|
Quebec City Attractions
Bus and Carriage Tours
The major sightseeing bus company is Autocar Dupont; (418) 649-9226. Buses regularly depart from the Place d'Armes, opposite Le Château Frontenac and from major hotels.
Calèches, or horse-drawn carriages, are stationed at the Parc de l'Esplanade beside the tourist kiosk at rues Ste-Anne and D'Auteuil, porte St-Louis and Château Frontenac. A 45-minute tour costs $60 per ride (maximum four passengers).
Driving Tours
Alternatives to the multilane divided highways connecting Québec with Montréal are Hwy. 132 and Hwy. 138, which follow the southern and northern banks of the St. Lawrence River, respectively. These roads wind through picturesque small towns and villages, offering an unspoiled look at Gallic culture and domestic and ecclesiastical architecture.
Self-guiding Walking Tours
Visitors may obtain the booklet "Official Tourist Guide of Québec City" at the information kiosks at 835 av. Wilfrid-Laurier and 3300 av. des Hôtels. The booklet outlines a walking tour.
Sports and Recreation
Québec offers as much to the sports enthusiast as to the history buff. Provincial and city parks and resorts as well as mountains, forests, lakes and rivers offer a wide variety of activities, from golf and tennis to skiing and sledding.
The sports-minded spectator has several choices for entertainment, depending upon the season. Harness racing takes place at the Québec Hippodrome on the Exposition Grounds (Parc d'Expo-Cité); phone (418) 524-5283.
Note: Policies vary concerning admittance of children to pari-mutuel betting facilities. Phone for information.
For the sports enthusiast who likes to participate, many activities are available. With all the snow that falls on Québec, skiing is naturally a popular pastime. Forty kilometres (25 mi.) east on Hwy. 138 near Beaupré is Mont Ste-Anne, one of the most noted spots for alpine and cross-country skiing in eastern Canada; for further information phone (418) 827-4561. Another popular spot is Camp Mercier (Réserve faunique des Laurentides); for additional information phone (418) 848-2422.
Le Relais at Lac Beauport, (418) 849-1851, is popular for alpine skiing. Stoneham, (418) 848-2411 or (800) 463-6888, is another popular ski slope, while Lac Delage, (418) 848-2551, and the Plains of Abraham, (418) 648-4212, offer excellent cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.
Other winter sports include skating at Place d'Youville, (418) 641-6256; the Parc de l'Esplanade off rue d'Auteuil, (418) 641-6001; and the Village Vacances Valcartier, (418) 844-2200. Curling also is popular, especially during the Québec International Bonspiel in January; phone (418) 681-1221.
In the summer, swimming is available at the 36,100-student Laval University pool, (418) 656-7377. Public beaches are found in such nearby suburbs as Lac St-Joseph northwest of the city, Lac Beauport and Ste-Foy.
More than 20 golf courses are in the area. Popular clubs include Golf Métropolitain, (418) 872-9292, 4135 boul. Chauveau in Ste-Foy; Lorette, (418) 842-8441, 12986 rue Monseigneur-Cooke in Loretteville; and the Grand Vallon, (418) 827-4653.
Tennis enthusiasts can find indoor and outdoor courts at Club de Tennis Avantage Inc., (418) 627-3343, 1080 rue Bouvier; Club de Tennis Montcalm, (418) 687-1250, 901 boul. Champlain; and Nautilus Plus, (418) 872-0111, 6280 boul. Hamel in L'Ancienne-Lorette. For information about recreation and parks in Québec, phone (418) 641-6224, in Ste-Foy phone (418) 641-6043.
Performing Arts
The Grand Théâtre de Québec, 269 boul. René-Lévesque Est, is home to the Québec Symphony Orchestra and major theatrical productions, including those staged by the theatrical group Le Théâtre du Trident; phone (418) 643-8131.
Other major theaters in the city include Le Capitole, (418) 694-4444, Place d'Youville; Palais Montcalm, (418) 641-6181, 995 Place d'Youville. Most theater productions are in French.
Student and summer theater productions are presented on small stages throughout the city, in churches and at the university.
Fans of the silver screen won't want to miss the films at the Théâtre IMAX, where the offerings include 3D productions; phone (418) 624-4629.
Shopping
For specialty and handicraft boutiques and neighborhood groceries, Old Town is the place to go. Items such as antiques, books, clothing, Eskimo and Indian art, handicrafts, leather goods and rare wines are for sale.
In spring rue du Trésor becomes an outdoor art gallery where local artists display their works. Adrien Racine, 30 Côte de la Fabrique at Place de l'Hôtel-de-Ville, is a popular shop known for its hand-knitted scarves and sweaters decorated with caribou designs.
Straight down from the Château Frontenac and in the oldest part of the city is a group of renovated businesses known as the Quartier Petit-Champlain. These restored houses contain cafes, art galleries and boutiques. Handcrafted jewelry, pottery, clothing, leather and woodwork are among the items found in the shops. The main shopping street in the district is rue Petit-Champlain.
The main downtown shopping district is along St-Joseph, which has been transformed into an indoor shopping complex called Mail Centre-Ville. Downtown's shopping centers are Les Galeries de la Capitale, at 5401 boul. des Galeries, with 250 stores; Place Fleur de Lys, with more than 250 stores at 552 boul. Wilfrid-Hamel; and Place Québec, next to the Québec Hilton.
Shopping malls in Québec's suburbs include Les Galeries Chagnon, at 1200 boul. Alphonse-des-Jardins. Place Laurier, with 350 stores, and Place Ste-Foy, with 118 stores, are both on Boulevard Laurier in Ste-Foy. Major department stores include The Bay, Holt Renfrew, Sears and Simons. Malls generally are open Mon.-Tues. 9:30-5:30, Wed.-Fri. 9:30-9, Sat. 9-5 and Sun. noon-5.
|
|
