QC
62
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 (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
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
234-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).
Wedge Hills Lodge, nestled on the shores
of the mythical George River, now offers
excursions leaving the lodge by float plane to
explore the Torngat Mountains—the natural
border between Nunavik, Québec and
Labrador. Explore and photograph this
territory known as the Golden Peninsula by
fat bike, packraft and/or hiking, or a
combination of it all—from the comfort of
the lodge, where you can also catch some
pretty impressive Atlantic salmon
(www.wedgehillslodge.com/tours).
A fishing outfitting camp, Inukshuk Lodge
has been offering amazing adventures fishing
for Arctic char on Ungava Bay and now also
offers opportunities to discover wildlife—
namely polar bears—and get familiar with the
northern landscape and its inhabitants along
the coast of Ungava Bay while taking part in
a photography workshop (www.inukshuk
lodge.com).
HERITAGE AND CULTURE
"Cité Mémoire" is an interactive way to
learn about the history of Montréal. Also in
Charlevoix use a free mobile app that
guides users through points of interest. It
includes daytime and nighttime scenarios,
with short movies projected on buildings,
streets and trees (www.montrealenhis
toires.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
Year-round, chic prevails in Old Montréal's
clubs, trendy bistros and the free-spirited
Latin Quarter's cocktail bars. The city teems
with bars, discos, microbreweries, cigar
lounges, cafés and outdoor terraces.
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
SAGUENAY ST. LAWRENCE MARINE PARK • ©GOUVQC/CATHERINE DUBÉ
www.quebecoriginal.com/en-gb/events
Special Events
JANUARY – FEBRUARY
• IGLOOFEST, MONTRÉAL
FEBRUARY
• QUÉBEC WINTER CARNIVAL, QUÉBEC CITY
FEBRUARY – MARCH
• MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE
APRIL
• SAGUENAY JAZZ & BLUES FESTIVAL
JUNE
• CANADIAN FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX,
MONTRÉAL
• GO BIKE MONTRÉAL FESTIVAL
• FRANCOS MONTRÉAL
• KWE! MEET WITH INDIGENOUS PEOPLES,
QUÉBEC CITY
• MURAL FESTIVAL, MONTRÉAL
JUNE – JULY
• MONTRÉAL INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL
JULY
• MONTRÉAL COMPLÈTEMENT CIRQUE
FESTIVAL
• QUÉBEC CITY SUMMER FESTIVAL
• TREMBLANT INTERNATIONAL BLUES
FESTIVAL
JULY – AUGUST
• LE FESTIVAL DE LANAUDIÈRE
AUGUST
• OSHEAGA, MONTRÉAL
• FIRST PEOPLES FESTIVAL, MONTRÉAL
• FOLK MUSIC FESTIVAL, TREMBLANT
• LASSO MONTRÉAL
• MONTRÉAL PRIDE
• NEW FRANCE FESTIVAL, QUÉBEC CITY
• TENNIS: NATIONAL BANK OPEN, MONTRÉAL
SEPTEMBER
• GATINEAU HOT AIR BALLOON FESTIVAL
