Quebec City and Montreal
Quebec City
The first morning in town, Boo and I headed out to Battlefields Park and the Plains of Abraham. We walked through the park, viewing the Martello Towers, stopping to read the signs, then around the Citadel walls and onto the Terrasse Dufferin for great views of Old Quebec or Vieux Quebec. We walked back along the Rue Saint Louis and Saint Louis Gate to Esplanade Park and Parliament.
Tours
That afternoon I had booked the Free Walking Tour of Quebec with Samuel. We started by Parliament and walked all over Old Town, ending at the port. We stopped by the Churchill and FDR monument, learning about their visit to Quebec where they were planning D-Day. We visited Place d’Armes, seeing the UNESCO monument and Samuel Champlain statue, and hearing some history about this amazing explorer. I had learned quite a bit about him when staying in Plattsburgh on Lake Champlain. We continued down the Frontenac Steps after viewing the huge and beautiful Chateau Frontenac.
We went down the “Break Neck” stairs, Escalier Casse-Cou. The city’s oldest stairs, built in 1635, they lead to the Quartiet Petite Champlain, a pedestrian shopping area. According to Samuel, it’s considered one of the most beautiful streets in Canada.
We visited Place Royale just a few blocks away. This is so beautiful, it reminded me of many squares or plazas in Europe. Cobblestones, a central monument, great old homes, a church. We continued to the waterfront for a view of Levi across the river. It was a great afternoon and I learned so much about the town.
I also booked tickets for tours of the Citadel of Quebec and National Assembly of Quebec, or Parliament, for Friday.
The citadel is quite unique. It is the oldest military building in Canada, built between 1820 and 1850 by the English for defense against French or American attacks but it’s not just an old fort. It has been in continuous use since then. It is an active military base, site of administration for the French Canadian 22e Regiment. It is part of the UNESCO heritage site so needs approval for updates or changes and it’s also home to the Gouveneur General of Canada since 1872 and an official residence of the monarch. Since it is an active military base, they don’t let visitors just wander like you can in the Citadel in Halifax or many other old forts. Tickets for guided tours are required.
We heard the history of many of the buildings and the site in general, we visited the old jail, learned about their war service and their goat mascot. I spent about 90 minutes in the Royal 22e Regimental Museum at the end of the tour. It provides very interesting exhibits on the history of the first all French-speaking Canadian regiment, formed during WWI because people from Quebec were not volunteering for English speaking divisions. I also learned there were two meetings at the Citadel between Churchill, Roosevelt, and the Canadian Premier during WWII.
I had a self-guided tour in the Austin State House, but was surprised you can wander on your own in the Quebec Parliament building. I didn’t know that when I booked a guided tour of Parliament, but still would have booked the tour. A, it’s free and B, you always get so much more information from a knowledgable guide than just wandering on your own. A beautiful old building, great architectural details, we saw the chambers, the Mace, and much more, learning about the government of the province.
I booked a second walking tour with Ghost Tours of Quebec for Friday night. We learned about the Empress of Ireland sinking. The ship’s Captain Kendall was also the captain of the SS Montrose, the ship Crippen was captured on. He had recognized him and telegraphed Scotland Yard. Supposedly Crippen cursed him, is that why the Empress of Ireland sank? We learned about an American spy (but not really, maybe he wasn’t?) hung, drawn, and quartered during the War of 1812, a woman who murdered multiple husbands and more. Wish I had taken notes to remember the names, but it was all very interesting and I enjoyed the tour.
Museums and Churches
The Musee des plaines d’Abraham is a great museum on the history of the French and English battle over Canada and the Seven Year War. There is some amazing art from Jerome Trudelle of famous Québécois, including Wolfe and Montcalm, the English and French Generals, both killed during the battle of Quebec. The art is from 3D printed cardboard, unique and beautiful. I was eligible for a discount with my citadel ticket; glad my guide at the citadel mentioned it because I wouldn’t have known otherwise.
I made it to Morrin Center the morning I was leaving for Montreal. It was only open Friday to Sunday when I was there. I thought the tours were offered continuously so showed up a little after 10, when they first opened, after checking out of my AirBNB. I was told the next English tour would be at 1300. When I explained I was leaving that morning, the woman at the desk offered a shorter tour (she was leading the French tour at 1100). I was very pleased with the tour, learning about the history of the building from the original jail to college classrooms then a museum, visiting a few old cells, and much more.
My visit to the Musee de la Civilization was rather expensive, I paid CA$12 to park across the street, CA$20 for entry and CA$5 extra for the Pharaohs of Egypt special exhibit. Unfortunately, the Pharaohs was in French only, they had an English guide book but none of the items were marked or numbered so it was quite difficult to follow, especially with the crowds on a Saturday afternoon. I really liked the First Nation exhibit and the special exhibit of the Witness Blanket, about the Residence Homes. They offered English guided tours of their O, Merde! exhibit, that I really enjoyed. It was weird but interesting and fun. I doubt I’d return for another visit to the museum, however.
After driving out to see Montmorency Falls, I continued northeast to see the Sanctuary of Saint Anne de Beaupre. Started in 1926, construction was delayed during the Great Depression, and the building was finally completed in 1946. Started as a shrine for Saint Anne, the site is visited by many pilgrims who believe it is a site for miracles. It is a beautiful building, great mosaics on the ceiling and a large fountain in the plaza in front.
Other
Quebec is the only walled city in North America north of Mexico City. I walked past and around the old walls many times, and did find time to climb up and enjoy some of the towers. The fortified walls and ramparts were built between 1608 and 1871. Four gates, 3 of the Martello towers, and about 5km of walls still surround the old city and the citadel. All of Vieux Quebec is an UNESCO Heritage Site.
Montmorency Falls is recommended on many sites, so I drove out on Saturday. They promote it as one of the most visited sites in Quebec City and “30 meters higher than Niagara”! I entered ‘montmorency park’ then ‘observation tower’ in my navigation and was slightly confused about where to stop and the fees. After pulling in to a couple of lots, I decided to skip it and was heading to the Orleans Island Bridge when I passed the parking lot off Route 138. Any of the lots would work, now that I understand the area, but where I finally parked was probably the most convenient. I purchased the ticket for the cable car (Boo was allowed on that), then we walked across the suspension bridge, down the 487 steps on the “panoramic stairs” and back across the boardwalk. For people with a fear of heights or any vertigo, the cable car, and especially the suspension bridge across the falls, may be quite challenging. They charge for parking, entry to the park, and the cable car. I don’t think the site is all that attractive and really wouldn’t recommend. Niagara may be shorter but it’s certainly more beautiful, in my opinion.
After my visit to the falls, I drove over to Ile d’Orleans. There was a lot of road work and it did make it difficult to get on and off the island, but once past the bridge, I drove the Chemin Royal around the perimeter, enjoying the views and small picturesque villages. Without stops it will take about an hour, but we stopped several places for short visits. After leaving the island, I visited the Sanctuary of Saint Anne.
Before leaving town, I had to find the Sir Étienne-Paschal Taché statue I had read about in Charlottetown. He is one of the “founders of confederation”. There were two complimentary statues designed by Jules Lasalle for the 150th anniversary of Confederation of Canada in 2014, the other is William Henry Pope in Charlottetown. Unfortunately, I couldn’t remember Tache’s name at first and it was surprisingly hard to find despite multiple searches about confederation conference, Charlottetown and Quebec and more. I was interested to find out it’s been moved twice. Originally on the waterfront, the current location, Parc Bassin Brown, wasn’t far from my rental and Boo and I walked down one afternoon.
Restaurants
Samuel, my guide on the walking tour recommended the beers at Noctem Artisans Brasseurs. Just a few blocks (and lots of stairs) from my rental, I went down Saturday night, my last night in Quebec City. I had a flight of their beer, and a great burger and side salad. All their beer I tried was quite good. I hadn’t been to that part of town yet, so walking down the stairs and to the restaurant, I was able to visit Jean-Paul-L’Allier Jardin. I thought they had outside seating so walked down with Boo and had to walk back up to put him in our rental. I earned those beers after those stairs. I found the elevator later and took that up after dinner.
When driving around the island, I came across Ile d’Orleans Chocolatier. I bought a dark chocolate bar and some caramels plus a gift package for my daughter. Delicious! I also picked up a chocolate torte at Erico Chocolaterie Creative.
Montreal
Although I made a day trip here when in Lake Champlain, I really didn’t see much. So I started my visit with a Free Walking Tour to get a better feel for town. We met at Vauquelin Place. We heard about the history of town and saw some of the old walls recently uncovered. We continued with visits in Old Town to Place Jacques-Cartier, the old port, walked down Rue Saint-Paul seeing Marche Bonsecours, Place Royale, Place d’Armes, and ending in the downtown area to visit the Underground City.
I visited Marche Bonsecours one day when Boo was in the rental. They had mostly tourist stuff for sale, but it’s a great old building from 1847. It was used as Parliament for one year after a fire in the other permanent building. It does have restaurants and the small brewery and distillery, BreWskey, that I visited later in the week.
I couldn’t visit Montreal without visiting Mont Real, or Mount Royal. There are great trails around the Mount Royal Park. The park was designed by Olmstead, like Central Park, Biltmore Estate, and the White House and US Capitol Grounds. On our walk we visited the Chateau and enjoyed the great views of the city at Kondiaronk Belvedere. We also saw the Croix du Mont Royal on the trail. This cross was installed in 1929 but the first cross was erected by Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuve, one of the city’s founders, in 1643 because of a vow he made to the Virgin Mary to protect the city from a flood. We also visited the Smith House and walked the trail around Beaver Lake, which sounds so much better in French, Lac Aux Castors.
On the way out of the park I drove through Mount Royal Cemetery. No dogs allowed, so I left Boo in the car when I made several quick stops.
Many days we just wandered the amazing streets of Old Town, along the waterfront, the old port. I enjoyed walking up and down Rue Saint Paul, Rue Saint Jacques, Rue Notre Dame and through the squares, sitting and people watching at Place d’Armes or Place Jacques-Cartier. I probably walked every street and block in Old Town, seeing something new every time.
I visited the Iberville Passenger Terminal on the Grand Quai then walked out to the Clock Tower Quay, too, seeing much of the Old Port. I also walked out to Viger Square and Gare Viger to see the old train station. Walking down Place d’Youville one morning, I found the archeology site of the old St. Anne’s market and later the parliament, “Parliament Beneath Your Feet”. There were informational signs on the site but the small temporary buildings were closed as of November 1st.
Walking along the waterfront, I saw the locks of the old Lachine Canal. We continued a long way along the old canal, learning about shipping and the port and how they had to move all the cargo until the Saint Lawrence Seaway was completed bypassing the rapids and dams.
I like finding all the informational and historic signs around town. I stopped to read one and learned about two great buildings just across de la Commune Street. The Harbour Commission was created in 1830 to manage the development of the port. The Harbour Commission Building was built in 1876 and was used until the 1960s by the Port of Montreal.
Right next to this building is the Port of Montreal Corporation. Built in 1859, it used to be the Edmonstone Allan Company Building, headquarters for a large shipping company. In front of this building is the John Young Monument, he was the first chairman of the Montreal Port Commission and considered to be “father of the port”.
Wandering down Saint Pierre I came across information about the Maison Mere d’Youville, or Ancien Hopital. There were signs about Saint Marguerite d’Youville and the Grey Nuns of Montreal. The main building of the hospital and the old walls of the chapel are standing. All very interesting history and definitely worth a short visit.
I went out both Friday and Saturday nights to see Cite Memoire, 25 sites around the city with video and sound projected on buildings and walls. I didn’t visit all the sites but there are over 10 just within a few blocks of where I was staying.
Museums and Churches
After my city walking tour, I visited Musee Ramezay and their gardens. The house is the site of the first governor’s home, built in 1705 for Claude de Ramezay. Used by Compagnie des Indes occidentales, or the West Indies Company, from 1745 to 1763, it was later used as Governors House for British North America from 1773 to 1884, except when occupied by “American invaders” in 1775 and 1776. It was the first building in Quebec to be classified as a historic monument. There are multiple rooms to visit, lots of exhibits, and art. There was an interesting special exhibit, ‘Roald Amundsen, Lessons from the Arctic’, that I really enjoyed.
There are signs on the fence proclaiming “Château Ramezay – Historic Site and Museum of Montréal one of UNESCO 1001 historic sites you must see before you die”. Personally, I think there are many better history museums to visit.
I visited Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel (free) and, in the same building, the great Marguerite Bourgeoys Museum (ticket required). I learned a lot about this amazing woman, 1620-1700. She was way ahead of her time, teaching girls, including the poor and First Nation girls, religion, science, and much more. Fighting for a non-cloistered convent, she founded the Congregation of Notre Dame of Montreal. The museum has multiple levels from the roof, with great viewpoints of the city, down to the crypt. The crypt contains some great science exhibits. Marguerite Bourgeoys is the first female Saint of Canada.
The Montreal Museum of Archeology and History is an excellent museum. Literally built on top of ruins and the old city walls, it contains amazing exhibits and history. It is spread across multiple buildings at Pointe-a-Calliere. It starts with a great 17-minute multimedia video in the beautiful new building, Eperon, built over ruins in the basement, and the displays continue through the old collector sewer to Fort Ville Marie, “Where Montreal Began”, the Marketplace, Old Custom House, and Mariner’s House. This is the museum that should be on the UNESCO 1001 historic places to visit, it is much more interesting than Musee Ramezay.
After our visit to Mount Real, we went to St. Joseph’s Oratory. Started in 1922, delayed during the depression, finished in 1967, it is very modern architecture and art. Other than the location on the side of Mount Royal, I didn’t think any of it very attractive. However, I did like the bronze doors throughout the basilica. Site of a lot of pilgrimages due to supposed healing powers but it is disappointingly commercial with a gift shop and cafeteria. I imagined Jesus throwing out the money changers and vendors. Personally, I don’t think churches should have gift shops.
Although I had just visited Notre Dame Basilica of Montreal in September, it’s such a beautiful church I wanted to return. Built between 1824 and 1841, it was declared a minor basilica in 1982 and a National Historic Site in 1989. I purchased my ticket online and walked over one morning when it first opened to enjoy the mostly empty church. I read the informational signs again, following the guided tour, seeing the sanctuary, huge altarpiece, pulpit, Saint Sacrament Chapel, Notre-Dame du Sacre-Coeur Chapel, the beautiful stained glass and the gorgeous ceiling.
Restaurants
Pave Lunch Experts was just down the street from my AirBNB and I picked up a salad and sandwich one day, very good if overpriced.
I found 3 Brasseurs one afternoon after wandering the city and stopped in for a Marzen. Later in the week, I visited BreWskey in the Bonsecours Market building. Boo was welcome on the patio and I tried several 5 ounce pours then ordered their warmed Brie with a blackberry glaze and crostini.
My friend, Kelly, and I visited Warsaw and Krakow in 2007. We both really enjoyed the food during our trip. Everyone loves pierogies but I tried their beet soup, barszcz, or Polish “borscht”, and many other great items. I was walking Boo down Rue Saint Francois Xavier when he stopped to sniff the wall and I noticed a sign in the window, “barszcz, pierogis, bigos”. I had to walk around the corner, on Saint Paul’s to find the name of the restaurant, Stash Cafe. I returned a few days later for a bowl of barszcz and a “debutante” plate with pierogis, bigos (cabbage stew with plums and roasted pork), a placki (potato pancake), and krokiet (crepe with mushrooms). All delicious. Not to mention Zywiec, a great local Polish beer.
** All photos property of Lisa, not to be copied or reproduced **