You’re traveling for business.
You have one free day.
How do you spend it?
We have suggestions.
If it’s old-world charm you want, Quebec City has it in no short supply. Five centuries of stories are laid across the cobblestone streets here, from revolutions to renaissances, lived out loud. It’s truly one of Canada’s most exotic, beautiful and delicious cities, and even a short stay will have you plotting your next visit.
Stay
Check in to Hôtel Le Germain Québec on Saint-Pierre Street in the heart of Québec City’s historic Old Port district. A boutique hotel in every sense of the word, the lobby screams elegance and refinement with cozy corners, plenty of art and a lounge for small bites. Opt for the breakfast package that’s served in the lobby or delivered to your posh room. Le Germain Hotel Quebec, 126, St-Pierre Street.
Eat
It will be a long, long time before you forget about the tempura shrimp on Hotel Maurice Restaurant Lounge’s antipasti misto platter. It’s a standout among the burrata, marinated vegetable salad, mortadella, carpaccio, hummus and foie gras collection. This historic building has had many lives including the headquarters of former Premier Maurice Duplessis and as an icon of Quebec City nightlife. Today it’s modern, luxurious and downright delicious. Hotel Maurice, 575 Grande Allée E.
See
Exhibits at Le Musée du Monastère des Augustines are tucked inside a four centuries’ old wing that was the first hospital in North America north of Mexico. There are artifacts from the dining room where the sisters shared meals and plenty of medical devices that seem well ahead of their time. The quiet and architecturally beautiful museum preserves the heritage of the Augustinian Sisters of Quebec. The destination is also a wellness centre, and you can lay your head down in an authentic room where the nuns slept. Le Monastère des Augustines, 77 des Remparts Street.
Souvenir
Take home two pieces of history in one. A blue tartan made by Quebec’s Lambert & Co. is the signature colour combination of Fairmont Le Château Frontenac and sold exclusively at the boutique inside the historic hotel. Wrap yourself in plush merino wool and history all at once. Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, 1 Rue des Carrieres.
Do
Strom Nordic Spa’s Old Quebec City location sits on the banks of the St. Lawrence River where you can soak in the infinity pool and think of nothing. Or go for the Scandinavian-inspired thermal experience with multiple outdoor whirlpools, cold baths, North America’s largest flotation bath with Epsom salt, Finnish saunas, eucalyptus and essential oil steam rooms, waterfalls and fireplaces. A full range of massage options are offered too. Strom Nordic Spa, 515 Bd Champlain.
Snack
It wouldn’t be a visit to Quebec with a rich and salty platter of poutine. And mentioning top spots could cause a nationwide clash, so we’ll leave you with three of the most popular choices. Chez Ashton, a chain with over two dozen locations, Frites Alors, the fave of food writer Allison Van Rassel and Poutineville, that serves a China/Quebec version with home fries, simmered Philly steak, cheese curds, poutine sauce, fondue broth, green onions and spicy maple sauce.
About Shel Zolkewich
A journalist by trade and an adventurer at heart, Shel writes regularly about travel and food in the Winnipeg Free Press, Canadian Geographic, Explore Magazine, Travel Life Magazine, Matador Network, Lonely Planet and The Toronto Star. She has a deep affinity for the snow and cold, but won’t say no to a couple of days in a Mexican fishing village, photographing the morning’s catch. She’s an avid forager, gardener, hunter, angler, cook and foodstylist who makes her home on a farm in central Manitoba, Canada. Follow her adventures on Instagram: @shelzolkewich
