Enjoying Quebec City In The Winter

Much To Enjoy In Quebec City In The Winter 

We took the train to Quebec City in the winter.  In the past, we stopped in Quebec City on summer road trips to Eastern Canada.  We usually had a quick stay and saw very little.  Although one year, we enjoyed a visit to the Montmorency Falls.  On this trip we planned enough time to really enjoy the things to see and do in Quebec City.

A great stay at the Quebec City Marriott Downtown provided the perfect base to explore the Old City and venture down to the charming Petit Champlain under the ramparts of the city.  One day we planned a relaxing day at the Strom Nordic Spa.  And on another day, we did a day trip to the Village Vacances Valcartier  and enjoyed the Ice Hotel at Hotel De Glace.  A perfect 5 day getaway in Quebec City.

On our way back by train, a short stop in Ottawa finished up our trip.

Taking The Train To Quebec City

When we visited Europe we often planned lots of train travel.  Sadly the train routes in Canada were not quite as plentiful.  But when we travelled in the winter, the train offered a relaxing way to go.  

For our visit to Quebec City, we checked the time and cost to fly.  And were reminded how expensive short haul air travel was in Canada.  ViaRail offered both a military discount that David could use and a senior discount for train travel.  So when we priced our trip by train to Quebec, it was significantly cheaper even booking in Business Class.  And we had some good memories of other VIA Rail Business Class trips.

While train travel was cheaper, it took us much longer.  But it still was about the same time it would take to drive – even assuming no winter weather or traffic delays!  We set the alarm and were at the Toronto Union Station before 6am for our long travel day.

A short stop in the Business Class lounge got us coffee to start the day.  And then breakfast was served on the train as the sun came up over Lake Ontario.

Business Class on ViaRail provided bigger seats, good wifi and plugs at the seat.  So it was easy to work while the scenery rolled past.  We pulled into Montreal on time to change trains and left again on time.  But the next leg of our train trip to Quebec City was delayed several times as we pulled over to let 4 different freight trains pass.  We were sure glad that did not happen on the first leg when we might have missed our connection!

As we moved into Quebec we finally saw some snow on the ground and ice on the waterways.  Crossing the St Lawrence River gave us a view of floating ice.  But the weather forecast for our 5 days in Quebec City was so varied we were not sure how much real winter weather we would experience.

Taking the train was an easy way to start our visit to Quebec City in the winter.

Arriving In Quebec City

Our train arrived in Quebec City almost 30 minutes late.  A walk through this lovely train station took us back in time.  We did not want to dawdle but we could not miss stopping to admire this unique train station.

After about 10 hours on a train, we really needed to stretch our legs.  Apple Maps showed our hotel a mere 18 minutes walk away.  A small indicator showed an incline in the walk.  But we ignored the warning and started on our way to the hotel.  

When we hit the roadway heading up the hill, we were not sure that was the right way so we kept to the lower ground.  Only to find we then had to do about 100 steps to get up to the old town.  It was definitely one way to get some exercise after sitting for most of the day.

As we hit the Place D’Youville we got our first glimpse of the charming city of Quebec.  And a reminder why this city was such a European treat in Canada.  We saw the Porte Saint-Jean gate into the old town and the skaters on the rink.  A great first sight on our visit to Quebec City in the winter.

A Sweet Suite With A View

When we arrived at the Quebec City Marriott Downtown we were greeted warmly with European charm.  The lobby had several spots with fireplaces. We admired the stunning chandelier and the stained glass art.

The concierge Germaine had already sent us some suggestions for our first night in town.  We arrived in our upgraded suite to a nice welcome amenity. We always loved the benefits we got with our Marriott Bonvoy Elite status.

The Executive Suite we got provided lots of room to enjoy for our 5 day stay in Quebec City.  I was delighted that it even had a soaking tub to help warm me up after exploring the city in the cold.

The view from the room looked out over the Place D’Youville. It was a great view to draw us out to explore Quebec City in the winter.

Wandering Around Upper Quebec City

To wander around the Old Town in Quebec City, we went under the Porte Saint-Jean and down along Rue Saint-Jean.  There was so much to see and such history to discover. We stopped at the Basilica Cathedral Notre Dame de Quebec but left quickly when a mid-day church service was in progress.

High over the St Lawrence River, we wandered around the Dufferin Terrace. The iconic Fairmont Chateau Frontenac was a prominent sight on the boardwalk. The monument to Samuel de Champlain kept watch over the city he founded. As the weather changed during our stay in Quebec City we got different views of this statue.

We wandered along the promenade and looked out over the ice St Lawrence River.  Across the river was the smaller town of Levis.  We saw the ferry as it struggled to cross the icy channel.

Along the promenade we came to the Toboggan Slide.  The run started high up a set of stairs under the Citadelle.  After paying for your tickets, you grabbed a toboggan and dragged it up the stairs to the top of the run.  And then riders headed down the toboggan channels for a fun ride.  The day we arrived the weather warmed up and we caught views of the last toboggan runs for the season.

After we wandered along the top of the St Lawrence River, we walked along under the Citadelle.  Exiting the Old Town at the St Louis Gate, we found the Parliament Buildings . And the Kent Gate that went back into the Old Town Quebec City.

We walked in and out of the gates to wander in the Old Town on our visit to Quebec City in the winter.

Enjoying A Relaxing Experience At Strom Nordic Spa

When we visited Collingwood north of Toronto in the winter, we enjoyed a day at the Scandinave Nordic Spa.  So when we learned that the Strom Nordic Spa had a location in Quebec City it was high on our list to visit.  The challenge was picking the right day.  The Quebec City forecast started with sunshine, went to rain, plunged to incredibly cold temperatures and then returned to sunshine.  We finally decided the milder rainy day would be much better than the arctic cold day.  And we were so right!

We took a cab to the spa and arrived shortly after opening at 9am with massages booked for 11:30.  The facility was located right on the banks for the St Lawrence River.  Many of the pools had views out over the icy river below.

We were given robes and locker keys.  One of the spa packages included a logo item from the spa and we were amused to find hats and toques with fuzzy pompoms.  And many people at the spa actually wore winter hats as they moved around.

We learned on our spa day in Collingwood that we really wanted to relax before our massages.  We spent a few hours going from large hot pools to saunas with a a relaxing stop at the infrared gravity chairs.  The cold winter wind was not blocked as it swept over the St Lawrence River.  That was chilling enough as we wandered from pool to pool that we avoided the cold plunges on this spa visit.

Just before our booked massage we went indoors and changed for our massage.  The couples massage was probably a bit easier with our muscles already warm.

Our relaxing morning at the Strom Nordic Spa was a treat on our visit to Quebec City in the winter.

Lunch With A View At The Spa

There were several different packages available for the spa visit.  And we found the mid-week the discount was pretty good.  We bought the Weekday Serenity Package and got our thermal visit, a massage and lunch.  When we checked in, our lunch spot was booked after our massage.  

The Le Nord Restaurant at the spa had lots of tables and we had a great view out over the spa and the St Lawrence River.  We learned that only spa guests could eat at this busy restaurant.  Most people just ate in their robes and then returned to the spa.  We were done for the day so changed before we went for lunch.  

Since we did not know what to expect, we were pleasantly surprised with the great choices we got for our meal package.  We added drinks but had no room left for dessert after our meal.

A healthy lunch was a great way to finish our Strom Nordic Spa visit in Quebec City in the winter.

Visiting The Hotel de Glace (Ice Hotel) In Valcartier

We chose the rainy day for our spa visit so that meant our visit to the Hotel de Glace was on the day when the temperatures plummeted to a “feels like” temperature of about -28C (-18F).  When we got to the site, the indoor areas were at -10C.

Our Unitour package included the round trip bus ticket from Quebec City and a ticket to tour the Hotel de Glace.  The bus dropped us off at the Village Vacances Valcartier.  This massive amusement park offered different things in summer and winter.  But on this visit we just visited to explore the Hotel de Glace. 

Each year the ice hotel was designed with a different theme which made each visit a unique experience.  The Hotel de Glace property had 3 different buildings.  We first looked at the Chapel which could be booked for engagements or wedding ceremonies.

We then moved from room to room around the main public space.  As we explored, we found amazing ice designs, colour and music.  A bar in the centre provided tasty drinks for us.  And David even tried out the ice slide for more fun.

The designs in the Hotel de Glace fascinated us.  An artistic treat on our visit to Quebec City in the winter.

The Icy Hotel Rooms To Rent

The hotel portion of the Hotel de Glace offered a stunning view into design in ice.  Moving from room to room, we found such creativity in the different rooms.  A few of the rooms we checked out were quite simple with single, double or triple beds.  But the artistic designs in the suites really drew our attention.  

Even the walls in the hotel were decorated with ice carvings.  We found interesting designs everywhere we looked.

It often felt like we were in an ice art gallery as we explored the halls and rooms in the Hotel de Glace .  We were definitely very happy we planned our visit to this fascinating site on our trip to Quebec City in the winter.

Exploring The Charming Petit Champlain

When we walked around the Dufferin Terrace, we looked down and got our first glimpse of the old charming streets of Petit Champlain.  A funicular ride went up and down the hill if we did not want to walk. But we followed the streets down and took the steep Breakneck Stairs down.

We enjoyed slow strolling along the streets of Petit Champlain. Along the way, we found interesting local shops. And a colourful mural on one building caused us to stop.

We found fire pits colourfully decorated for the season.  Fires were lit and we stopped to warm up as we wandered the streets.  

No trip to Quebec City was really complete without wandering through the charming Petit Champlain area.  We were glad we did not miss this on our stay in Quebec City in the winter.

Eating And Drinking Our Way Around Quebec City

One of the great benefits of Marriott Bonvoy Elite status was free breakfast.  It meant we did not have to wander out and search for breakfast first thing in the day.  The buffet at the Quebec City Marriott Downtown was plentiful and the chef cooked up an omelette to order.  

When we really did not want to wander far, the menu at the Que Sera Sera Restaurant in the hotel offered some good local choices.  Our first taste of French onion soup made with red ale was an interesting discovery.  We enjoyed our long chats with the waiter Cedric.  He created a great seasonal cocktail menu that we had to sample.  And Cedric provided some ideas for places to eat and drink around town.

Our concierge Germaine always had great suggestions for places to eat.  Lunch at Alphonse in a former Desjardins Caisse Popular bank building lived up to the expectations.  And it was fun to see the bank artifacts that still remained. 

When we explored the Petit Champlain area, we booked a reservation at Le Lapin Sauté and found many different dishes on the menu.  Of course we had rabbit (or “lapin” in French)!

When we wandered around Quebec City we found lots of local food choices.  And many maple syrup varieties.  We could not pass on a chance to try the Mary’s Popcorn recommended by our bus driver.  It reminded us of the Garrett’s Popcorn we became addicted to on a visit to Chicago.

It was not hard to eat and drink our way around Quebec City.  The extra cold temperatures kept us closer to the hotel on our visit to Quebec City in the winter.  So we knew we missed many other great eating spots.  And I know I will want to visit the Maison Livernois on a return visit to check out the 200 different gins!

A Short Stop In Ottawa

On the way to Quebec City, our Via Rail train made a short stop in Montreal for us to change trains.  The route returning to Toronto took us through Montreal and then through Ottawa.  It was a much longer travel day.  So we decided to get off the train in Ottawa for a few days before we returned home.

We chose to stay at the Westin Ottawa to be within walking distance of the downtown area.  We visited Ottawa many times so we had nothing high on our list of things to see. The hotel was right beside the Rideau Canal.  Even though we missed planning our visit for the fun Winterlude Festival, we hoped to find the Rideau Canal frozen.  But strange weather patterns this year left the ice thin and wet.

We were always delighted to find another iconic Fairmont hotel on our travels in Canada.  After seeing the Fairmont Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City, we wandered around the Fairmont Chateau Laurier in Ottawa and checked out the design.  We were a bit disappointed we did not plan a short break for Afternoon Tea at either of these lovely locations. We had such fond memories of the iconic Afternoon Tea at the Fairmont Empress in Victoria, BC.

The ByWard Market was a short walk from our hotel.  We always loved the choice of restaurants in this area.  And the local treats too.  Wandering around the area we also found a few pieces of colourful street art. 

We were glad we broke up our long travel day with a short stop in Ottawa when we visited Quebec City in the winter.

We Enjoyed Our Visit To Quebec City In The Winter 

Visiting Quebec City in the winter was on our travel wish list for some time.  We were so delighted with our first longer visit and know we will be back.

Our charming hotel was in the perfect location to explore the old part of Quebec City including our first exploration of Petit Champlain.  A relaxing spa day at the Strom Nordic Spa and a day trip to Hotel de Glace Ice Hotel in Valcartier rounded out our great experiences on this trip.  We sampled the great food and drink this very European city offered.  But we knew there was much more to discover.

Did you enjoy Quebec City in the winter?  What was your favourite thing to see or do?

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