Suggestions pour la ville de Québec par le Wall Street Journal

[Laurent]

Un article en anglais de ce prestigieux journal économique américain. Un véritable carnet d'adresses pour des découvertes touristiques et autres pour la ville de Québec.

• Updated August 17, 2012, 4:31 p.m. ET
  

Take Monday Off: Quebec City

This buzzing French-inflected Canadian city blends the best of old and new, with industrial-chic hotels and historic battlefields, bacon-infused cocktails and classic cafes.

At first glance, Quebec City seems all about the past, its stolid walls, cobbled streets and mansard roofs testifying to 400 years of rich history. It feels quaintly European in a way few New World cities do, the town's look and sensibility a souvenir of its years as a French settlement and then a British colonial capital. But climb those walls, walk those streets and see what's beneath those roofs—you'll realize that this is no Canadian time capsule. From the modern architecture and art tucked throughout the city to the contemporary gastronomic delights served in its restaurants, the city performs a constant dance between old and new. There's no better time to experience that than late summer, when Quebec City sparkles and offers its warmest bienvenue.

DAY ONE

FRIDAY

7 p.m. From Jean Lesage International Airport, it's 20 minutes by taxi into town (flat rate: $34.25). Check into the Hôtel Le Germain-Dominion (from $235 per night, 126 Rue Saint-Pierre, germaindominion.com), two old Quebecois buildings reincarnated as a boutique hotel. A century ago, the eight-story, Chicago-inspired western tower, home to Dominion Fish & Fruit, was the tallest in town. The vaults of its neighbor, Hochelaga Bank, held the riches of Quebec's traders. Today, the buildings boast spacious rooms with relentlessly modern furnishings—only the old blueprints on the exposed-brick walls hint at the past.

l Lew for The Wall Street Journal

A cassoulet dish at Café Le Saint-Malo

8 p.m. Dinner is just around the corner at Café Le Saint-Malo (75 Rue Saint-Paul, 418-692-2004). Saint-Malo, the proprietor's hometown in France, was also the birthplace of Jacques Cartier, who in 1534 claimed what's now Quebec for France. The faithfully old-country flavors, including fine escargots and succulent duck confit, pair nicely with the plank-floored, thick-beamed space.

9:30 p.m. Stroll a block to Quai Saint-André for a stunning limited-time-only spectacle: "The Image Mill," a 40-minute documentary-cum-art-film on Quebec, past, present and future. Renowned director and native son Robert Lepage has turned an old industrial landmark into a modern-media venue, projecting his film onto the side of Bunge Grain's silo complex. The show starts at 9:30 in August, 9 in September. Post-show, the silos revert to their year-round evening lighting, Mr. Lepage's Northern Lights-inspired "Aurora Borealis."

DAY TWO

SATURDAY

8:45 a.m. Head downstairs to Le Germain-Dominion's lobby for one of the city's best breakfasts, complimentary for hotel guests. The croissants, from celebrated local patisserie Paillard, are a must. (Croissant connoisseurs ought to visit Le Paingrüel at 375 Rue Saint-Jean to try their chocolate version.)

9:30 a.m. Place-Royale, Quebec City's center since Samuel de Champlain founded the settlement in 1608, is a five-minute walk away. Behind the square's newest façade—a modern expanse of glass and metal at the base of 27 rue Notre Dame—is the Centre d'Interprétation de Place-Royale (mcq.org), which illuminates the area's early history. For contrast, also on the square is Notre Dame des Victoires, a simple weathered-stone edifice that is Canada's oldest church building. Built in the 1680s, it has been repeatedly renovated, notably after suffering damage in the French and Indian War.

11:00 a.m. Steps away from Place-Royale, board the ferry to Lévis, a city across the St. Lawrence River. The journey is your destination—the 45-minute round-trip offers panoramic views of Quebec's dramatic skyline.

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Noon Check out of Le Germain-Dominion and drop your bags at the grande-dame of Quebec City hotels, the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac. (The hardy can make the 10-minute uphill hike. It's also a short taxi ride away.) The copper-roofed behemoth has dominated Quebec's skyline since it was built by the Canadian Pacific Railway Company in the late 1800s. Its wood-paneled lobby is constantly bustling, so opt for Fairmont Gold, the quieter hotel-within-a-hotel, with just 46 elegant rooms and a separate check-in desk on the 14th floor. Schedule a peek at the Rose Room, where Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt strategized during World War II. Normally closed to the public, it's shown to guests upon request (from $299 per night, 1 Rue des Carrières, fairmont.com).

12:30 p.m. Cab it to l'Alambic (208 Rue Saint-Vallier Ouest, 418-522-3485), which opened in April in the slowly rejuvenating Saint-Sauveur neighborhood. Owners Christian Lavoie and Bryan Bouchard say it's a bistro, but with a new, locavorous twist. A neighborhood beekeeper makes their honey, and Quebecois beers are on tap and in their sauces.

suite et source : http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443991704577579151342449424.html