Travels With an Editor: 5 Places to Go in Old Quebec City

by Annie Quigley

The last time I went to Quebec City, my family came back with a Malamute puppy, a sled-dog reject who to this day remains the best souvenir from a trip, full stop.

I returned recently for a weekend, and while I didn’t adopt a dog (alas), I did come home with a new appreciation for this friendly, surprisingly affordable (for now) northern outpost and its European streets. Here are five design-forward highlights, all situated in or near the Old City. (Just don’t forget to bundle up—really—if you’re going in winter.)

To Stay: Le Auberge Saint-Antoine

suite at auberge saint antoine in quebec city 373

Above: Centrally situated in Vieux Quebec (the Old City), Auberge Saint Antoine is a small, intimate “museum hotel”: Displayed in built-in glass cases throughout the lobby and hallways are ceramics, pipes, glassware, and pottery shards discovered during the hotel’s construction, many dating back hundreds of years from when the area was a wharf. Extras–like access to the sauna, Saturday-morning yoga classes, and a cinema room—are all included in the room rate, and our suite (above) featured wide-plank wood floors, a tidy tray for storing snowy boots, and a high-tech commode. Chez Muffy, the on-site restaurant, is situated in a former maritime warehouse with stone walls and serves its lattes in bowls. Rooms from $217 CAD ($151 US).

For Browsing: Sous le Toit and Rosie Papeterie

Above: Rosie Papeterie is a small shopfront, but inside you’ll find a well-curated selection of stationary and paper goods. A few doors down is Sous le Toit, Quebec City’s answer to a zero-waste shop, featuring trusty utilitarian goods (many of them Canadian made). There are a slew of antiques shops on the same street, if you also feel that getting lost in bric-a-brac stores equals an afternoon well spent.

For a Break: Café Apotek

Above: The city’s Most Stunning Cafe award goes to: Café Apotek at 209 Rue Saint-Paul. (For evidence, just see their Instagram.) Stop in to warm up with a hot chocolate or pastry; stay for the serpentine marble table, inventive built-in perches, and wild floral arrangements.

For a Day: Strøm Spa

Above: The real reason for my trip (and the recommendation nearly everyone gave when I asked): Strøm Nordic Spa. Situated on the St. Lawrence River and a short drive from the Old City, Strøm offers hot and cold plunge pools, Finnish saunas, steam rooms, and relaxation areas spread out over its campus, all from $79 CAD per person ($55 US). Once you’re in, there’s no time limit, so arrive early to make the most of the thermal circuit: 15 minutes of heat followed by 15 seconds of cold and 20 minutes of rest. It was busy on the weekends, but the spa’s rule of silence kept it from feeling crowded.