Winter Exploration on the Saint Lawrence River

It was a magical but frigid arrival in late January to Quebec City, one of North America's oldest settlements, founded in 1608 by French explorer Samuel de Champlain.Visiting Quebec City in January offered a magical winter experience. A snowy wonderland, with festive lights and a lively atmosphere despite the chilly temperatures. We were a week early but the highlight of winter is the Quebec Winter Carnival (Carnaval de Québec), one of the world’s largest and oldest winter festivals. This annual event features parades, ice sculptures, outdoor concerts, and the famous Bonhomme Carnaval, the festival’s mascot. The town's dedication to  the concert was visible a week early, with ice sculptures already in progress. 

Our winter exploration of Quebec City provided endless winter activities, from ice skating at Place d’Youville with stunning views of the historic old town. To the toboggan run at Terrasse Dufferin, operating since 1884, we had an exhilarating ride down the snowy slide with yells and laughter galore.  

To warm ourselves we made a lovely stop for lunch at Le Lapin Sauté, a cozy restaurant known for its rabbit dishes. With beautiful winter decor and lively wait staff it was the perfect lunch spot on a 0-degree day. We could have hunkered down in the cozy cafes and window shopped in the lower part of the old town all afternoon. 

For anyone with an interest in First Nations history across Canada the Museum of Civilization down on the waterfront is a must visit. There are excellently curated exhibits and interactive elements across the museum's multiple levels. It provided a warm haven for an educational afternoon.

Quebec City is a marvelous destination, close to home for us in the U.S. but with its history and French influence you feel thousands of miles away from North America. For anyone brave enough and with a great winter coat I definitely recommend a winter visit to Quebec City!