Every December in the old city of Québec, Canada, German-style Christmas markets spring up in the streets, where vendors sell roasted chestnuts and mulled wine, and the shop windows in Le Quartier Petit Champlain are draped with garlands of ribbon and pine. It’s a magical world, dusted in snow, that rivals even the most elegant capitals of Europe.
In the summertime, I look forward to spending a few brilliant weeks strolling through Paris, exploring the English countryside, or hiking along the cliffs of the Italian Riviera. But in the long, lonely months of winter, a weekend escape to Québec City has become something of a tradition. It is there that I can feel a world away, and yet surprisingly close to home.
Le Château Frontenac
Quartier du Petit Champlain
Quartier du Petit Champlain
Quartier du Petit Champlain
Québec City
Quartier du Petit Champlain
Quartier du Petit Champlain
Québec City
Québec City
Quartier du Petit Champlain
Quartier du Petit Champlain
Quartier du Petit Champlain
Quartier du Petit Champlain
Quartier du Petit Champlain
Quartier du Petit Champlain
Québec City
Quartier du Petit Champlain
Québec City
Québec City
Aux Anciens Canadiens
The Independent Traveler 
These pics are lovely!
Thank you so much! It’s hard to take a bad shot in such a beautiful city, actually.
Quebec is so beautiful. It’s like Europe without the 1,800 flight.
So true! And where else so close to home can you find great Italian gelato, Breton crêpes, and Parisian macarons? Only in Québec.
Yes! If I remember correctly, the pizza was also quite good in a European way.
And the pasta, too. There are some amazing Italian restaurants in Québec City, and even an English pub, as I recall. You really could take a culinary tour of Europe in a single day there. I wish I had one of Paillard’s miniature bûche de Noël to munch on right now… :)
So true! I’m actually not sure why it isn’t a more popular tourist destination for people on the East Coast. I mean I know people visit but you just don’t hear about it as much.