhouette of the Bonséjour market dominates the landscape, then the view of the St. Lawrence River between tourist, commercial and industrial complexes gives you a better grasp of the city. Then it’s time to lose yourself in the narrow streets of Old Montreal. We’re in the historic heart of the city, with the Place d’Armes and the Notre-Dame de Montréal Basilica as a highlight, with its extraordinary altarpiece.
Basilique Notre-Dame de Montréal – Photo credit: Flickr – Julien Redelsperger
The next day, we’ll be taking in the sights of Mount Royal Park, a sort of « Central Park » for Montrealers. Central Park » overlooking the city from an imposing hill. It’s the perfect place to overlook Montreal’s buildings, which stand out against the urban immensity of a city 3.5 times the size of Paris!
View from Mount Royal Park – Photo credit: Flickr – Julien Redelsperger
On the way down, don’t miss a stroll through the lively Plateau Mont-Royal district, where many French expatriates settle. In the evening, you’ll find plenty of bars to enjoy a drink. You’ll have the chance to brunch and sample the local gastronomy, before heading back east to the magnificent « Espace pour la vie ». On the program: a visit to the Biodôme (a sort of mix between a zoo, a garden and an aquarium, immense and lively; the insectarium; the botanical gardens), grandiose in summer, the planetarium or the Olympic stadium with its famous leaning tower offering a 360-degree view of the metropolis.
View from Mount Royal Park – Photo credit: Flickr – Julien Redelsperger
Before you leave, take advantage of your day to stroll down the famous Sainte Catherine shopping street or visit one of the city’s many museums, such as the Pointe-à-Callière museum of the city’s history or the Musée des Beaux-Arts. After three or four days in the city, take possession of your rental car and hit the gas in the east, heading for Sherbrooke.
Sherbrooke and Eastern Townships
A two-hour drive from Montreal takes you to the heart of lush, rolling countryside, renowned for its art de vivre, picturesque villages and wines.
Abbaye de Saint-Benoît-du-Lac – Photo credit: Wikimedia – Hurteau, Paul
In fact, a wine route has even been created to discover one of the 21 vineyards for which the region is famous. Sherbrooke will be your stopover for one or more evenings. The city has plenty to offer, including the Terra Mutantès multisensory experience at the Museum of Science and Nature, or a stroll through downtown.
Before leaving the Eastern Townships, treat yourself to a short getaway in the Gorges de Coaticook, close to the U.S. border, with its 50-metre-deep canyon crossed by an impressive footbridge. On-site hikes, bike tours and walks await you, not to mention the magnificent Foresta Lumina show, which illuminates the area like never before.
Once you’re ready, it’s back in the car to discover Quebec’s famous capital, a 2h30 drive away.
Québec, the history
Change of scenery with a major historic city. Québec City proudly displays its ramparts, its castle and its old stones along the St. Lawrence River. To visit Quebec City is to step back in time and enjoy the European art-de-vivre so popular with tourists. Old Quebec and its narrow streets are ideal for a day of discovery, on foot, in the historic city.
Although no longer open to visitors, the Chateau Frontenac is the symbol of Quebec’s capital. Home to a luxury hotel, its terraces overlook the Petit Champlain district and the St. Lawrence River.
Château Frontenac illuminated at night – Photo credit: Flickr – Julien Redelsperger
The next day, if you feel like it, you can discover some of the city’s many captivating museums, including Civilization, French America and Fine Arts. Or perhaps you’d prefer to stroll the typical cobblestone streets of the Petit Champlain district, which wind their way through historic houses, murals and shops, ending at Place Royale.
Place Royale, Quebec City – Photo credit: Flickr – Julien Redelsperger
If you still have time, you can explore as far as the Plains of Abraham, where the history of 18th-century Quebec was played out between the French and the English. Alternatively, you can hop back in your car and head north, making a quick detour to the Montmorency Falls, the highest in Quebec, surpassing the Niagara Falls by almost 30 meters.
Montmorency Falls, Quebec – Photo credit: Flickr – Julien Redelsperger
Road to Tadoussac
After a 3.5-hour drive, we leave the major urban centers behind and arrive in Tadoussac. A small town on the St. Lawrence River, at the mouth of the Saguenay, Tadoussac owes its reputation and tourist appeal to the whales and wildlife on offer to tourists approaching by boat. It’s the perfect place to take a cruise and get up close to these immense, majestic animals that sometimes play mischievously with tourists. The best season is often September and October.
Whale near Tadoussac – Photo credit: Wikimedia – Hans Bernhard
On the road, the scenery is magnificent and the route flirts with forests, hills and typical villages, all within easy reach of the river. The journey is just as exciting as the arrival in Tadoussac.
Saguenay and Lac Saint Jean
The last major stop on your Quebec tour, which will take you to Quebec’s third-largest lake. Along the way, don’t miss Parc national du Fjord-du-Saguenay, with its cliffs plunging into the river, creating an incredible landscape. It can be explored from land or water, as you wish.
Saguenay River and Cap Éternité, seen from Cap Trinité, Parc national du Fjord-du-Saguenay – Photo credit: Wikimedia – J.boulian
Winter or summer, whether in the snow, on the water or on land, Lac Saint-Jean offers many activities for tourists in search of nature and discovery. In any case, make a detour to the Saint-Félicien wild zoo, which offers an incredible variety of animals in a natural setting. A great way to meet Canada’s wildlife, including those famous polar bears!
Bear at the Zoo sauvage de Saint-Félicien – Photo credit: Wikimedia – Dereckson
Finally, the historic village of Val-Jalbert, whose life came to a halt in 1927, will fascinate you with its history and unique atmosphere. It’s an open-air museum, a ghost village and a wonderful opportunity to step back in time to the 1920s. Built at the foot of an imposing waterfall, it’s a visit not to be missed. It’s even possible to sleep here.
Historic village of Val-Jalbert – Photo credit: Wikimedia – Sylvainbrousseau
And now it’s time to head back to Montreal (about a 5-hour drive), where your plane is waiting. If you’d like to see more to continue your trip, the Gaspé Peninsula is a destination of choice. This time, count on a ten-hour drive to reach Gaspé and discover other landscapes to complete your Quebec road-trip.
Main photo credit: Flickr – Julien Redelsperger