A couple of years ago we spent New Year’s Eve in Quebec City and it was honestly one of the best nights we’ve had. While neither of us particularly love New Year’s, we have this tradition of doing something cool outside of the city each year. We pick a spot that’s underrated and not overly popular. Some of our past trips include Amsterdam (which admittedly isn’t underrated but whatever) and Salzburg.
I don’t think a lot of people think to spend New Year’s Eve in Quebec City because they know how cold it is. Most travellers will choose to visit the metropolitan city of Montreal over it’s smaller sister city. I’m here to tell you that Quebec City is definitely the better choice of the two. Plus the entire old town is actually a World Heritage site.
Quebec City is as close to Europe as you can get in Canada, if not North America in general. There are cobblestone streets, old buildings and cosy little restaurants around every corner.
You can get to Quebec City by plane, train or driving. I personally would recommend either flying in or taking the train depending on where you are coming from. If you are visiting in winter, Quebec City has a tendency to get a lot of snow, making for really dangerous road conditions.
So what do we think are the 5 reasons why you should spend New Year’s Eve in Quebec City? Read on.
| It’s a winter wonderland |
You could almost guarantee that there is going to be tons of snow during your visit to Quebec City. The one year we were there, they had 50 centimetres of snowfall almost overnight. It was so amazing walking through the beautiful streets covered in snow. It almost made it cosy.
Don’t worry though, while it may get well below freezing there will be plenty of places for you to warm up as you wander around. The day before New Year’s Eve we found a cosy little restaurant to enjoy some red wine and delicious comfort food. I don’t think there’s anything more romantic than that.
| The party |
I think this is what surprised me the most about spending New Year’s Eve in Quebec City. The party was insane. We had no idea what to expect for the night. The only plans we had was to wander up to the Grande Allee and see what was going on. Boy were we surprised.
The entire street was blocked to traffic so pedestrians can walk everywhere without worrying. Lined up on either side of the street you’ll find vendors as well selling all kinds of different food and alcohol. Some of the stations are really creative as well, most of them using elaborate ice sculptures which is really cool.
The one thing I absolutely loved was the outdoor DJ. They had a giant interactive stage set up where different DJs took shifts playing music all night. Even though it was around -30 Celsius, we were kept really warm with all of the dancing. It also starting snowing again while we were dancing, it seems so magical!
| The winter activities |
While most people just want to go indoors and hide away from the cold, residents of Quebec love it. They have so many activities that make you want to get outside and have some fun. Right near old Quebec, you have Battlefields park. Lots of people spend time in the park running in the snow or even cross country skiing on the large open space.
I think the best thing to do in Quebec City in the winter is to go on their giant toboggan slide! When you look up at the slide it doesn’t look THAT bad but let me tell you as you go down it’s borderline terrifying. I actually couldn’t believe how fast we went as we flew down the slide. It had me laughing like crazy.
If you’re not an adrenaline junky you can always enjoy eating maple syrup taffy. The vendor pours pure maple syrup on a sheet of ice and then uses a popsicle stick to roll it up into a delicious stick of pure sugar.
| Christmas never ends |
Honestly, I’ve only ever visited Quebec City in the winter time and each time I love it more. For those of you that absolutely adore Christmas and always going into a bit of a depression once it’s all over then you must visit Quebec City in the winter time.
The lights all around the old town make it truly feel like Christmas never ends. Between the beautiful lights glowing in the dark and the blankets of snow around every corner, it can’t help but put you in a good mood.
Not only that, there is a store in the old town that actually sells Christmas ornaments all year long. I swear you could get plopped in this city in the winter and if you didn’t know better you’d probably think it was Christmas all the time.
| The romance |
If strolling through the mounds and mounds of fresh snow isn’t romantic enough than you’ll love the buildings and restaurants. One of my favourite places is Aux Anciens Canadiens. It’s the oldest restaurant in Quebec City and arguably one of the oldest in Canada. You absolutely can’t miss the red roof. When you enter inside you almost feel like you’re walking into someone’s house. Definitely have some of the delicious comfort food too!
When you’re spending New Year’s Eve in Quebec City there are also tons of hotels you can choose from. Like always, I would opt for staying in boutique hotels over chains. This is especially true in Quebec City where there are some amazing and beautiful hotels. Definitely check out some of the beautiful hotels for yourself.
So there you have it. Have we convinced you to book your trip to Quebec City yet?
