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Quebec: Art and Culture in the Great White North!

In many ways, the province of Quebec, Canada is the most diverse of all the Canadian provinces. Seven million French speaking citizens call the area home. The landscape ranges from pastoral valleys and villages along the American border, to rugged expanses of uninhabited tundra on the shores of Hudson Bay. A vacation in Quebec can be a historical examination, a feast for the taste buds, or an active excursion filled with water sports, skiing, and fishing along the St. Lawrence River.

A visit to romantic Montreal makes one long for the finer things. This is a city where art is valued as much, perhaps more, than commerce. Grace and elegance are favored over speed and precision. Great chefs are as well known as politicians. Founded by a group of French Catholics, Montreal is the only French speaking city in North America and the second largest in the world. Montreal is a symphony of sights, sounds, smells, and tastes. Take some time to listen closely to Montreal's music.

One of the most magnificent churches in North America can be found at the Basilique Notre-Dame-de Montreal. Montreal's oldest and grandest Catholic church was originally built in the 17th century, but a new building was added in 1829. The church is an outstanding example of Neo-Classical and Neo-Gothic design. The stained glass windows were imported from Limoges, and tell the story of Montreal's history.

The Place des Artes is Montreal's premier center for the performing arts. Both the Opera de Montreal and the Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal make their home here. The hall has 5 buildings and shares space with the largest modern art museum in all of Canada, the Musee d'Art Contemporain.

For a bit of nature amid the bustle of Montreal, head to Parc du Montreal-Royal. Designed by Frederick Olmsted, the designer for New York City's Central Park, the park contains 494-acres of forest and paths in the middle of the city. The park is a great place for jogging, cycling, or hiking the miles of foot paths. Horse drawn buggy rides are also a popular park activity.

The other large city in the province is Quebec City, the provincial capital and political seat of power. Almost all the city is French speaking, and the European flavor that permeates the cobblestone streets has earned Quebec City the moniker of a United Nations World Heritage Site. A fortified wall surrounds the city, which sits on a cliff overlooking scenic St. Lawrence River.

The Quebec City skyline is dominated by Chateau Frontenac, the city's best known landmark that has risen over the city since 1893. The luxury hotel was designed by American architect Bruce Price to resemble a French chateau, only on a much larger scale. The buildings contain dozens of turrets and a high copper roof studded with rows of dormer windows.

In lower Quebec City, the Musee de la Civilisation is set against the foot of the cliff, and houses exhibits of differing aspects of Quebec's culture. One display shows the growth of the Roman Catholic Church, how it has governed the people, and explains the evolution of the city's nationalism. The strikingly beautiful building has a limestone and glass façade and was designed to imitate the style of lower Quebec's churches.

Northeast of the walled city, Vieux Port is an excellent river walking site, full of new and restored modern attractions and restaurants. Boat cruises lead down the St. Lawrence. The walkways lead past chic boutiques, concert venues, all placed against an upscale warehouse row setting.

Military historians will want to visit La Citadelle, a fort designed to protect Quebec from an attack from America that never came. The working military fort is home to the Van Doos, a famous Canadian military regiment. Every day from June through Labor Day visitors gather to watch the Changing of the Guard on the parade grounds.

Less than an hour outside of Montreal, the Laurentian Mountains provide a place to enjoy nature's bounty. The whole region, from Saint-Sauveur des Monts to Sainte Jovite, is a natural amusement park offering hiking, mountain biking, and skiing opportunities. One of the most popular resort towns is Mont Tremblant, a town in the shadow of the mountain of the same name.

Mont Tremblant, at 3,000 feet, is the highest peak in the Laurentians, and a major source of winter skiing in the area. The festive town at the base of the mountain, simply referred to as "Tremblant", is a French-style village that resembles old town Quebec City. The buildings have steep dormer roofs and house pubs, restaurants, boutiques, ski shops, and a cinema. There is even an indoor water park complete with swimming pools, water slides and whirlpools where visitors can escape the winter's chill.

Ski Magazine has called Mont Tremblant one of the best ski resorts in North America for several years running. Set around Lake Tremblant, the resort has 77 downhill trails, 11 lifts, and over 50-miles of cross country trails. The mountain has areas to accommodate all skill levels.

If you didn't know better, you might think you had left North America and materialized somewhere in Europe. That is the feeling one gets during a visit to Quebec. Your ears will ring with the beautiful French language as you walk the streets, or sit at a café watching the people scurry to and fro. Art and culture are the magic words in this most genteel of vacation destinations.