Quebec City sits on the Saint Lawrence River and has a distinct old-world character and charm. It is the only remaining walled city in North America north of Mexico and was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1985.
Among its other distinguishing characteristics are its narrow cobblestone streets, stone buildings, fortifications, and rich French-Canadian culture grounded in the French language. The city’s splendid views of the surrounding landscape and unique character were noted as early as 1842 during a visit by Charles Dickens, who called Quebec the “Gibraltar of North America.”
Climate
The climate of Quebec City is continental, with very cold winters and warm summers.
The city is located in south-eastern Canada, at the 46th parallel north, on the St. Lawrence River (which freezes in winter) and is the capital of the province of Quebec.
On the coldest days of the year, the temperature can drop to -30 °C (-22 °F) or even below. In 2015, it dropped to -34.5 °C (-30 °F). On the hottest days of the year, it can reach 30/32 °C (86/90 °F).
The average temperature of the coldest month (January) is of -12.8 °C (9 °F), that of the warmest month (July) is of 19.3 °C (67 °F). Here are the average temperatures.
Summer starts at the end of June and ends in September.
Currency
The currency in Quebec is the Canadian dollar. You can probably use U.S. dollars to cover costs in Canada; however, U.S. bills won't be accepted everywhere, and it may be expensive to pay with them.
Cuisine
Some of Quebec’s food’s you must try on your visit:
* Poutine - Probably the most famous Quebec food, poutine consists of fries, gravy and cheese curds. The word, “poutine” is Quebec slang for a “mess”.
* Tourtière - A traditional meat pie, usually filled with seasoned and minced beef or pork, or game meats. You’ll find different recipes in different families and areas, but you can always expect warm, comforting meat wrapped in a pastry crust. Tourtière is often eaten for breakfast or brunch in Quebec and is also a traditional part of local Quebec Christmas festivities.
* Montreal Smoked Meat (viande fumée) - A kosher-style cured and smoked beef brisket; it’s basically Montreal’s version of pastrami or corned-beef.
* Maple Baked Beans (fèves au lard) - in Quebec, baked beans are seasoned with maple syrup. What might surprise you is that this hearty Quebec dish is often served at breakfast. Fèves au lard means “beans with fat”, with the fat element coming from salted pork or a ham hock. The idea was to provide a hearty, high-fat breakfast for lumberjacks and hunters before their day of work.
* Tarte au sucre - Tarte au sucre, or sugar pie, is a must-have in Quebec. Similar to the treats of the same name in northern France, the Quebecois version is all about the maple syrup, instead of simple sugar.
* Montreal-style Bagels - This is another Quebec food originating in early 20th century Jewish delicatessens in Montreal. The Montreal-style bagel is smaller and denser than its New York counterpart and made in a wood-fired oven.
And what to drink in Quebec…
* The Caesar, also known as the Bloody Caesar, is considered Canada's national cocktail. The key ingredients are vodka, clam juice, tomato juice, spices and Worcestershire sauce. It is typically served in a highball glass rimmed with celery salt and garnished with a celery stalk, olives and lime.
* The Gibeau Orange Julep. This beverage is classic orange juice with a twist: it's creamier than expected, with the secret ingredient apparently involving powdered egg. It tastes like a delicious orange creamsicle.
* Maple liqueur- is considered to be a traditional part of Canadian cuisine, in part because of its components being Canadian whisky and Canadian maple syrup.
* Maple wine - Similar to ice wine, maple wine is beautiful in colour (think amber gold) and will have a sweetness that works best as an aperitif or dessert wine.
What to do in Quebec
*Wander around the historic old city of Quebec. Set in two parts, you can take in the ancient narrow cobble streets and explore the local cuisine and treat yourself to some souvenirs, or head to the lower town (Basse-Ville), the charming 'old quarter' of the city, full of narrow, winding streets and historical stone buildings right by the harbour.
* Visit Château Frontenac, the most photographed hotel in the world. At $20 per adult, you can enjoy a guided tour around this grand Hotel and take in the amazing décor.
* Stand where it all started: Place Royale. Set foot in the cradle of French-Canadian civilisation by visiting the very place where Quebec City was founded in 1608 by Samuel de Champlain after having opened the very first trading post.
* Have a picnic in the Parc du Bastion de la Reine. Grab some bread, wine and cheese and head over to the plains of Abraham to enjoy the beautiful weather and the stunning and most underrated views of Old Quebec and the river.
* Drink in a 400-year-old tavern. Housed in a 1668 stone building, Pape Georges tavern is mostly famous for its atmospheric vaulted ceilings and its rather unusual street number at “8 ¼ rue du Cul-de-Sac”. For the full experience, order a Black Velvet, which consists of half cider and half stout beer. Cheers!
* Ride the ferry across the St Lawrence River. sit back and enjoy the view that unfolds before your eyes.
*Take a trip to Montmorency Falls. A 15-minute drive through the Beaupre Coast en route to Montmorency Falls, an 270-foot tall (83 meter) waterfall on the Montmorency River, a cascade nearly 100 feet (30 meters) taller than Niagara Falls. You can view the falls from a boardwalk along the side or a suspension bridge that lets you get up close.
* Visit Quebec in Winter and experience the exciting atmosphere of the Christmas markets.
Here’s your Fun Facts of Quebec
* Quebec produces a LOT of maple syrup.
* The Chateau Frontenac Hotel holds the Guinness World Record for the most photographed hotel in the world!
* Quebec is a French speaking province.
* The Quebec Winter Carnival Festival known as “Carnaval” is the largest winter festival in the world.
* There are waterfalls in Quebec City. The Montmorency Falls is located on the Montmorency River in Montmorency Park. It is roughly 7.5 miles from Old Quebec. Here is the fun fact: the falls are about 270 feet tall which makes it about 100 feet taller than Niagara Falls.
* Quebec has their own version of Shepard’s Pie. It is called “Pate chinois” which means “Chinese pie”. One theory is that Chinese cooks made it for French Canadian workers during the building of the North American railroads. The French Canadians enjoyed it so much that they brought it back to their communities.
* It took Quebec 30 years to finish paying for the 1976 Olympics. The 1976 Olympics were held in Montreal and the city took on a huge debt to finance the games. The mayor of Montreal famously said, “the Olympics can no more have a deficit than a man can have a baby.”
* It has the oldest English language newspaper in North America. Despite being a French speaking province, Quebec City is home to the Quebec Chronicle-Telegraph, a weekly English language newspaper. It was founded in 1764, making it the oldest surviving newspaper and English newspaper in North America.
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