Winter sports in powder snow
According to topschoolsintheusa, the mostly sub-polar climate guarantees the province of Québec long and snowy winters. Winter sports are as much a part of Québec as the white lilies are on the province’s flag. More than 80 winter sports areas offer fun in the snow, some in world-famous ski resorts, with floodlights and breathtaking scenery. A wide range of great activities include cross country skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, snow hiking, ice climbing and ice fishing. The Laurentides region is home to part of the Laurentian Mountains and twelve gorgeous ski resorts. These can be reached quickly from Montréal. The Laurentides can also be explored in snowshoes, on cross-country skis or by sled. Mont-Tremblant is one of the top addresses in the Laurentian Mountains.
A popular destination for winter sports enthusiasts in Québec is Le Massif de Charlevoix with a fantastic view of the Saint Lawrence River.
The popular holiday resort of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré is only about 35 km from Quebec City at the Mont-Sainte-Anne ski area and directly on the St. Lawrence River. Also in southern Québec is the Eastern Townships tourist area, which includes the ski resorts of Mount Orford, Ski Bromont (floodlit), Mount Sutton, and Owl’s Head.
On the Saint Lawrence River
A multi-day river cruise on the St. Lawrence River is an unforgettable experience and a wonderful way to get to know the major metropolises in southern Quebec. Constantly changing landscapes pass before the eyes of the passengers on the bank, who are provided with a lot of exciting information about the river, the regions and their history on board. Outside the metropolitan areas of the Southeast, Canada’s largest province is made up of rolling farmland. L’Ile d’Orléans with its picturesque villages, meadow orchards, strawberry fields and adventure farms is located just 15 km east of Québec City in the Saint Lawrence River. The journey from Québec City along the river towards the Charlevoix region takes you past deep gorges.
Forillon National Park: Maritime natural paradise
Forillon National Park is located at the eastern end of the Gaspésie Peninsula, right where the St. Lawrence River meets the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The geographic location of the national park says it all: whale watching tours, dramatic cliffs with seabird colonies, long, deserted pebble beaches, playing seals, kayak tours on the sea, kite surfing, snorkeling, stand-up paddling, excursions on fat bikes, hikes through forests or on the End of the world on the International Appalachian Trail and much more in a unique maritime landscape.
Quebec City
The provincial capital of Quebec City is more European than most North American cities, with its old city walls, distinctive green copper roofs and star-fortified citadel. The old town has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985. 95% of its inhabitants speak French. Also known as the cradle of Canada, Québec City celebrated its 400th anniversary in 2008. The “Upper Town” has some beautiful buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries such as the Hôtel de Ville de Québec City Hall, the Place d’Armes and the luxury hotel Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, which towers over the city as an impressive landmark. In 2018, Château Frontenac celebrated its 125th anniversary. The “Lower Town” is a 17th-century street network centered on the historic Place Royale. A funicular connects the upper town with the lower town. La Promenade des Gouverneurs offers wonderful views of the Saint Lawrence River, Château Frontenac and the city. Those interested in Québec cultural history head to the Musée De La Civilization.
Montreal
Canada’s second largest city is a vibrant metropolis with a French-speaking population, but English is understood everywhere. The Place des Arts is home to the Montreal Symphony and several theaters. There are interesting art collections at the Montréal Museum of Fine Arts and the Museum of Contemporary Art. The Vieux Montréal, the old town of Montréal, includes the historic waterfront, the Place Jacques Cartier, the Chateau Ramzay (the former residence of the French governor) and the oldest church in the city, the Notre-Dame-de-Bonsecours. The top of Mont Royal in the city park of the same name offers a magnificent view over the center of Montréal. The ” Underground City”, the largest underground city in the world, not only invites you to go shopping when the weather is bad. The district around Rue Crescent is known for its numerous jazz cafes and restaurants.
The world of anglers
More than a million lakes are spread across the province of Quebec and appear dappled onto the land from above. The lakes are partly connected by rivers and act like a network of waterways that covers the entire province of Quebec more or less densely. There are also imposing rivers and endless coasts on the Hudson Bay, the Hudson Strait and the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. No wonder Québec is a fisherman’s paradise. The fishing methods from fly fishing to ice fishing to spear fishing are as varied as the fish species and the fishing grounds. The province is divided into 29 fishing zones, each with its own set of rules and regulations. A fishing license is usually required.
Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve on the river delta
The Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve is located 860 km east of Quebec City and is accessible from the provincial capital via Highway 138. It stretches as a narrow band 150 km long on the north bank of the Saint Lawrence River and ends at the river delta. The bizarre geological formations of the Mingan Peninsula, which consists of around 40 islands and is located in the national park of the same name, can best be explored by boat. Or you can sit on one of the red chairs that have been set up in the national parks and let the grandiose natural scenery work its magic on you. If you like watching birds, seals and whales, this is the right place.
Spectacular Montmorency Waterfall
Just a few minutes drive from Québec City is the spectacular Montmorency Falls, which plunges 83 m into the Saint Lawrence River. It is located in the Parc de la Chute-Montmorency and can be reached on foot or by funicular. There are particularly unforgettable impressions in deep winter, when the freezing cold forms the spray into the famous icicle “Sugar Loaf” and the waterfall becomes a magical fairytale landscape at night thanks to the illumination.
Water sports without end
Off into the floods! The opportunities for water lovers are almost endless in Québec. Québec has hundreds of public beaches with lifeguards and controlled water quality, more than a million lakes, countless rivers and numerous water parks.
The St. Lawrence River is very popular with sailors, and white water rafters are drawn to the Rivière Rouge in the Laurentides region, about 180 km north-west of Montréal. Canoeing in Saguenay Fjord National Park on the river of the same name will remain an unforgettable experience. The other national and regional parks in Québec are also an Eldorado for water sports enthusiasts of all kinds.
The attractive sandy beaches on the Côte-Nord, the Îles-de-la-Madeleine and the Chaleur Bay between the Gaspé Peninsula and the Canadian province of New Brunswick are the top destinations for sunbathers, swimmers, snorkelers, windsurfers etc. Especially the beautiful beaches at Lac Saint-Jean in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region are highly recommended.
There are water parks in the Laurentides region, for example in Pointe-Calumet ( SuperAquaClub ) and in Saint-Sauveur ( Parc Aquatic ). But also Valcartier in Quebec City, Bromont in the Eastern Townships and Cantley in the Outaouais region are hot tips for fans of water parks.
Saint-Félicien: zoo and outdoor activities
Near the Lac Saint-Jean, the town of Saint-Félicien lures with the huge Zoo Sauvage, in which exotic animals live in addition to the animals of the boreal zone such as bears, moose and wolverines. Other attractions include a small planetarium, the Hébertisme Aérien Saint-Félicien nature park with a high ropes course and mountain bike trails, and many other outdoor activities. There are numerous hiking trails in the area and the Réserve Faunique Ashuapmushuan is a fisherman’s paradise.
Parc national de la Gaspesie
Northeast of Québec City on the south bank of the Saint Lawrence River, Highway 20 leads first through the heavily agricultural region of the Bas Saint Laurent and finally at the river mouth to the Gaspé Peninsula. Here you will find the “Parc national de la Gaspésie” provincial park with its caribou herds, Mont Albert and the McGerrigle mountains, forests, lakes and rivers, including the Sainte-Anne river, which is very popular with salmon fishermen. The provincial park is a magnet for hikers, nature lovers, canoeists, anglers and winter sports enthusiasts.
A fantastic photo motif is the Rocher Percé with its natural rock arch, which lies in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence off the Gaspé Peninsula.
Celebrate festivals
The province of Quebec is famous for its festivals. From late January to mid-February, Québec City celebrates a colorful winter carnival. The spectacle traditionally takes place with many parties, ice and snow baths, dog sled races, ice palaces, sculpture competitions and snowmobile races. Unique at the same time is the Ice Hole Fishing Festival in Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pérade. There are a number of food festivals that are popular in Québec, such as the Festival du boeuf in late summer in Inverness. Those who like maple syrup should visit one of the many maple farms between March and mid-April that celebrate maple syrup at this time. Visitors can taste maple toffees and watch the maple harvest. In July is the music festival FEQa strong visitor magnet every year in Québec City.
Val-Jalbert: museum village, waterfalls and historic industrial site
Almost a three-hour drive north of Québec City, Val-Jalbert sits on the south shore of Lac Saint-Jean. The main attractions of Val-Jalbert include a museum village made up of forty houses, which authentically recreates life in the 1920s in an industrial village around a pulp mill, and the impressive Ouiatchouan waterfalls. Behind the former industrial plant is the valley station of a cable car that takes visitors to the viewing platform with a view of the falls and Lac-Saint-Jean.
Watch whales and seals
Up to twelve species of whales, including blue and humpback whales, frolic in the St. Lawrence River from May to October. The small town of Tadoussac, where the Saguenay Fjord and Saint Lawrence rivers meet, is a popular spot for whale watching tours.
The Iles de la Madeleine with its white sandy beaches and fishing villages are 290 km east of Gaspé in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. At the beginning of March, the ice floes off the Iles de la Madeleine are the birthplaces of thousands of harp seals. You can get a good view of the seal colony from the helicopter. At the end of winter, the controversial seal hunt begins, in which hunters and activists sometimes meet.
