Town & Country

Our eastern Canadian getaway to Quebec City and the Charlevoix region yielded food, fun and fierce fall foliage. First up, Q.C., steeped in history, it offered first-class food and shopping with, bien sûr, a fabulous French twist. —Noa Nichol

stay. Situated at the foot of Old Quebec (the only forti ed city north of Mexico and a UNESCO World Heritage treasure) in a century-old building, Le Germain Hotel is as warm and welcoming as the locals (you can’t so much as look lost without someone stopping to help). From complimentary coffee (and hot chocolate) in the lobby to some of the cosiest beds in the biz (snag the same linens at Simons on Côte de la Fabrique), this is the perfect jumping-off point for exploring the town.

see. History really is the thing here, and the best way to take it all in may be with a tour (trust us). Your guide will remind you of all those early Canadian factoids learned in social studies class (the first explorers, the Plains of Abraham—ring a bell?) Later, on your own, check out attractions like the Musée de la Civilisation, the Musée National des Beaux-arts du Québec and, of course, Place Royale, where Leo DiCaprio shot the nal scene In Catch Me If You Can (priorities).

shop. Many, many, many boutiques make this a retail Mecca—too many, in fact, to mention. A few of note: a tiny savonnerie (soap-maker) on Saint-Paul, Candeur, where an equally tiny Yorkie welcomes you and the wares smell good enough to eat; Boutique Métiers d’Art du Québec, with works for sale by more than 200 artisans; and Mary’s Popcorn, for better-than-the-movies snacks (the pure maple syrup pecan corn is a must).

savour. Save room for dinner, as some of Canada’s top chefs call Quebec City home. Don’t believe us? EnRoute just named Battuto its best new restaurant of 2017, while Chez Muffy (really, that’s its name) took top spot in the best fine dining in Canada category in TripAdvisor’s most recent Traveller’s Choice Awards. (But, let’s be honest, a plain butter croissant in just about any café in this town is news-worthy).

On to breathtakingly beautiful Charlevoix, an hour-and-a-half drive from Old Quebec (just past Montmorency Falls), where luxurious accommodations and next-level dining are the cherry on top.

stay. Avoid second-guessing your choice of accommodation by booking into Le Germain Hotel and Spa Charlevoix. Rustic rooms you can really sink into surrounded by rolling farmland (the hotel keeps several animals) and offering a submersively soothing on-site nordic spa boasting hot and cold pools, plunges, steam rooms, saunas—even an aromatic snow shower. Do not—we repeat, do not—leave without doing dinner at Les Labours (or, at the very least, ordering the maple-soaked pudding chômeur for dessert), snapping a sel e with resident Highland bull Jean-Rock and buying a bottle of signature Lotion G, with grapefruit and Labrador green tea, to take home ($39).

see. The “colours” of the autumn leaves really are Quebec’s crowning glory, and there’s no better way to see them than from the top of Charlevoix Crater in Parc National des Grand-Jardins. It may be a four-kay hike to the top, but the reds, oranges and yellows you’ll be rewarded with are worth it!

shop. The street to beat in the retail respect is Saint Jean Baptiste in Ville de Baie-Saint-Paul. Get schooled on the story of chocolate at La Chocolaterie du Village (a museum and gift shop in one), score some donkey’s goat milk soap at Shamâne Cosmétiques and sip on apple cider (before you buy) at Cidrerie et Vergers Pedneault. And, before your trip is up, be sure to pay a visit to Alpagas Charlevoix, whose adorable, long-necked, scruffy-tailed residents contribute the softest fleece for clothing, blankets and even Christmas ornaments, all available at the on-farm shop.

savour. Here, the word local (when it comes to food) is not taken lightly. At Boulangerie à Chacun son Pain the spelt for the baked-fresh-daily bread is grown on the farm next door; at Laiterie Charlevoix, the made-on-site (award-winning, ahem) cheese is helping to save a Canadian cow species from extinction; and at Diapason restaurant, the slice of chocolate pie you really ought to order after your meal can be bought, whole, from the baker down the street.

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