The Région de Québec or Greater Quebec area is in the province of Quebec, and includes the provincial capital city Quebec City and its surrounding rural counties.
Regions
- Portneuf County — a cottage country holiday area for the inhabitants of Quebec City, and a farming district
- Jacques-Cartier — stretching from the northern suburbs of Quebec City up to the Jacques-Cartier National Park
- Côte-de-Beaupré — between Quebec City and the Charlevoix region and along the Saint Lawrence river, it is known for its nature, outdoor sport and its rich heritage witnessing the early days of French colonialism in North America
- Île d'Orléans — the "microcosm of traditional Quebec and as the birthplace of francophones in North America"
Cities
- Quebec City — a beautiful walled city founded in 1608 offering history, architecture, cuisine, and winter fun
- Boischatel — home of the Montmorency Falls
Other destinations
- Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré — an easy day-trip from Quebec City to visit the historic basilica
- Saint-Urbain — a base for exploring the Grands-Jardins National (Quebec) Park which is one of the central areas of the Charlevoix Biosphere Reserve
- Saint-Aimé-des-Lacs — home of the Rodéo de Charlevoix, a country-and-western festival held every June in French
- Laurentides Wildlife Reserve — with over , more than 2000 lakes, and many summits of over 1000 m, it is known by outdoor enthusiasts for hunting and fishing
- Portneuf Wildlife Reserve — Camping du lac Bellevue; fishing for trout, speckled trout, lake trout, Arctic char, splake, and musky
- Château-Richer — here, in 1626, Samuel de Champlain established the first farm in the Saint Lawrence valley, to feed the people of Quebec City
- ZEC de la Rivière-Blanche — berry picking, hunting, fishing, nautical activities (swimming, canoeing, kayaking, boating), mountain biking, snowmobiling, camping, forest expeditions, observation of flora and wildlife,
Understand
Before the European colonization of the Americas, the region was inhabited by the Iroquoians of the St. Lawrence. French explorer Jacques Cartier, during his second trip to North America in 1535, is one of the few witnesses of this Iroquoian occupation. By the middle of the 16th century, some of these people were leaving the St. Lawrence Valley and going west. The Huron-Wendat oral tradition and archaeological research indicate that they migrated mainly to Huronia in what is now Ontario.
During the first decades of colonization of New France, the Huron-Wendat returned to the area. The Jesuit missions attracted different bands near Quebec City, founded in 1608 by Frenchman Samuel de Champlain. Meanwhile, the Huron Confederation was plagued by illness and the war against the Iroquois. In 1650, the survivors of the Huron Massacre arrived in Quebec City, and settled successively on the island of Orleans, in Lorette and finally in Loreto in 1697.
After the British Conquest, the British General James Murray signed a safe conduct that granted the Huron-Wendat the freedom to exercise their customs and their religion.
Soon, the surroundings of Jeune-Lorette were entangled by the colonization of the environs of the city of Quebec. After obtaining several reserves in area, they were pressured to cede them to settlers, and during the 20th century hunting dims, they took refuge at Jeune Lorette to concentrate among other crafts. This village eventually took the name "Wendake".
The population of the Communauté métropolitaine de Québec (CMQ) was about 805,000 people in 2018. It is the second largest metropolitan community in Quebec and the 7th in Canada.
Get in
By plane
Jean Lesage International Airport (IATA: YQB), in Ancienne-Lorette. The only airport in the region is found about 30 minutes north-west from downtown Quebec City. It offers regular flights from cities such as Montreal, Toronto and New York City, and also provides charters to remote areas of the province such as Kuujjuaq, Gaspé and Baie-Comeau.
There is no public transit or hotel shuttles to and from the airport. The taxi fare from Old Quebec to the airport is a flat fee of $30.
By train
A passenger train station is found at the port of Quebec, 450 rue de la Gare du Palais. The Quebec VIA Rail station is a picturesque building, emulating the architectural style of the famed Chateau-Frontenac overlooking the station. The Quebec-Windsor corridor trains run regularly, with stopovers at Montreal and Toronto.
There is another train station is in Ste-Foy, 3255 chemin de la Gare, near the Quebec and Pierre-Laporte bridges. However, public transit does not run there as often as the Quebec station and requires walking for a couple minutes.
By bus
The bus station, Terminus Gare du Palais located at rue de la Gare du Palais, is also found at the old port of Quebec, next to the train station. Intercar and Orleans Express offer services province-wide.
There is another bus station is in Ste-Foy, 3001 chemin des Quatre-Bourgeois, which is easily accessible by city transit.
By car
Quebec City is 2½-3 hours by car from Montreal, taking either Highway 40 or 20 (north and south side of the St. Lawrence, respectively). Both drives are rather monotonous drives through endless forest dotted with farms. For a slower but more interesting tour of Quebec's heartland, drive instead along Highway 138, the Chemin du Roy, which follows the north bank of the river.
Get around
The RTC (Réseau de transport de la Capitale) provides public transportation system in Quebec City, and as far as Ste-Foy, Beauport and Charlesbourg respectively. The STLévis, Lévis's public transit, operates on the south shore of Quebec. There is also a shuttle from St-Augustin to Quebec.
Two bridges (the Quebec Bridge and Pierre Laporte Bridge) and a ferry service connect the city with Lévis and its suburbs along the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River. The Orleans Island Bridge links Quebec City with Orleans Island.
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: 35,000 litres of water per second fall down a height 1½ times greater than Niagara Falls.
- Jacques-Cartier National Park. A provincial park 50 km N of Quebec City that offers 100 km (62 mi) of hiking trails, 30 km of biking trails, kayaking, fishing, canoeing, tubing, snowshoeing and skiing.
- Charlevoix World Biosphere Reserve.
- Parc national des Grands-Jardins.
- Parc national des Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie.
- Réserve faunique des Laurentides.
- Lac Saint-Joseph.
Itineraries
- Le Chemin du Roy (Highway 138). From through Quebec City to Montreal, follows the route of the first road in Québec, for nearly 250km along the north bank of the St. Lawrence River. Cars welcome, but it's an approved bicycle route along almost its entire length, and can be ridden in a day if you are strong. The road is marked with a special sign, a white crown on a blue background. From Beauport, east of Quebec City. The Avenue Royal takes you past some beautiful old houses. After a few days in Quebec City, go through the villages of Cap-Rouge, St-Augustin-de-Desmaures, and Neuville. Consider an excursion about 10 Km north on Hwy 365 to Pont-Rouge and its Site Déry. Back on the Chemin du Roy, pass through Donnacona, Cap-Santé, and Portneuf. Stop in Deschambault and try the pastries at Café Chez Zéphirin. As you continue westward, you may be able to cut over to a road closer to the St. Laurence which has picturesque houses. Continue through Grondines, Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pérade, and Batiscan. There are churches along the way which you can stop to visit. Next is the Mauricie region. Following the town of Champlain, you come to old Trois-Rivières. In addition to its Old Prison, now a museum, Trois-Rivières is the "Capital of Poetry". Visit the Morgane Café, the home-town coffee house, with poetry written on the walls. Just west, at Pointe-du-Lac, there is a pretty view point overlooking Lac St. Pierre. Leaving there, you enter the Lanaudière region, and more countryside. Head through Yamachiche, Saint-Léon-le-Grand, Louiseville, Sainte-Ursule, Maskinongé, Saint-Barthélemy, Saint-Cuthbert, Berthierville, Lanoraie, Lavaltrie, Saint-Sulpice. Consider a northward excursion to L'Assomption. As you approach Montreal, you pass through Repentigny, which is not much of a tourist destination but is the fastest growing suburb in the province. Cross a small bridge onto the Isle of Montreal, and Highway 138 enters Montreal and becomes rue Sherbrooke.
Do
Hiking, cycling, canoeing, fishing, swimming, rock climbing, archery, nature interpretation, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, dogsledding.