QC
66
(www.mont-tremblant.ca/en/what-to-
do/f/199/velan-astronomy-pavillion-
domaine-saint-bernard).
Campers can bring dogs along to certain
Québec national parks, with the exception
of the Anticosti and Île-Bonaventure-et-du-
Rocher-Percé national parks (www.sepaq.com/
animaux/).
Two-wheelers take to "la Route verte," a
5,300-km (3,293-mi.) web of cycling and
multi-use paths that criss-cross the
province, creating the largest cycling
network in North America.
Spectacular sightlines are the norm at
about 300 Québec public golf courses. One of
the most challenging is Le Géant at Mont-
Tremblant, a master's 18-hole championship
course carved out of the Laurentian landscape.
Chemins d'Eau is a tourist route
dedicated to the Ottawa River (the province's
longest river), retracing the steps of the First
Nations, explorers and wood barons
(www.tourismeoutaouais.com).
In the Laurentian Mountains, north of
Montréal, Le P'tit Train du Nord Linear Park
is a former railroad track converted into a
232-km (144-mi.) level biking and walking
trail—and a cross-country skiing, fat biking
or snowmobiling trail in winter—between
Saint-Jérôme and Mont-Laurier (www.lauren
tides.com/en). Or ride a panoramic gondola
to the summit of Mont-Tremblant.
Whale watching from Tadoussac, Baie-
Sainte-Catherine and Rivière-du-Loup, gets
visitors close to nature with sightings of minke,
humpback and even the rare blue whale, as do
boat cruises from the tip of the Gaspé Peninsula
to the seabird sanctuary at Bonaventure Island
(www.quebecmaritime.ca).
Nova Lumina is a 1.5-km (0.9-mi.)
multimedia nighttime seaside walk under
the starry skies at Chandler in the Gaspésie,
where the land meets the sky (www.bourg
depabos.com/en/nova-lumina).
Explore the breathtaking landscapes of
Tursujuq National Park, on the Hudson Bay
coast. Try a nine-day adventure cross-country
skiing while sharing the Inuit way of life in their
traditional tupik (tent). It Includes immersion in
the community of Umiujaq and a guided
snowmobile excursion to Nastapoka Falls
(www.nunavikparks.ca/en/parks/tursujuq).
Ulittaniujalik National Park is a newer park
in Nunavik, Québec's far north region, offering
opportunities to embark on a canoe-camping
expedition down the legendary George River. It
also provides a sanctuary for caribou calving
grounds (www.nunavikparks.ca/en/parks/
ulittaniujalik).
HERITAGE AND CULTURE
Montréal has designed a unique way for
anyone with a good helping of curiosity and
an interest in heritage to learn about the city.
"Montréal en Histoires" is an interactive way
to play with history and test knowledge
using a free mobile app that guides users
through some 100 points of interest. The
project includes daytime and nighttime
scenarios, including short movies projected
on buildings, streets and trees through Old
Montréal (www.montrealenhistoires.com).
Québec City is the only walled city north
of Mexico, a UNESCO World Heritage site
and a textbook of 17
th
and 18
th
century
architecture. Begin with a visit to Battlefields
Park, also known as the Plains of Abraham,
the site of pivotal clashes between French
and English forces (www.ccbn-nbc.gc.ca).
Catch the view from Dufferin Terrace over-
looking the St. Lawrence River, or stop for tea
at Le Château Frontenac, one of the world's
most photographed hotels (www.quebec-
cite.com/en).
THE GREAT OUTDOORS
Outdoor enthusiasts can soak up Québec's
untamed wilderness by visiting the
province's numerous parks. With thousands
of crystal-clear lakes and an impressive
range of wildlife, they are idyllic for camping,
canoeing, fishing, cycling, mountain biking
and hiking. In winter, the guarantee of snow
creates a paradise for downhill and cross-
country skiing, dogsledding and snow-
shoeing (www.sepaq.com).
Every August the sky becomes a canvas for
the shooting stars of the Perseid meteor showers
and the Velan astronomy pavilion at Domaine
Saint-Bernard offers regular stargazing sessions
SAGAMITÉ RESTAURANT, OLD QUÉBEC • INDIGENOUS TOURISM QUÉBEC / AUDET PHOTO
www.quebecoriginal.com/en-gb/events
Special Events
JANUARY – FEBRUARY
• IGLOOFEST, MONTRÉAL
• MONTRÉAL SNOW FESTIVAL
FEBRUARY
• MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE
• QUÉBEC WINTER CARNIVAL, QUÉBEC CITY
APRIL
• SAGUENAY JAZZ & BLUES FESTIVAL
JUNE
• CANADIAN FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX,
MONTRÉAL
• GO BIKE MONTRÉAL FESTIVAL
• KWE! MEET WITH INDIGENOUS PEOPLES,
QUÉBEC CITY
• LES FRANCOFOLIES DE MONTRÉAL
JUNE – JULY
• MONTRÉAL INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL
JULY
• JUST FOR LAUGHS FESTIVAL, MONTRÉAL
• MONTRÉAL CIRQUE FESTIVAL
• QUÉBEC CITY SUMMER FESTIVAL
• TREMBLANT INTERNATIONAL BLUES
FESTIVAL
JULY – AUGUST
• LE FESTIVAL DE LANAUDIÈRE
AUGUST
• FIRST PEOPLES FESTIVAL, MONTRÉAL
• INTERNATIONAL INDIGENOUS
PRESENCE FESTIVAL
• MONTRÉAL PRIDE
• NEW FRANCE FESTIVAL, QUÉBEC CITY
• ROGERS CUP, MONTRÉAL
SEPTEMBER
• GATINEAU HOT AIR BALLOON FESTIVAL
