By Arie Boris, Editor-in-Chief, CruiseGourmet.com Magazine
With years of cruising under my belt, this was my first port visit to Quebec City and I fell in love with it! Picturesque and European charm are two adjectives that come to mind when describing this delightful Canadian city overlooking the St Lawrence River.
Settled in 1608 by Frenchman, Samuel de Champlain, the strong French influence is very much a part of the city today, even though Quebec City has been a part of the British Commonwealth for centuries. The Language is French; the marvelous cuisine is French influenced and the city has the feel of a small French town….just a one hour flight from New York.
Our first impression was the spectacular view from our ship’s balcony of the grand Chateau Frontenac Hotel towering above the river near the original site of the city’s first fortress built in the seventeenth century. Quebec City has two distinct districts, the Upper Town (Haute-ville) and the Lower Town (Basse-ville). Near the Chateau Frontenac, the Place d’Armes is a great place to start exploring the center of “Old Quebec.” This handsome square in the Upper Town is surrounded by original homes well over 100 years old. The area is filled with little cafes and artists displaying their work along the narrow streets. Bakeries, little French restaurants abound and a stroll through the magnificent lobby of the Chateau Frontenac is a treat. Built in 1893, this castle like hotel features green turrets and towers, copper roofs and a sense of grandeur from a by-gone age.
Connected by an endless set of stairs and a much more convenient cable car, the Lower Town is a jumble of rambling roads, cobble-stone alleyways and gabled houses from the 17th century. Rue du Petit-Champlain, the city’s oldest street, is a narrow cobblestone pedestrian way lined with shops and eateries…a wonderful place to stroll and explore this gem of a city. Find your way to the Eglise Notre-Dame-des-Victoires. Quebec City’s oldest church, built between 1688 and 1723 it is set on a lovely square on the site of Champlain’s’ original house.
Inspired by French chefs and enhanced by a rich array of local meats, fish and fresh produce, dining in Quebec City can be superb. Reginal specialties include caribou steak with wild berries, duck with a maple glaze, Lac St-Jean meat pie, partridge in port sauce, bouillabaisse, crepes dusted with powdered sugar and classic French steak-frites.
Quebec City has been designated a World Heritage site by UNESCO and after our memorable day in this charming port, it is easy to see why. For more information about Quebec City visit: http://www.quebecregion.com/en
