Tourism in Quebec
Encyclopedia
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
welcomed 3.2 million foreign tourists, most of them from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Quebec is unique among North American tourist destinations. Its French heritage sets the province apart from the most of Canada and the United States, as well as all of Mexico. The province is one of the only areas in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
to have preserved its Francophone
Francophone
The adjective francophone means French-speaking, typically as primary language, whether referring to individuals, groups, or places. Often, the word is used as a noun to describe a natively French-speaking person....
culture. Its European feel and its history, culture and warmth have made Quebec a favourite tourist destination both nationally and internationally.
Geographic location of Quebec
Provinces and territories of Canada
The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second-largest country by area. There are ten provinces and three territories...
with three times as much area as France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. It borders on the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to the south and Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
to the west. Over 90% of its territory is made up of the Canadian Shield
Canadian Shield
The Canadian Shield, also called the Laurentian Plateau, or Bouclier Canadien , is a vast geological shield covered by a thin layer of soil that forms the nucleus of the North American or Laurentia craton. It is an area mostly composed of igneous rock which relates to its long volcanic history...
, which is why most of its population lives in the area surrounding the St. Lawrence River
Saint Lawrence River
The Saint Lawrence is a large river flowing approximately from southwest to northeast in the middle latitudes of North America, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. It is the primary drainage conveyor of the Great Lakes Basin...
in what is commonly called the St. Lawrence Lowlands
Saint Lawrence Lowlands
The St. Lawrence Lowlands is an ecoregion of Mixedwood Plains and a physiographic region of Canada and the United States. It is sometimes named the "Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Lowlands", but that name improperly includes the Great Lakes Basin which, while it might drain to the Atlantic Ocean by way...
. The Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
occupy the southern portion of Quebec.
Language
Quebec has a unique and distinct culture in North America. Largely French in terms of language and culture, Quebec has managed to preserve its FrancophoneFrancophone
The adjective francophone means French-speaking, typically as primary language, whether referring to individuals, groups, or places. Often, the word is used as a noun to describe a natively French-speaking person....
heritage in the midst of a strong Anglophone culture. French is the mother tongue of 82% of Quebecers, and English is the mother tongue of 10% of the population. The remaining 8% is divided among some 30 languages such as, in order of importance, Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
, Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
and Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
. However, it is very easy to travel in Quebec speaking only English. In fact, over 40% of the population is bilingual. In major cities like Montreal, this percentage is as high as 64%, and 16% of the population speaks a third language..
Culture
A complex mix of European and North American origins, Quebec has forged a unique and original culture and personality. Quebecers enjoy dining and celebrating, which is clear from the many festivities that take place in Quebec. In terms of culture, Quebec is brimming with creativity in literature, the performing arts, painting, sculpture and fine crafts. There are also many companies and Quebec talent that have made their mark on the world, such as Cirque du SoleilCirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil , is a Canadian entertainment company, self-described as a "dramatic mix of circus arts and street entertainment." Based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul in 1984 by two former street performers, Guy...
, Céline Dion
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
, Jacques Villeneuve
Jacques Villeneuve
Jacques Joseph Charles Villeneuve, , is a Canadian musician and automobile racing driver. He is the son of the late Formula One driver Gilles Villeneuve, and is the namesake of his uncle...
and others.
Tourist regions
- Abitibi-TémiscamingueAbitibi-TémiscamingueAbitibi-Témiscamingue is a region located in western Quebec, Canada, along the border with Ontario. It became part of the province in 1898. It has a land area of 57,674.26 km2 . As of the 2006 census, the population of the region was 143,872 inhabitants.-History:The land was first occupied...
- Baie-JamesBaie-James, QuebecThe Municipality of Baie-James is in northern Quebec, Canada, to the east of James Bay. It covers 297,329.66 square kilometers of land, making it the largest incorporated municipality in Canada — only eight unorganized territories are larger...
(James Bay) - Bas-Saint-LaurentBas-Saint-LaurentThe Bas-Saint-Laurent region is located along the south shore of the lower Saint Lawrence River in Quebec.It has a population of 200,653 and a land area of 22,232.11 km² .-Subdivisions:...
- Centre-du-QuébecCentre-du-QuébecCentre-du-Québec is a region of Quebec, Canada. The main centres are Drummondville, Victoriaville and Bécancour. It has a land area of 6,928.78 km² and a 2006 census population of 224,200 inhabitants.-Description:...
- CharlevoixCharlevoixThe Charlevoix region, located in Quebec, includes parts of the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River and the Laurentian Mountains region of the Canadian Shield...
- Chaudière-AppalachesChaudière-AppalachesChaudière-Appalaches is an administrative region in Quebec, Canada. It comprises most of what is historically known as the "Beauce" |the electoral district of Beauce]]). It is named for the Chaudière River and the Appalachian Mountains....
- DuplessisDuplessisDuplessis was a historical television series in Quebec, Canada, that aired in 1978. It tells the story of Maurice Duplessis, the controversial premier of Quebec from 1936 to 1939 and 1944 to 1959. It is one of the most famous mini-series in Quebec television history...
- Eastern TownshipsEastern TownshipsThe Eastern Townships is a tourist region and a former administrative region in south-eastern Quebec, lying between the former seigneuries south of the Saint Lawrence River and the United States border. Its northern boundary roughly followed Logan's Line, the geologic boundary between the flat,...
- GaspésieGaspé PeninsulaThe Gaspésie , or Gaspé Peninsula or the Gaspé, is a peninsula along the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River in Quebec, Canada, extending into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence...
- Îles-de-la-Madeleine (Magdalen Island)
- LanaudièreLanaudièreLanaudière is one of the seventeen administrative regions of Quebec, Canada, situated immediately to the northeast of Montreal. It has a total population of 429,053 inhabitants.-Geography:...
- Laurentides
- LavalLaval, QuebecLaval is a Canadian city and a region in southwestern Quebec. It is the largest suburb of Montreal, the third largest municipality in the province of Quebec, and the 14th largest city in Canada with a population of 368,709 in 2006...
- ManicouaganManicouagan Regional County Municipality, QuebecManicouagan is a Regional County Municipality in the Côte-Nord region of Quebec, Canada. It is located on the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River with its seat in Baie-Comeau...
- MauricieMauricieMauricie is a traditional and current administrative region of Quebec. La Mauricie National Park is contained within the region, making it a prime tourist location. The region has a land area of 35,855.22 km² and a 2006 census population of 258,928 residents...
- MontérégieMontérégieMontérégie is an administrative region in southwest Québec. It includes the cities of Boucherville, Brossard, Granby, Longueuil, Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Saint-Hyacinthe, Sorel-Tracy, and Vaudreuil-Dorion....
- Montréal
- NunavikNunavikNunavik comprises the northern third of the province of Quebec, Canada. Covering a land area of 443,684.71 km² north of the 55th parallel, it is the homeland of the Inuit of Quebec...
- Outaouais
- Capitale-NationaleCapitale-NationaleCapitale-Nationale is one of 17 administrative regions of Quebec, Canada. Quebec City, Quebec's centre of government, is located in this region. It has a land area of 18,638.7 km2...
- Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean
Four ways to discover Quebec
The City Experience
MontrealMontreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
and Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
are an integral part of Combining a European feel with the modernity of North America, Quebec’s major cities charm visitors with their vibrancy, energy and warmth. The cultural life of these cities is well developed with many festivals, shows and museums, and they also offer high-quality hotels and restaurants.
Montreal
The only Francophone metropolis in North America, MontrealMontreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
is also the second largest Francophone city after Paris in terms of population. This major centre of 3.6 million inhabitants is a tapestry of cultures from the world over with its many neighbourhoods, including Chinatown
Chinatown, Montreal
Chinatown in Montreal is located in the area of De la Gauchetière Street in Montreal. The neighborhood contains many Asian restaurants, food markets, and convenience stores as well being home to many of Montreal's East Asian community centres, such as the Montreal Chinese Hospital and the Montreal...
, the Latin Quarter, the Gay Village
Gay Village, Montreal
Montreal's Gay Village is located on Saint Catherine Street East, centred on Beaudry metro station, and on Amherst Street in the Ville-Marie borough of the city...
, Little Italy
Little Italy, Montreal
Montreal's Little Italy is located on Saint Laurent Boulevard between Jean-Talon and St. Zotique Streets and is home to one of Montreal's original Italian Canadian communities...
, Le Plateau-Mont-Royal
Le Plateau-Mont-Royal
Le Plateau-Mont-Royal is a borough of the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.The Plateau-Mont-Royal takes its name from its location on relatively flat terrain north of Sherbrooke Street and downtown, and east of Mont-Royal...
, the Quartier International
Quartier international de Montréal
The Quartier international de Montréal or Montreal's International District is a district of the Ville-Marie borough of downtown Montreal that underwent a major urban renewal as a central business district in 2000–2003.-Purpose:...
and Old Montreal
Old Montreal
Old Montreal is the oldest area in the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, dating back to New France. Located in the borough of Ville-Marie, the area is bordered on the west by McGill St., on the north by Ruelle des Fortifications, on the east by Berri St. and on the south by the Saint Lawrence River...
, just to name a few. Montreal has a rich architectural heritage, along with many cultural activities, sports events and festivals.
Quebec City
Each of the major cities offers a new facet of Quebec to discover. The capital, Quebec CityQuebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
, is the only fortified city in North America and has its own European cachet. The oldest Francophone city in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, Quebec City was named a World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
by UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
in 1985 and has just celebrated its 400th anniversary
History of Quebec City
Quebec City is one of the oldest European settlements in North America.-French rule:Quebec City was founded on July 3, 1608, by Samuel de Champlain. Champlain named his settlement after a local native word meaning “the river narrows here.” Champlain's settlement was located at the foot of Cap...
in 2008.
Resorts
- Château FrontenacChâteau FrontenacThe Château Frontenac, currently known as Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, is a grand hotel in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. It was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1980...
- Clarendon HotelClarendon HotelThe Clarendon Hotel, or Clarendon House , is a high-end hotel in the historic part of Quebec City. It is the oldest continuously operating hotel in the city....
- Ice HotelIce Hotel (Québec)The Ice Hotel near Quebec City, Quebec, Canada is the first ice hotel in North America.-History:The Ice Hotel opened on New Year's Day in 2001...
- Mont Tremblant ResortMont Tremblant ResortMont Tremblant Ski Resort is a year-round resort in the Laurentian Mountains of Quebec, Canada, about 130 km northwest of Montreal. It is best known as a ski destination, but also features a lake suitable for swimming and two golf courses in the summer months...
: Located in the Laurentides region, Mont-Tremblant Resort is a four-season resort offering activities for the whole family.
The St. Lawrence River
Upstream from Montreal to the tip of Gaspésie, a road borders the shores of the St. Lawrence River, allowing drivers to explore a coastline that changes from mountainous to rural to wilderness. At one point, visitors can explore the rich Saguenay Fjord.
The 1,600-kilometre (994-mi.) St. Lawrence River transforms into a gulf that is more like an inland sea. The Gulf of St. Lawrence
Gulf of Saint Lawrence
The Gulf of Saint Lawrence , the world's largest estuary, is the outlet of North America's Great Lakes via the Saint Lawrence River into the Atlantic Ocean...
can be travelled by ferry, sailboat, kayak or cruise ship. Whale watching
Whale watching
Whale watching is the practice of observing whales and other cetaceans in their natural habitat. Whales are watched most commonly for recreation but the activity can also serve scientific or educational purposes. A 2009 study, prepared for IFAW, estimated that 13 million people went whale watching...
is very popular in Quebec, particularly in Tadoussac
Tadoussac, Quebec
Tadoussac is a village in Quebec, Canada, at the confluence of the Saint Lawrence and Saguenay rivers. It was France's first trading post on the mainland of New France and an important trading post in the seventeenth century, making it the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in...
.
There are also many islands and archipelagos with rich flora and fauna scattered along the river. The Île d'Anticosti
Anticosti Island
Anticosti Island is an island at the outlet of the Saint Lawrence River into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, in Quebec, Canada, between 49° and 50° N., and between 61° 40' and 64° 30' W. At in size, it is the 90th largest island in the world and 20th largest island in Canada...
and the Îles-de-la-Madeleine have fascinating legends from sailors and fishermen who continue to live there.
Adventures
- Aboriginal peoplesAboriginal peoples in QuebecAboriginal peoples in Quebec total 11 distinct nations. The 10 Amerindian nations and the Inuit nations number 71,415 people and account for approximately 1% of the total population of Quebec, Canada.-Inuit:...
: Visitors can discover the traditional way of life of the first inhabitants of the territory, the Aboriginals. - Protected areas: Quebec has 27 protected national parks for exploring nature and enjoying the outdoors.
- Rail trails
- Ski areas and resorts
What to do
Quebec offers many activities including sports and outdoor recreation, cultural and natural sites, festivals and events.Sports and outdoors
There are many sports and outdoor activities in Quebec that can be enjoyed summer and/or winter:- Hunting and fishing
- Golf
- Snowmobiling
- Wildlife observation
- National parks
- Water sports
- ATV riding
- Hiking
- Skiing
- Dogsledding
- Cycling
Sites and attractions
Quebec has a number of sites and attractions.- Casinos: Quebec has three casinos: Montreal, CharlevoixCasino de CharlevoixThe Casino de Charlevoix is located in Pointe-au-Pic, now part of La Malbaie, about east of Quebec City. The historic Manoir Richelieu is located right next to the casino...
and Lac-LeamyCasino du Lac LeamyThe Casino du Lac-Leamy is a government run casino in Gatineau, Quebec.The casino was opened in 1996, the third of a group of casinos built by the provincial government to raise funds. Ottawa, the larger city across the river, was also planning to build a casino in the early 1990s, but these plans...
.
- Cruises: Quebec offers a variety of cruises whether for whale watching, travelling the St. Lawrence River or touring the waterways.
- Natural curiosities: the province is home to many natural wonders
- Gardens: the Montreal Botanical Garden, the Insectarium, Reford Gardens and the international garden festival in Gaspésie are among Quebec’s garden attractions.
- Museums: Quebec has over 400 museums.
- Theme parks: La Ronde, the Old Port of Montreal and of Quebec City , the Village québécois d’Antan , Granby Zoo, etc.
- Religious heritage: St. Joseph’s Oratory, the Basilique Notre-Dame-de-Québec, etc.
- Historical sites: the fortifications of Quebec City, Old Montreal, etc.
Tourism routes
- King’s Road (this historical 18th-century road connects Quebec City and Montreal)
- New France Route (connecting Quebec City and Cap-Tourmente, this 50-kilometre (30-mi.) route is a trip through time)
- Whale Route (Manicouagan and Duplessis)
- Navigators’ Route
- Wine Route (Eastern Townships)
- St. Lawrence Route (Charlevoix)
- Border Route (Bas-Saint-Laurent, the borders of New Brunswick and Maine)
- Agricultural tour (Southern Quebec)
The four seasons
There are four distinct seasons in Quebec—spring, summer, fall and winter—offering a changing landscape and variety of activities.- Summer (end of June to end of September): Summers in Quebec are hot, and the season offers many festivals and outdoor activities.
- Fall (end of September to end of December): The leaves change colour in Quebec, creating breathtakingly colourful landscapes .
- Winter (end of December to end of March): Quebec’s snowfall makes skiing, snowboarding, tobogganing, snowmobiling and dogsledding possible.
- Spring (end of March to end of June): Nature awakens and Quebec’s sugar shacks open their doors.
Festivals and events
Quebecers are known for their festive spirit and taste for celebration. citation necessary This explains the close to 400 festivals held each year in Quebec. Quebec’s events are varied, from sports to cultural events and festivals, and attract visitors from around the world.For all Quebec events and festivals, click.
Cultural events
- Montreal International Jazz Festival: With over 500 concerts, 350 of them presented free outdoors, the Montreal International Jazz Festival features the top Canadian and international ambassadors of jazz (end of June to beginning of July).
- Just For LaughsJust for LaughsJust for Laughs is a comedy festival held each July in Montreal, Quebec, founded in 1983. It is the largest international comedy festival in the world.- Information :...
Festival: Montreal’s Just For Laughs Festival is the largest comedy festival in the world and attracts over 2 million spectators each year (July). - Les FrancoFolies de MontréalLes FrancoFolies de MontréalLes FrancoFolies de Montréal is a large annual music and performance festival held in Downtown Montreal, Quebec, featuring over 1,000 French-language performers from all over the world, as well as attracting over 500,000 visitors....
: The largest Francophone music festival, the Francofolies de Montréal features over 1,000 artists, singing stars, musicians and emerging talent from some 20 countries around the world (end of July to beginning of August). - Les Concerts Loto-Québec de l'OSM dans les Parcs: These three concerts by the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal (OSM) are presented in Montreal parks in a family atmosphere (June and July).
- L'International des Feux Loto-QuébecL'International des Feux Loto-QuébecL'International des Feux Loto-Québec, also known as the Montreal Fireworks Festival, is a major international fireworks competition. It has been held yearly in La Ronde over the Dolphins lake, since 1985, and is named after its main sponsor, Loto-Québec...
: The International des Feux Loto-Québec presented at La Ronde draws the largest pyrotechnics companies from around the world. Each show lasts 30 minutes, and the fireworks competition is the most prestigious and largest in the world (every Wednesday and Saturday evening from the end of June to the end of July). - International Flora/Le festival de jardins de Montréal: The International Flora lets you visit the loveliest gardens on the festival site itself (end of June to beginning of September).
- Festival international Nuits d'Afrique: The international-calibre Festival Nuits d'Afrique features music from Africa, the West Indies and the Caribbean, along with workshops, an African market and exotic cuisine (month of July).
Quebec City
- Quebec City Summer FestivalQuebec City Summer FestivalThe Festival d'été, or Summer Festival , has been taking place annually since 1968. It is organized by groups of businesspersons and artists of Quebec City in order to show the artistic, economic, and tourist potential of the region...
: For 40 years, the Quebec City Summer Festival has been presenting hundreds of artists from around the world on ten sites around the capital, all easily accessible on foot (beginning of July). - Loto-Québec International Fireworks Competition: This international musical fireworks competition takes place at the Montmorency Falls (end of July to beginning of August).
- Plein Art Québec: Over 100 craftspeople gather at the Plein Art Québec festival to exhibit Quebec arts and craft creations in ceramics, textile and jewellery (beginning of August).
- SAQ New France Festival: A celebration of the history of the first Europeans to arrive in North America, the New France Festival presents over 1,000 artistic events every year in a journey back to the past in the heart of Old Quebec (beginning of August).
Gatineau
- Gatineau Hot Air Balloon FestivalGatineau Hot Air Balloon FestivalThe Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival is a yearly festival, held in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada, and organized by a not-for-profit organization, during which hot air balloons of every shape and colour are flown and where 300 shows and performances adding up to over 60 hours’ worth of programming are...
: One of the most popular events in Eastern Canada, the Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival features hot air balloons and shows (beginning of September). - Casino du Lac-Leamy Sound of Light: The Casino du Lac-Leamy Sound of Light is a competition that crowns the champion of the international circuit of musical fireworks competitions over water (end of July to beginning of August).
Sports events
Montreal- Rogers Cup: For tennis fans, the Rogers Cup is one of nine Association of Tennis Professionals tournaments on the Masters circuit (beginning of August).
- Presidents CupPresidents CupThe Presidents Cup is a series of men's golf matches between a team representing the United States and an International Team representing the rest of the world less Europe. Europe competes against the U.S. in a similar but considerably older event, the Ryder Cup. The Presidents Cup is held biennially...
: A prestigious golf tournament, the Presidents Cup presents the best international players at The Royal Montreal Golf Club (end of September). - Grand Prix du Canada Festival on Crescent: The largest F1 celebration in the worldCanadian Grand PrixThe Canadian Grand Prix , abbreviated as gpc, is an annual auto race held in Canada starting in 1961. It has been part of the Formula One World Championship since 1967...
takes place on downtown Montreal’s Crescent Street (beginning of June). - Montreal Bike Fest: A number of cycling activities take place during the Montreal Bike Fest including the Tour de l'île de Montréal http://www.velo.qc.ca/feria/index.lasso?page=tdi, the largest gathering of cyclists in North America (end of May to beginning of June).
Cuisine
Ice cider
Ice cider is the cider equivalent of ice wine: a fermented beverage made from the frozen juice of apples. There are two main approaches to producing ice cider: cryoconcentration and cryoextraction...
, micro-brewed beer
Microbrewery
A microbrewery or craft brewer is a brewery which produces a limited amount of beer, and is associated by consumers with innovation and uniqueness....
, wine and over 100 different varieties of cheese.
Another unique feature of Quebec is the sugar shack
Sugar house
A sugar house, also known as sap house, sugar shack, sugar shanty or sugar cabin is a semi-commercial establishment, prominent mainly in Eastern Canada...
, a family culinary tradition of eating maple products to the rhythms of Quebec folklore. You can go as a group at the beginning of spring, during March and April.
Others Quebec culinary specialities include: shepherd's pie
Cottage pie
Cottage pie or shepherd's pie is a meat pie with a crust of mashed potato.The term cottage pie is known to have been in use in 1791, when the potato was being introduced as an edible crop affordable for the poor Cottage pie or shepherd's pie is a meat pie with a crust of mashed potato.The term...
, poutine
Poutine
Poutine is a Canadian dish of French fries and fresh cheese curds, covered with brown gravy or sauce. Sometimes additional ingredients are added.Poutine is a fast food dish that originated in Quebec and can now be found across Canada...
, sugar pie
Sugar pie
Sugar pie is a typical dessert of the western European countries of France and Belgium, Quebec, and Midwestern United States states such as Indiana, where it is known as sugar cream pie .-Recipe:Sugar pie is a single-crust pie with a filling made from flour, butter, salt, vanilla, and...
, pouding chômeur
Pouding chômeur
Pouding chômeur is a dessert of Quebec origin. It was created by female factory workers in 1929 during the Great Depression...
(a sponge cake with a maple syrup sauce), maple syrup
Maple syrup
Maple syrup is a syrup usually made from the xylem sap of sugar maple, red maple, or black maple trees, although it can also be made from other maple species such as the bigleaf maple. In cold climates, these trees store starch in their trunks and roots before the winter; the starch is then...
, baked beans
Baked beans
Baked beans is a dish containing beans, sometimes baked but, despite the name, usually stewed, in a sauce. Most commercial canned baked beans are made from haricot beans, also known as navy beans – a variety of Phaseolus vulgaris – in a sauce. In Ireland and the United Kingdom, a tomato...
, tourtière
Tourtière
A tourtière is a meat pie originating from Quebec, usually made with minced pork and/or veal, or beef. It is a traditional part of the Christmas and/or Christmas Eve réveillon and New Year's Eve meal in Quebec, but is also enjoyed and sold in grocery stores all year long...
(a meat pie), cretons
Cretons
In Quebec cuisine, cretons is a pork spread containing onions and spices. Due to its fatty texture and taste, it resembles French rillettes. Cretons are usually served on toast as part of a traditional Quebec breakfast...
(a pork spread with onions and spices), etc.
Getting to Quebec
Several means of transportation can be used to get to Quebec, including plane, bus, train and car. There are flights to Quebec from major cities in North America, Europe and Asia. Montreal is a 70-minute flight from New York and is less than 6 hours and 45 minutes by air from London or Paris. Provinces and states that border Quebec are served by easily accessible rail and road networks. Other means of transportation such as boat and snowmobileSnowmobile
A snowmobile, also known in some places as a snowmachine, or sled,is a land vehicle for winter travel on snow. Designed to be operated on snow and ice, they require no road or trail. Design variations enable some machines to operate in deep snow or forests; most are used on open terrain, including...
can also be used by the more adventurous.
Getting around Quebec
Quebec has a vast road and air network that makes it easy to travel between cities. You can travel by car, bus, plane, train, bicycle on the Route VerteRoute Verte
The Route Verte is a network of bicycling and multiuse trails and designated roads, lanes, and surfaces, spanning 4036 kilometres as of October 31, 2008, in the Canadian province of Quebec, inaugurated on August 10, 2007...
, or by ferry.
Lodging
- Hotels
- Bed and breakfasts
- Tourist homes
- Wilderness lodges
- Resorts
- Youth hostels
- Educational institutions
- Hospitality villages
- Campgrounds
- Outfitting operations
External links
- Bonjour Québec - Official site, Ministère du Tourisme, Gouvernement du Québec