Be Charmed...
Tempting Seasonal Activities

A SUMMER of Outdoor Adventure The mountains, forests, lakes, rivers and the St. Lawrence are nearby. They make the area a special place for anyone who loves nature and outdoor sports. Adventure is all around, for young and old, only a few minutes from downtown Québec City. White-water rafting will make your heart beat faster, while following the moose throughout the valley will make it skip a beat.

The summer season is the ideal time to admire the magnificent landscape all along the St. Lawrence River. From Portneuf and the Jacques-Cartier region to the Côte-de-Beaupré and around the Île d'Orléans, historic scenes bear witness to the age of colonization. An outing on the St. Lawrence River on one of the excursion boats provides a whole new perspective of the surroundings. It is also a chance to admire the many pleasure boats on the majestic river. Water sports are an important part of summertime fun on the St. Lawrence as well as on the numerous lakes and rivers throughout the area. Summer is perfect for hiking or for a horse-drawn carriage ride through Old Québec and the Plains of Abraham. Take advantage of your trip to enjoy the many museums and visitor centres in the area. Enjoy the relaxing atmosphere of an intimate neighborhood café or soak up the rays in the warm afternoon sun at any of the many outdoor cafés that are so popular. Residents of the Greater Québec Area take part wholeheartedly in the festivals held throughout the summer. Dozens of national, international, cultural and sports events bring to life every part of the city. And remember, Québec City is recognized as one of the safest cities in North America.

FALL, the most Colourful Season Fall is the most colourful season of all! In the Québec City Area, the forest, in all its splendour, puts on a vivid display. It is also the season preferred by many outdoor sport enthusiasts. Not too hot or too cold, this season reveals nature in another light and its finest apparel.

Walkers, hikers, cyclists, kayakers, horseback riders and others will thoroughly enjoy fall either on trails at Mont Sainte-Anne, at the Parc de la Chute-Montmorency, or while experiencing the spectacular Jacques-Cartier Valley or River and Portneuf region.

Fall is the start of hunting season. Outfitters, wildlife reserves and controlled zones (ZEC) open up to all kinds of visitors. They head for the outdoors shouldering rifles or carrying fishing rods, out to test their skills and bring back stories to tell next to the fire when winter comes.

Red is the colour of the apples just waiting to be picked in the many orchards throughout the area… One of the best family activities! The Île d'Orléans, home to poet Félix Leclerc, is truly a little paradise for anyone who loves countryside.

Fall Festivals invade most vacation centres in the area. Against a backdrop of red with a touch of golden yellow, a warm welcome is extended to cyclists and hikers out to enjoy the fresh air during the last beautiful days of fall with family or friends everyone is feeling their best!

Red is also the colour of Indian summer. With winter just around the corner, a respite of a few days covers the area with the tender caress that the warm weather offers as a farewell gesture. Dressed lightly, we wish, just for a moment, that fall would last forever.

My Country...it's WINTER! Gilles Vigneault, one of Québec's well known poets and singers, described our country with these words: "My country is not a country, it is winter..." For many people, this phrase depicts Québec City quite well; as a matter of fact, it is often referred to as the Snow Capital. Quebeckers learned, a long time ago, that physical activity was the best way to fight off the cold. With the first signs of winter, the Québec City region becomes a vast playground and everyone is anxious to take up their winter activities again. Residents are fond of original outdoor winter activities: snow rafting, ice fishing, dog sledding, sleigh riding and ice climbing are an integral part of Québec's winter scene. This is how we transform winter into unforgettable experiences.

Some of our ski slopes are visible from the Old City. Be it for international competitions, night skiing or a simple family outing, visitors keep coming back. To skiers' delight, our region enjoys an exceptional natural snowfall. The average yearly snowfall reaches 342 cm (135 inches). Only thirty minutes from downtown, three downhill ski centers await ski buffs and nature lovers. In the Québec City area, some thirty cross-country ski centers offer over 200 trails for a total of 1700 km (1000 miles) of winter scenery. Beginners and experts alike will find many challenging trails.

Making friends with winter: some prefer to go skating at Place d'Youville rink, in the heart of the Old City nearby the St-Jean Gate, or on the Dufferin Terrace, next to the Château Frontenac.

Snowmobiling is another exciting and popular way to discover the wilderness of our forest and mountains. The Québec region reckons 1512 km (940 miles) of trails integrated to the provincial Trans-Québec circuit, allowing travellers to discover the surrounding countryside.

The Québec City Area is the ideal place to spend the Christmas holidays. After all, it has got everything: snow, Christmas carollers, Christmas trees, Nativity scenes, stars, Yule logs and Midnight mass. It is just like the Christmas we saw in our childhood picture books that our parents read to us in front of a warm fire.

Giant decorations and lights that shine like stars in the night sky adorn almost every street in the area. Christmas trees are set up in front of houses, boutiques and buildings. The trees themselves are decorated with multi-coloured Christmas lights. Nativity scenes are everywhere and the sound of singing fills the air. Smiles are bigger, arms open wider. And the snow gives everyone the luxury of a beautiful white carpet on Christmas Eve. Christmas is also the time to feast on good things (and lots of them!). Traditional recipes fill the menu: meat pies or tourtières, pâtés, stews or ragoûts, cipaille (a marvellous game pie), desserts and other treats to reward children who have been good... and everyone else! Churches overflow as everyone meets for the Midnight Mass, just as in the past... even those who are not regular churchgoers. Just to hear Ave Maria or Adeste, Fideles is reason enough to attend.

A visit to the Québec City Area during the Christmas season shows you what a White Christmas really is. The magic cannot be explained... only experienced.

Come end of January, every road leads to winter wonderland. From atop his white fortifications, Bonhomme reigns over the merriment. He is the living symbol of winter. Québec Winter Carnival is Rio having lost its compass, and landing in a northern climate. It is samba disguised as rigadoon! The most popular activities taking place during Carnival consist in the international snow sculpting exhibition, the night parades and the canoe race across the frozen St. Lawrence River.

For all these reasons and many others that we leave to you to discover, Québec City is often referred to as the "hottest" city in winter!

Catch the SPRING Fever As soon as temperatures begin to rise and the days start to last longer, a festive atmosphere takes over the whole population! Spring skiing, maple syrup treats and the return of the snow geese are favourite signs of this season. Smiles, joie de vivre and a zest for life are just the obvious signs.

Maple syrup delights are another enjoyable attraction during this season. Near mid-March, when the days get warmer but the nights are still cold, the sap in the maple trees starts to rise. This maple water is boiled down to syrup, sugar, butter and taffy. During the maple syrup season, you can enjoy an experience that will really give you an authentic taste of life in Québec! To recreate a real country atmosphere, traditional music is played while maple syrup is used as an ingredient in all kinds of recipes and hot maple taffy is poured onto fresh snow to cool. Don't miss this taste of fun! After a long winter, spring in all its glory bursts forth. Rushing meltwater breaks up the ice that jammed the rivers. Let yourself be carried away by the energy all around you. Experience the renewal of life in spring in the Québec City Area.

In every season, people of the Québec City area are delighted to share their joie de vivre with visitors.