Must-see attractions in Québec

  • Île Grande Basque

    Québec

    The largest island of the small archipelago off Sept Îles is a pretty spot to spend a day, walking on the 12km of trails or picnicking on the coast…

  • Église St-Roch

    Québec City

    Measuring over 80m long, 34m wide and 46m high (including the steeples), St-Roch is the largest church in Québec City and can seat 1250 people. Begun in…

  • Fonderie Darling

    Old Montréal

    Tucked away in a little-visited corner of Old Montréal, the Darling Foundry hosts avant-garde, often large-scale exhibitions and installations in its two…

  • St-Roch

    Québec City

    Traditionally a working-class district for factory and navy employees, St-Roch has been slowly gentrifying over the past decade or so. On the main artery,…

  • Royal Bank Tower

    Old Montréal

    The most glamorous building along Rue St-Jacques is probably the Royal Bank Building, the city’s tallest building (22 stories) when it was built in 1928…

  • Maison Alcan

    Montréal

    This mélange of four carefully restored 19th- and 20th-century buildings integrates the old Berkeley Hotel and three houses, including the Atholstan House…

  • Mont-Tremblant Village

    The Laurentians

    The village of Mont-Tremblant, some 4km southwest of the Mont-Tremblant Ski Resort, is spread along the shores of pretty Lac Mercier. Here you’ll find…

  • Governor General's Residence

    Québec City

    Located within Québec's Citadelle, this is one of only two residences in the country (the other is Rideau Hall in Ottawa) where Canada's governor-general,…

  • Musée de la Gaspésie

    Gaspé Peninsula

    This museum evokes the peninsula's maritime heritage through traditional exhibits and more contemporary multimedia activities. You might examine artifacts…

  • Orford Musique

    Eastern Townships

    Each summer this renowned music academy, dating back to 1951, hosts the Festival Orford Musique, a celebration of music and art that features more than 60…

  • Musée Redpath

    Montréal

    A Victorian spirit of discovery pervades this old natural-history museum, though you won’t find anything more gruesome than stuffed animals from the…

  • Centre Morrin

    Québec City

    You'd never know from looking at it but this stately early-19th-century stone building held Canada's first modern prison before being converted into…

  • La Cité de l'Or

    Québec

    You don mining gear to go underground in this restored gold mine, which operated from 1935 to 1985 – cool! Actually, it's more than cool – it can get…

  • Fresque des Québécois

    Québec City

    An obligatory photo stop on any tour of the Old Lower Town, this whimsical multistory trompe-l'oeil mural was painted in 1998 by a group of artists from…

  • Frelighsburg

    Eastern Townships

    A few kilometers from the Vermont border, this village makes a pleasant stop along the Eastern Townships Route des Vins (Wine Route). A cluster of stone…

  • Place Jean-Paul-Riopelle

    Old Montréal

    The big draw of this square by the Palais Des Congrès is the fountain that releases a ring of fire (and an ethereal mist) at certain times of year. The…

  • Belvédère Camillien-Houde

    Montréal

    This is the most popular lookout on Mont-Royal thanks to its accessibility and large parking lot. Naturally enough, it’s a magnet for couples once night…

  • Vignoble l’Orpailleur

    Eastern Townships

    One of the province’s oldest and best-known wine producers, l'Orpailleur has a terrific little display on the history of alcohol in Québec, as well as…

  • Musée de l'Accordéon

    Québec

    This small museum gives insights into this giant of the Gallic music scene, with audio and video recordings of different performers and exhibits…

  • Île St-Barnabé

    Québec

    A quiet, forested chunk of sylvan loveliness, cut through with gentle trails, surrounded by lapping, stone-and-sand beaches and inhabited by blue herons…

  • Grotte de St Elzéar

    Gaspé Peninsula

    The almost 500,000-year-old Grotte de St Elzéar is one of Québec's oldest caves. You descend into the cool depths (bring warm clothes) and view the…

  • Bishop's University

    Eastern Townships

    If you're interested in scholarly pursuits, head 5km south from Sherbrooke (or catch bus 2 or 11) to Lennoxville to see the Anglican Bishop's University,…

  • La Domaine Joly de Lotbinière

    Eastern Townships & Mauricie

    This stately museum between Trois-Rivières and Québec City was built for Henri-Gustave Joly de Lotbinière (1849–1908), a premier of Québec. This is one of…

  • Centre Phi

    Old Montréal

    One of Old Montréal's most innovative art incubators, Centre Phi stages thought-provoking exhibitions, embracing a wide range of styles and genres. Four…

  • Musée de la Mémoire Vivante

    Québec

    This fascinating museum explores the culture of Québec (particularly St Jean Port Joli) via exhibits sourced from thousands of community contributions and…

  • Mackenzie King Estate

    Québec

    This was the summer estate of William Lyon Mackenzie King, who was Canada’s prime minister for more than 20 years in the 1920s, late 1930s and early 1940s…

  • Jean Larose Waterfalls

    Québec

    In the summertime, a popular activity is hiking to the Jean Larose Waterfalls, one of the most beautiful falls in Québec, with a drop height of 68m. You…

  • Parc du Bois-de-Coulonge

    Québec City

    Not far to the southwest of the Plains of Abraham lie the colorful gardens of this park, a paean to the plant world and a welcome respite from downtown…

  • Séminaire de Québec

    Québec City

    Founded in 1663 by Francis-Xavier de Montmorency-Laval, New France's first bishop, and canonized in 2014 as St François de Laval, this Roman Catholic…

  • Parc du Bassin Bonsecours

    Old Montréal

    Perched over the river, the Parc du Bassin Bonsecours is a grassy expanse enclosed by a waterway and crisscrossed with footbridges. In summer you can rent…

  • Les Galets

    Québec

    A cluster of white huts with bright-red roofs, Les Galets huddle together on a windblown peninsula; from a distance, they look like a textbook…

  • La Maison Henry-Stuart

    Québec City

    This handsomely preserved cottage built in 1850 by an upper-middle-class anglophone family contains period furnishings from the early 1900s. Hour-long…

  • La Scala Santa

    Québec

    Among the chapels surrounding Basilique Ste-Anne-de-Beaupré is this attractive wooden one built in 1871. It contains a copy of the Sacred Staircase in…

  • Rue Ste-Catherine Ouest

    Montréal

    Lively Rue Ste-Catherine Ouest is one endless orgy of shops, restaurants, bars and cafes on the hyperactive stretch between Rue Crescent and Rue St-Urbain…

  • Cap de Bon Désir Interpretation Centre

    Québec

    Part science center, part park, this site managed by Parks Canada consists of nature trails, observation platforms that look out onto the (hopefully)…

  • Galeries d’Art Contemporain du Belgo

    Montréal

    More than a decade ago the Belgo building was a run-down haven for struggling artists. It has since earned a reputation as one of Montréal’s most…

  • Obsérvatoire de la Capitale

    Québec City

    Head 221m up to the 31st floor of the Édifice Marie-Guyart for great views of Old Québec, the St Lawrence River and (if it’s clear) even the distant…