QUEBEC CITY _ The castle-like chateau dominates the landscape, snow-covered and majestic. The St. Lawrence River undulates under frozen ice caps, back and forth, forward and backward. The charming shops line snowy streets with hints of brick and cobblestone poking through. Quebec City in winter weaves a spectacular spell of sheer magic.
Its mix of architecture, history, art and French culture make the Canadian provincial capital feel like Europe, at half the travel time and a fraction of the cost. One of North America's oldest European settlements, Quebec City may be rooted in its French heritage, but it has clearly created its own identity.
"It's not Europe, but it sure does look like it," said our guide, Tony Gagnon, who gives tours with Il etait une Fois Kebec. He speaks both English and French fluently, as do most people in the tourism sector in Quebec. But the native language is French. "I always say the best way to see Quebec is to eat and drink your way around."
With that in mind, I'd recommend starting your visit with a dinner at Ciel, for "sky" (Cielbistrobar.com), on the trendy Grande-Allee (clear weather is a must as are reservations on a weekend). It's not just another rotating restaurant on the upper floor of a tall building. Its menu is a successfully eclectic twist on French cuisine.
But the reason to visit the restaurant are the views, especially in winter: A 360-degree look at the river, mountains and city. The St. Lawrence River, which was important for Quebec City both commercially and historically with the military, has tides that keep the ice caps flowing all winter long. They also cause it to flow forward and backward. It's a sight to behold, especially from 28 stories up.
All around are historic buildings _ Parliament, Cathedral-Basilica of Notre-Dame, the Citadelle _ but it's the area with no buildings that caught my attention: the snowy fields of the Plains of Abraham. In the summer, it's a 240-acre green space commemorating the 1759 battle between the French and British Empires in North America. It includes gardens, greenhouses and a museum that tells the story of the battle. But in the winter, especially from above, it's just fields and fields of snow. You can take a guided snowshoe tour or cross-country skiing tour on its trails. Or skate on its rink. Skis, snowshoes and skates are all available for rent if you want to tour on your own. (Theplainsofabraham.ca)
Winter may seem like an odd time to travel here, and indeed I'm sure Quebec City is lovely in the other seasons, but the wonders of winter, with 4 feet of snow covering everything, gave it a magical, pristine feeling. Winter wonderland isn't just an expression. The average yearly snowfall is over 13 feet, and snow is usually on the ground from Thanksgiving to April.
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