Central Quebec
Central Quebec
Central Quebec is the heartland of Quebec. It contains the capital of the province, Quebec City, and some of the prime agricultural land in the province.
Regions
literally the "Centre of Quebec"
on the south side of the St. Lawrence River, near Quebec City
northeast of Quebec City along the St. Lawrence River
the St. Maurice River valley, west of Quebec City
Quebec City and its suburbs on the north side of the St. Lawrence River
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Cities
- Drummondville — "Quebec's Capital of Expression and Traditions", with attractions focusing on culture, past and present
- Quebec City — a beautiful walled city founded in 1608 offering history, architecture, cuisine, and winter fun
- Saint-Georges — the main centre of the Beauce region
- Shawinigan — features a theme park based on local industrial history
- Trois-Rivières — paper-milling town at the mouth of the St. Maurice River with several historical sites to see
Other destinations
- Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre — an easy day-trip from Quebec City to visit the historic basilica
Understand
Get in
Jean Lesage International Airport IATA: YQB near Québec City is the region's main airport, with flights from destinations across Canada, the United States, Central America, Mexico, the Caribbean and Europe.
Quebec City has Via Rail service from Ottawa, Montréal, Moncton and Halifax,
Intercar and Orleans Express offer province-wide bus services.
By car, from Montreal, Autoroutes 40 or 20 (north and south side of the St. Lawrence, respectively) are the direct but dull routes, while Route 138, the Chemin du Roy, is a more scenic route along the north bank of the river. From the Maritime Provinces, New Brunswick's Highway 2 connects to Quebec Route 85 into the region.
Get around
The road network across the region is generally good. Intercar and Orleans Express offer bus services within the region. Train service is only useful for getting between Quebec City and Ste-Foy.
See
Quebec City is the star of the region. Its 17th-century old town, the historic city, the rougher lower town, its museums, galleries, shopping and restaurants provide a wide range of activities for visitors.
The Montmorency Falls are spectacular waterfalls east of Quebec City that are 1½ times higher than Niagara Falls.
The Grosse-Île National Historic Site was a quarantine station for Irish fleeing the Great Potato Famine of the 1840s. It is a National Historic Site.
The Gardens of the Four Winds (Les Quartre Vents), in La Malbaie, Charlevoix, is one of the finest residential gardens in North America.
Do
In late August, the Festival de la Poutine in Drummondville offers concerts, and celebrates poutine, a Canadian dish of Quebecois origin. The basic dish is a mess of French fries, gravy, and cheese curds.
Sugaring off in early spring in the centrepiece of the maple syrup harvest. Visit a cabane à sucre or the Festival beauceron de l'Érable (Beauce maple festival) in late March.
The Chemin du Roy makes a great drive along 102 km of shoreline of the St-Lawrence from Maskinongé to Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pérade, passing by 23 attractions and 14 points of interest.
The Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières in early August is the largest motor racing event to be held on an urban circuit in the Americas.
There are lots of outdoor activities in La Mauricie National Park and the region's many other national parks, including hiking, skiing, snowshoeing, canoeing, fishing.
Eat and drink
As an agricultural region, there are lots of opportunities to sample local products, especially dairy, meat, fruits and vegetables. Check the sub-regional and city articles for details. Maple syrup, sugar and other !maple products are particularly important in the Beauce region, which produces a large share of the world's maple products.