Feb
2021
québec city (pt. idek)
This week I’m going to focus on Quebec City, a place that I fell in love with a few summers ago when I did a French immersion program at a local university. It was definitely one of the best experiences of my life thus far. Last semester, I focused my passion blog on different aspects of French culture, and I talked a bit about some different experiences I had while in Quebec, so if you’re interested, definitely check out those two posts. My month in the city definitely didn’t allow me to see every aspect of it and although it’s relatively small compared to cities like Montreal, New York, or Philadelphia, there’s still plenty to go see and do. Because this is a self-proclaimed travel blog, I thought I would share some of my favorite places, in case anyone gets the chance to visit.
Any Quebec travel article you read will probably say to visit the old city (Vieux-Québec) and I would one hundred percent agree. Stone walls surround the entirety of Vieux-Quebec and date back to the 17th century; the architecture is reminiscent of an old European town (because it basically is). Something I learned while doing a bit of research was that the Old City has actually been a world heritage site since 1985. The Chateau Frontenac overlooks the St. Lawrence River and has the most amazing views. Countless little shops, restaurants, and artists’ boutiques line every street. Almost daily, after I finished my classes, my friends and I would go to a bakery called Paillard; it was one of my favorite places to eat in the city, the croissants, macarons, and flatbreads were insanely good. On the topic of food, there’s a farmer’s market in the Old Port, down the hill from Vieux-Quebec on the river. There are vendors and artisans selling produce, meat, jewelry, literally everything, it’s definitely a place to visit for a bite to eat or just to walk around. 
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The Chateau is obviously one of the crown jewels of Quebec, but if you’re not looking to spend at least $400 per night, there are a plethora of smaller boutique hotels on almost every block. The Old City is definitely a prime location.
Montmorency Falls was one of my favorite day trips to take. The bus system is one of the main forms of transportation in Quebec, there are countless routes going all over the city and into different suburbs. Montmorency is a thirty to forty-minute ride from downtown and is so worth it. There’s also a park and gardens surrounding the falls.
When visiting a new city, trying new foods is definitely a highlight for me and the food tour around Ile d’Orleans did not disappoint. The island is situated right in the middle of the river about three miles outside the city. There are a small chocolate factory and a few different cideries and wineries. Even a short drive around the island is an experience, it reminded me of a small farm village.
If there’s one restaurant that I recommend it would be Ciel. Situated on the top floor of Hôtel le Concorde, the best feature is that the entire restaurant rotates and gives 360-degree views of the city and the surrounding areas. The food is really good too I might add.
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I 
can obviously talk about Quebec City for a lot more than 500 words, I didn’t even mention some of my favorite museums, restaurants, and other neighborhoods, but I hope my suggestions gave some insight on some different places to start exploring (when you can of course).
3 Comments on québec city (pt. idek)
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Arthur Laban
February 18, 2021 at 6:01 pm (3 years ago)I went to Quebec and visited many of the places on your list. Including the island and the waterfall! I loved Quebec it felt so different from the world I grew up in, but it really wasn’t that far away. I think it is interesting to see how history can really affect an area.
Maryn McConkey
February 18, 2021 at 6:06 pm (3 years ago)I’ve been to Montreal and it was such a fun trip; these destinations look just as amazing and I’ll have to add them to my list for when I return to Canada. I have a bunch of family up there but in more remote locations, so when we visit we make an effort to add another destination to the trip. These seem to be great options to possibly explore so hopefully I can visit soon!
mjm8703
February 18, 2021 at 6:10 pm (3 years ago)Quebec city sounds like a beautiful place, I’ve always wanted to see part of Quebec. I think it is so cool that you’re passionate about French culture, cause I also love French culture. I took a few French classes in high school and joined my schools French Culture club. I think it is so interesting that Quebec French is so different than France French, which I am sure you observed while staying in Quebec City.