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Why People Fall In Love With Québec City
10/23/2019
Contrary to popular belief, Québec does not only bring an old European city to mind, but rather has its own distinct French-Canadian flavour unlike anything you can find in Europe. Québec looks and feels fabulous in many ways. I know quite a few people who aren't big fans of Montreal, but not a single person who wouldn't fall in love with Québec after visiting it. Even in the middle of winter, when it's freezing cold outside and there is a real chance of getting frostbite, Québec somehow manages to attract busy crowds for its world famous winter carnival. Mesdames et messieurs, make the acquaintance of Québec, one of my favourite places in Canada!
You will find a plenty of reasons to fall in love with Québec.
For starters, Québec is the oldest permanent settlement in Canada. The city celebrated its 400th anniversary in 2008.
One of the greatest figures in the Canadian history and "The Father of New France" - Samuel de Champlain - set sails from Honfleur in France to Canada to found Québec in 1608.
Located on top of a hill, Québec seemed like a perfect place to establish a permanent trading post as it offered a natural protection from potential invaders. Two hundred years later, Québec's citadel would only reinforce its military status.
By the way, Old Québec is the only city in Canada completely surrounded by walls. This earned the city a UNESCO World Heritage Site designation in 1985.
When the French arrived to Québec in July 1608, little did they know what their first winter would be like. The aftermath was deadly: 20 out of 28 men didn't make it in the first year.
Today, people in Québec seem to get along with winters. They certainly don't mind over 3 m / 130 inch of snow and that it normally melts by mid-May. Brr.
I personally find that people in rigid climates not only appreciate a good weather, but almost celebrate it. That's why Québec explodes with life during its prime summer season.
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Food is another reason people fall in love with Québec.
It ranges from traditional poutine (fries with chicken gravy), tourtière (meat pies) and crêpes (thin pancakes) to more exquisite cuisine stemmed from France and Ireland, the two largest ethnic groups in Québec province.
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île d'Orléans, just outside the city, supplies juicy strawberries to at least third of the Canadian population. It's late October now, but I can still buy them in my local grocery store in Ottawa.
The word “Kebec” from one of the native languages, Algonquin, translates as "where the river narrows" meaning the Saint Lawrence River. Québec sets off the boundary between the river itself and its estuary, the largest in the world. That's where fresh water starts to mix with salt water.
Québec and its vicinity offer some of the best views of the Canadian nature. The stunning Montmorency Falls holds an indisputable primacy.
What's your number one reason to fall in love with Québec?
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