Quebec City has had the incredible chance to witness one of the biggest concert ever held in Canada. Tell us about your experience of Paul McCartney’s show in Quebec City in the comment section at the bottom.

Walk around Old Quebec on a trail which makes you discover the principal attractions of the city. The VivaCité Trail is really simple to use since you only have to follow the green and blue circles which have been painted on the sidewalk. The path starts at the Parliament Building and brings you to the fortifications, the Faubourg Saint-Jean Baptiste and Saint-Roch Area. You will then be able to explore the Old Port Marina and the pleasant small streets of Place Royale and Petit Champlain. It is thus a very original and effective way to discover or rediscover Quebec City’s downtown.

You can download the detailed map of the trail at:  http://www.parcoursvivacite.com/images/Depliant_VivaCite_f.pdf

Have a nice walk!

http://www.parcoursvivacite.com/

Since they have mostly been created as trompe-l’oeil paintings, Quebec City’s frescoes are often unnoticed by tourists or citizens. However, once they have been discovered, it seems difficult to resist to the temptation of taking a photo. With the support of Commission de la Capitale Nationale, numerous frescoes are now scattered throughout the Québec City area.
Quebec City’s Hôtel-Dieu Fresco
The Hôtel-Dieu de Québec Fresco is situated in the heart of Old Quebec at the corner of Côte du Palais and Charlevoix Street. Painted on the outside walls of the hospital, the fresco represents the important events of Hôtel-Dieu, the oldest hospital in North America.

Source: Commission de la Capitale Nationale, http://www.capitale.gouv.qc.ca/
Gabrielle-Roy Library Fresco
Situated at the back of Gabrielle-Roy Library in lower town, this fresco was inspired by the history of public libraries in Quebec City. It was created to highlight the 20 years anniversary of the library.

Source: Commission de la Capitale Nationale, http://www.capitale.gouv.qc.ca/

Des Québécois Fresco
Even though it is a great trompe-l’œil, Des Québécois Fresco is difficult to miss since it is the largest one in the city. In the Petit Champlain sector, this mural painting recalls the history of Quebec City by the many historic figures portrayed on it.

Source: Commission de la Capitale Nationale, http://www.capitale.gouv.qc.ca/

Petit-Champlain Fresco
Also in Petit Champlain, the Petit-Champlain Fresco depicts the great moments of the history of Cap-Blanc, one of the oldest area of Old Quebec. This magnificent trompe-l’oeil is giving life to a façade that would be otherwise banal.

Source: Commission de la Capitale Nationale, http://www.capitale.gouv.qc.ca/ 

Pillars Frescoes
At the crossing of Charest Est Boulevard in Quebec City’s lower town, these concrete pillars have been transformed into true works of art as frescoes are now displayed on them. Each one of has its own theme going from marine wildlife to a representation of the Garden of Eden. The pillars frescoes are the perfect example of the face-lift effect that mural paintings can bring to a neglected part of a city.

 

Source: Commission de la Capitale Nationale, http://www.capitale.gouv.qc.ca/

Many other frescoes are spread through the Quebec City area and are worth to see if you are a fan of this type of art. You can look at the complete list of frescoes at the Commission de la Capitale Nationale Website: http://www.capitale.gouv.qc.ca/realisations/les-fresques.html

With the recent controversy concerning the site that the French-Canadian star should be performing on, a brief recapitulation of the specificities of this concert seems to be necessary.

The show is still held on August 22 on the Plains of Abraham. However, do not forget that the site for the show will not be on the usual scene of Quebec City’s Summer Festival but rather on the vast ground in front of Musée national des beaux-arts de Québec. This site is bound to receive as much as 200 000 spectators for the concert. At first, 100 000 free tickets were distributed throughout the province of Québec. Nonetheless, the great demand for tickets forced the organisers to increase the capacity of the site. Holders of tickets for the show will nonetheless have access to a privileged section. Furthermore, numerous widescreen will be installed outside the site, so that everyone can enjoy and see Céline’s performance.

But Céline Dion will obviously not be alone on the scene. She will be accompanied by various artists like Claude Dubois, Éric Lapointe, Jean-Pierre Ferland, members of her family and many more. You can read the complete guests list at: http://monquebec2008.sympatico.msn.ca/MonQuebec2008/?module=events&id=1&eventid=342 

The concert should start around 7h30 p.m. to end around 11 p.m. The site of the event will open at 6 p.m.

Enjoy the show!

Source photo: Gérard Schachmès – www.celinedion.com

Is it possible to enjoy Québec City without spending all your money in just one day? It’s true that you won’t have to spend any money for a walk on the Plains of Abraham, visit the Montmorency Falls or watch the beautiful scenery on the Dufferin Terrace. However, museums, guided tours and many events and shows will force you to pay out for sure. Unless… you can read this article on time!

Museums
It is now well-known that Québec City is a city of museums. However, you don’t always have to pay in order to enjoy your time in a museum. It is indeed possible to benefit from great exhibitions throughout the city free of charge. You only have to search a bit to find them!

Among those, the Naval museum of Québec tells the great naval history of the St. Lawrence River and the Naval Reserve. You will be able to witness the rich history of Canada’s maritime past scattered with fascinating stories.    �

Source: Naval Museum of Québec, http://www.mnq-nmq.org

Let’s also mention that the most renowned museums of Québec city offer as well occasions of free visits. The Musée de la civilisation and Musée de l’Amérique française allow the free visit of ALL their exhibitions every Tuesdays between November 1st and May 31 all day and between 10 a.m. and noon on Saturdays of January and February. As for the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, you can make the free visit all year long of its collections (excluding exhibitions) which include the largest collection of Québec’s art. 

Workshop Museums

There are more than only traditional museums that offer you free and interesting visits. Workshop museums are also an excellent way to discover the history behind the traditional making of a specific product. Among the numerous workshops museums around the city, let’s point out the one desired by us all, that is to say the workshop museum of chocolate! You will not only learn more about the history of chocolate and its transformation, but also discover the great know-how of the chocolate makers. �

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: Le parcours gourmand, http://www.gourmetroute.com

Churches
The religious heritage has always been an important part of the history of Québec City since the city has been for a long time the ecclesiastical capital of the country. The visit often free of charge of some religious establishments or monuments makes you discover an historic richness seen nowhere else.

In Old Québec, the Holy Trinity Anglican Church is a good example. The church is one of the oldest one in Québec and was the first Anglican church to settle outside the United Kingdom. The church also holds one of the few eight-peals chimes in the world as well as a majestic organ.      

Free guided tours are offered from May to October and it is possible to reserve a visit with a private guide.

 

 

Source: Jean-Olivier Frenette, Global Internet

Shows and Events
Québec City has numerous free or low cost festivals and events throughout the year. And one of the most appealing activity is the Changing of the Guard ceremony that is held every morning (except on rainy days) at 10 a.m. from June 24 to September 1 in front of Québec City’s Citadelle. You will hear the music of the Royal 22nd Regiment musical band and see the emblematic goat of the Regiment. This is an indispensable activity for tourists that will fascinate everyone.

You have free activities to suggest? Tell us about it on the comment section at the bottom.

When: July 18, 8 p.m.
Where: Colisée Pepsi
Cost: 12$ (plus taxes)

What would be better than singing to celebrate the 400 years of Québec City? This question has been answered by the 70 choral societies coming from Canada, the United States and France which have all decided to join forces to offer a unique show which will be one of the main events of the 400th anniversary of Québec City. Indeed, it is not everyday that you can witness 1400 volunteer choristers which unite their voice to honour a city that they love. For these singing enthusiasts who will be performing on July 18 at Colisée Pepsi, the celebration of the foundation of Québec City was worth all the efforts made during the last months. All 1400 of them will sing you 21 songs paying tribute to Québec City and its history. So, do not wait and come sing along to commemorate the story of this magic city.           

For more information on this official event of the 400th anniversary of Québec City, visit http://choralesquebec2008.com/.

Enjoy the show!

Source: http://choralesquebec2008.com/.

Québec City – Friday June 27, 6 p.m. Two members of my family have just arrived directly from Montreal to enjoy a week-end in Québec City. Their objective: visit some attractions in the city. And since the sky was clear, we decided to go at the marina to see the newly famous Moulin à images of Robert Lepage.

Source: Jean-Olivier Frenette

When we left home at around 8 p.m., the sky was clouding over quickly. This was nothing surprising since heavy rain was forecasted for the next day. Nonetheless, we had our coats, scarves and blankets to keep us warm and fight the cold and insistent wind. We finally made our way to the Espace 400^e right in front of the grains silos of the Bunge to see this intriguing spectacle.

At 10 p.m. precisely, lights around the site went off and the rumbling of the 329 speakers started making the quays of the marina vibrate. All of a sudden, the first images start to be shown on the tremendous screen of more than half a kilometre and a time dial brings us back to 1608. For about 40 minutes, images representing the history of the city from the arrival of Champlain until modern times were displayed. The experience was largely enjoyed by my guests for the week-end and obviously by me as well. The sound perfectly synchronised with the images showed on the silos was greatly completing this masterpiece.

You can enjoy this multimedia experience from remarkable panoramic viewpoints like Espace 400^e, Des Remparts Street and even from Lévis on the south shore. You can witness the Moulin à images everyday at 10 p.m. until August 24. 

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The rumour was quickly spreading throughout the city. The news was almost confirmed by Québec City’s media. But after the cancellation at the last minute of Coldplay for Québec City’s Summer Festival, people were still careful before announcing the coming of this internationally-renowned star in Canada. However, a news conference has now confirmed the unbelievable: the coming of the real Sir Paul McCartney on the Plains of Abraham on July 20.

This unexpected turn of event for the organization of Quebec City’s 400th anniversary has brought a huge smile to the face of Beatles fans. Québec City’s citizens are extremely proud to welcome this musical icon and loads of fans will walk upon Plains of Abraham to enjoy this free show. As Sir Paul said: let’s celebrate together!

source photo: www.gala.fr

It’s not everyday that you celebrate 400 years of history! Take some time to enjoy the festivities!