Québec City Is the Perfect Destination for Your Minimoon
Have a romantic European vacay without jetting across the Atlantic.
Fairmont Le Château Frontenac’s prime position in Québec City / Photograph courtesy of Fairmont Le Château Frontenac
For a romantic European vacay without having to jet across the Atlantic, consider Québec City. The UNESCO World Heritage Site is rich with history and charm, and will tide you over — and then some — till your latermoon.
The Fairmont Le Château Frontenac (rooms from $360), perched on a hilltop overlooking the St. Lawrence River, is a lovers’ paradise. There’s an on-site spa and four restaurants, including French-focused Champlain. The tasting menus with wine pairings — selected from its 3,200-bottle-strong glass-clad cellar — are ideal for a celebratory meal. (If your schedule allows, another tasting menu worth trying comes courtesy of Coteau, closer to the river.)
Summertime minimooners should take the roughly 30-minute drive to Île d’Orléans. Sip estate-grown wines at Saint-Pierre Le Vignoble — its back patio looks out over the vineyards and to Montmorency Falls beyond — sample jam at ramshackle-chic cafe Tigidou, and savor black-currant sangria or ice cream at Cassis Monna & Filles. Feeling adventurous? Visit those falls on the way back to the mainland and ride a cable car to the top.
Back in town, Québec’s tidy streets are meant for strolling, hand in hand. Do so in the adorable Petit Champlain District, where the stores peddle everything from fudge to wood carvings for your home. A walking tour will take you to cultural spots such as Notre-Dame de Québec Basilica-Cathedral, and at some point in your wanderings, you’ll come across the ramparts. (Old Québec is the most preserved fortified town in North America.)
You’re also certain to catch the scent of buttery-sweet popcorn wafting from various shops. Pick up a bag to snack on while sauntering along the Dufferin Terrace, where you can snap picture-perfect photos of your beloved against a beautiful backdrop of the city.
>> Click here for more honeymoon vacation ideas.
Published as “The Minimoon: Québec City” in the summer/fall 2025 issue of Philadelphia Wedding.
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