Around Quebec City--St. Anne de Beaupre and I'lle d'Orleans

The Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre

While the carful of kids are living large at Grandma's house, we are spending a long weekend in quaint Quebec City. After a great walking tour of the old Quebec, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and dinner at an authentic sugar shack, we head outside of Quebec to Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre.

The Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre anchors this village 20 minutes east of Quebec City on the St. Lawrence River in the foothills of the Laurentian Mountains.  This basilica is known as a shrine for miracles with over half a million visitors each year.

The basilica ceiling

The basilica's history started in 1658 when a farmer donated two acres for a chapel; when a worker was cured of his ailment, the legend began. On the inside of the basilica, there are crutches and walkers attached the pillars as a testament of its healing powers.

We take a thorough tour of the basilica, completed in 1946 after stops in construction for the Depression and WW2. The interior of the basilica is incredibly light, not the usual dark, somber interior that most of the cathedrals have across Europe.

The tour continues downstairs to the Immaculate Conception Chapel where the walls are decorated with delightful little mosaics of flowers and animals. This is a popular shrine and the chapel is full of candles lit by the faithful.


We have a few minutes to explore and I take the opportunity to visit the bookstore and get some holy water that is blessed on site by a priest. I would like to sprinkle some on my boys before important school days.

We continue our tour and head over to the Ile d'Orleans by crossing the Pont de l'Ille d'Orleans over the St. Lawrence River; built in 1935, it's the last suspension bridge across the river headed north. Ile d'Orleans is a great day trip destination outside of Quebec City for adults with vineyards and tasting rooms, it's a foodie paradise.

Our first stop is the Vignoble Ste-Patronille, a vineyard and winery overlooking the Montmorency Falls (located at 1A Chemin du Bout de I'lle, open daily May through October). They offer tours and a tasting room along with a food truck with an attached terrace, it's a spectacular location to enjoy the day.

Our next stop, le Delices de l'Ille d'Orleans is another jewel with its private tasting room and owner guided tour--they have been making jams, jellies, mustards, vinegar and syrups since 1998 (Located at 1735 Chemin Royal). After our tasting, we load up on some items that you don't see back in the States, like carrot confit and terrines.

After sampling for the last couple of hours, we need to walk it off so we head over to the Montmorency Falls for a tour. You have to pay for parking and there are a couple of options for getting to the top of the falls. We choose a round-trip cable car ticket to get to the suspension bridge and restaurant but you can take the stairs.


After exiting the cable car, we walk across the bridge to experience the power of the falls that are almost 100 feet taller than Niagara Falls. This is another popular spot with tourists but should not be missed (located at 2490 Ave Royale, open 8:30 to 7:30 during the summer months).

After our hike around the falls we are hungry again, the Manoir Montmorency offers lunch in their dining room from 11:30 to 3. They feature an upscale menu in their traditional dining rooms but there are more casual options outside.

It has been a great day exploring the area around Quebec City but we need to head back to our hotel, Chateau Frontenac, for dinner. We are foodies remember. Before we fly back to Texas, we need to pick up some souvenirs for the carful of kids.

Though this our first trip to Quebec City, I hope it is not our last. It's a great destination for those who love Europe but don't have the time for a transatlantic crossing.

Quebec City has all the history, culture and great food of France without the blow-smoke-in-your-face attitude. The French-Canadians love to share their jewel of a city to Americans and this is a great destination for a couple's weekend away or introducing your own carful of kids to international travel.