Wintertime vacationing means a toss-up between traveling somewhere chilly or heading toward warmer climes.
We’re heading into the depths of winter, and it’s an ideal time to get out of town. Can’t decide whether to embrace the cold or head for the sunshine? Enjoy the best of both worlds!
Bonjour, Quebec.
For a touch of Gallic charm without spending the time or money to fly over an ocean, point yourself north toward Quebec City. This unique walled city on Canada’s St. Lawrence River combines a scenic location, architectural beauty, gourmet dining, fashionable shopping and year-round activities.
It can get downright frigid in Quebec, but for a little more than two weeks every winter, les Quebecois embrace the cold at the annual Quebec Winter Carnival with its host of activities for all ages, from snow baths and ice canoe races to parades, snow slides, giant foosball, snow sculptures, shows, sleigh rides and skating. This year, the carnival will be held from Jan. 27 to Feb. 12, and the theme of the snow sculpture contest will be Canada’s 150th anniversary.
One of the special features of Quebec in the winter and early spring is the Hotel de Glace, or en anglais, the Ice Hotel. Located 30 minutes west of Quebec City, the Ice Hotel is open this year from Jan. 4 to March 26.
To make the Ice Hotel, stainless steel molds are put into place and wooden walls are fixed at a certain distance from the steel molds. Snow is blown between the molds and the wooden walls, completely covering the molds. The metal frames are removed from the structure once the snow has frozen into place, which can take between 10 hours and three days.
Public tours are offered, or you can stay overnight in one of the rooms and suites (sleeping bags are provided to keep you warm on your ice bed). You can even get married in the Ice Chapel. If you’re not adventurous enough to make like Nanook of the North for the night, spend a couple of hours touring the hotel and having a drink at the Ice Bar.
If you prefer creature comforts (like heat!), book a stay at Quebec City’s iconic Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac, first opened in 1893. The hotel, with its distinctive copper roof, is the most photographed landmark in Quebec City. A section of the
original building was rebuilt in 1926 after a fire, and though over the years the hotel has had many changes and additions, they have blended seamlessly into the architecture and design of this grande dame of hotels. If you never left the premises, you’d still find plenty to do, whether shopping, dining or simply wandering around the hotel (guided tours are available) marveling at the details of its grand design. There is also a health club, indoor swimming pool, hot tub and spa in the hotel.
Just outside the Frontenac is the funiculaire, a steeply inclined tram that will take you down (and yes, back up again) to the Quartier Petit-Champlain, the oldest — and arguably liveliest — part of the city. In the 17th century, artisans made their home in this district; in the 19th century, it was the dockworkers. Today, this oldest merchant district in North America has a variety of eclectic
gift shops and restaurants lining the cobblestone streets.
In case you’ve been wondering, oui, they do speak French in Quebec City. But not to worry. Virtually everyone you’ll meet (certainly within shops, restaurants and hotels) also speaks English and, without missing a beat, will switch languages when confronted with a blank stare. It wouldn’t hurt to know a few simple words like bonjour and merci, but you will be just as warmly welcomed as an English-only speaker as you would if you could chatter on for hours en Francais.
If You Go:
Fairmont Chateau Frontenac, http://www.fairmont.com/frontenac-quebec/
Ice Hotel, www.hoteldeglace-Canada.com
Winter Carnival, https://carnaval.qc.ca/home
Quebec Tourism, www.quebecoriginal.com
Next Month: Orlando Without Disney?
Carol Sorgen is a Baltimore-based freelance writer.
All photos are courtesy of Carnaval de Québec.
Filmmaker Justin Schein looks at wealth and inequality through the very real story of his late father.
For 35 years, the late Deborah Brodie, aka Bubbie Cookie, amassed a collection of over 200 Jewish ritual objects, which she used to teach her Hebrew school students with special needs.
Conceived by Columbia resident Benjamin Kintisch, "Life Review: The Hospice Musical" offers a thought-provoking and occasionally amusing perspective on mortality.
Steve Hofstetter, who will perform at Soundstage next week, recently made headlines for his social media post ridiculing some fans' warnings about Charm City's safety.