You know you have found Christmas when there is a shop that is dedicated only to the holiday. Open every day of the year, except Christmas Day, this shop is several floors of wonderful decorations. Decoration and Christmas are fine arts in Old Quebec City, the provincial capitol of Quebec and a United Nations World Heritage site. Last year, I found myself longing for that “Christmas feeling,” as the holiday itself slipped by me. It wasn’t until two days after the big day that I found a a series of wonderful videos (see link below) on Quebec City at Christmas. I immediately decided I wanted to go there for the holidays, and this year I did.
The Chateau Frontenac, named for the first governor of New France, the Count of Frontenac, was actually built by the Canadian Pacific Railroad in 1893. It was designed from the beginning to be a grand hotel of the kind that would appeal to the patrons of long-distance, luxury railroad travel. Quebec City, itself, was founded in 1608, a date celebrated in the Frontenac, which is now a Fairmont Hotel, in its 1608 Bar, a fine place to taste some Quebecois wine and/or Romeo gin, also from Quebec. The 1608 makes a very good dry martini.
While there was no snow during my visit, a blessing when I had to navigate Côte de la Montagne street (Side of the Mountain St.) and the Escalier Casse Cou (Break Neck Stairs), on any visit to the Frontenac, where many a tourist stops to get warmed up, one could enjoy the virtual snowfall projected onto the elevators. The city shows its charms in its lively Christmas markets, where all kinds of local products and foods are sold. There are puppet shows for the children, vin chaud (hot wine) for the adults, and various choral groups that sing carols in the streets. After a visit to the very modern Museum of Civilization, I happened upon a crowd that was cheering on a highwire performer (yes, without a net), as he did a headstand, seemingly without fear of falling to the cobblestone street below!
Pictured here: Break Neck Stairs, View from Funicular, and a Tightrope Walker
Quebec City is a very walkable city though it is built upon a high plateau. In the Haute Ville, the upper city, dominated by the Chateau Frontenac, one can find plenty to do, and many fine places to eat. Three Christmas markets line the streets that are themselves full of shops. My favorite little side street is La Rue du Tresor (The Street of the Treasure) which is lined with art work. The artists along this street put their work outside, making a delightful display for those passing by.
La Rue du Tresor with its open air art galleries
As I traveled downhill to the lower city to find the wonderfully modern and beautifully designed Musée de la Civilization, I discovered an area full of fine art galleries on Sault du Matelot (Sailor’s Jump). Of course, as seems to be the custom, they were nicely decorated for the season.
Sault du Matelot on the way to ehe Musée de la Civilization is full of art galleries.
On the hill with the Frontenac are a number of prestigious old chateaux. Most have been wisely converted into hotels. I stayed at such a one, the Hotel Nomad (featured also in the Walking Alice video mentioned below). The old building has been delightfully converted into a charming space that is filled with its own artistic touches. One of my favorites is how they preserved this 18th century sofa by suspending it at an angle and enclosing it in a giant picture frame. The charms of the place do not stop there, as you can see in the photos below. This is added to by a warm, friendly, and helpful staff.
The charming environment of the Hotel Nomad, with a French spiral staircase, held many delights. My room had a wild animal theme and bedside tables made from old suitcases, plus all the normal conveniences. The big red chair at the reception area was always a welcome place to put on the heavy coat needed for those freezing temperatures.
So where is the food and wine?
I hear you. I must admit that while I had some excellent food and wine, I did not in my short stay in Old Quebec have time to do a lot of wine tasting. (I dream of doing that on a summertime trip.) However, for those who think that Quebec has no wine culture, au contraire mes chers amis! In the Eastern Township area, one finds L’Orpailleur Winery, started in 1982 and open year round for tastings. Côte d’Ardoise is literally a route through an area of 25 vineyards that produce red, white, rose, and ice wines.
This lovely dish was served up at the 1640 Restaurant, a great place to stop on a day that was -2 degees Farenheit, and is in the upper city near the Frontenac. I had a grilled pork chop covered in goat cheese which rested on a bed of vegetables: asperagus, carrots, red pepper, baby bok choy, and scalloped potatoes in a sauce with a touch of white wine. The wine I drank was Canadian, a Pinot Grigio from Sandbank Estates in Prince Edward Island. My food delights continued daily with grilled salmon and fabulously fresh salad, and the seafood classic you see below.
Of course when it came to sitting out in an outdoor patio in a balmy 19 degrees Farenheit, I went for the vin chaud, hot wine, made in the Côte de l’Ardoise area in Quebec. The outdoor patios have fire installations, the flames of which keep you warm while you relax with that hot wine.
Ways to warm up: Museum of Civilization with red chairs around a warming station, at the Tresor de la Rue restaurant outdoor patio, and just on the street.
So I will end this little tour of Old Quebec at Christmastime by saying that it is a delight. I am sure that is true in other seasons as well; however, Christmas is really special. I’ll sign off with my favorite dessert and a Merry Christmas salute!
Creme brulée and Marjorie having a good time in Old Quebec. Merry Christmas!
Photos used in this post are ones taken by me on my recent winter vacation to Quebec City.
For some excellent videos on Christmas in Quebec, look at these by Walking Alice and there was snow. youtube.com
Of Art and Wine affiliates with Bluehost.com and CellarsWineClub.com and may earn from qualifying purchases.
©marjorie vernelle 2022
Coming Soon: The Magic Skies of Tiepolo, Smooth as Venetian Soave.
Certainly the grand works of this 18th century master of Venetian painting are a wonder to see, and best served with an essential wine from the Veneto, Soave.
Dear Marjorie,
Thank you so much for this exciting content about our city and Hôtel Nomad. We are thrilled that you have appreciated your stay in our fantastic city and our property and staff. We hope you will return to visit us during the summer to experiment with other activities and especially do a wine-tasting tour on the Ile d’Orleans.
For your readers, I would like to add some extra information about your room. You stayed in one of our two Standard rooms. In summer, these rooms also have a private deck overlooking the roof of the old Quebec city. These cozy rooms are proposed at a reasonable rate all year long and a perfect choice for a Quebec getaway
I loved my stay in Old Quebec City and the Hotel Nomad helped make it perfect. Hope to see you again this year.