CANADA EAST - Quebec and Ontario: from Montreal to Toronto

Recommended activities for your free day in Montreal: a walking tour of the city’s Old Port, or bike rental to explore the extensive cycling paths and the Formula 1 circuit. You may visit the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts or the Montreal Botanical Garden and Biodome, or enjoy shopping in the boutique and shopping mall district along St. Catherine Street.

Arriving in Quebec from Montreal, the difference between the two cities is striking: while Montreal appears international, dynamic, and progressive, Quebec is tied to its religious and military past. Québec City, capital of the eponymous province, is the most European city in North America, the only one north of Mexico to have kept its fortified walls, recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Set on a promontory above the St Lawrence River, it is dominated by the unmistakable silhouette of the Château Frontenac, a sumptuous hotel towering over Vieux-Québec. The cobbled streets of the old town, divided into Haute-Ville and Basse-Ville, enchant with their stone houses, boutiques, cafés and Francophone atmosphere, especially magical under winter snow. The Petit-Champlain district, among the oldest on the continent, and Place Royale preserve the charm of New France. The Terrasse Dufferin offers scenic walks over the river, while the gastronomy celebrates Québec cuisine. Romantic, historic and uniquely characterful, Québec City is a city to be explored on foot, among fortifications, alleys and old-world atmospheres.

La Tuque is a Québec town set in the heart of the vast forested Haute-Mauricie region, stretched along the banks of the Saint-Maurice River in a boundless land of boreal forests, lakes and rivers. The homeland of the famous singer-songwriter Félix Leclerc, it is a prime base for lovers of wilderness and adventure, with canoeing, fishing, hunting and hiking in boundless spaces far from any crowd. The region is dotted with countless bodies of water and crossed by rushing rivers. The immensity of the land and the deep calm make it a refuge for those seeking authentic contact with the wilderness. Between rivers, forests and northern silences, La Tuque offers the purest essence of Québec nature.

Mont-Tremblant is Québec's leading mountain resort, set in the Laurentides region north of Montréal, famous for its ski area, one of the best in eastern Canada. At the foot of the mountain stretches a picturesque, brightly coloured pedestrian village in French alpine style, rich in hotels, restaurants, boutiques and festive atmospheres in every season. In winter it is a paradise for skiing and snowboarding, while in summer the region becomes a playground for hiking, golf, kayaking and trips to the many lakes surrounded by forests, particularly spectacular in autumn when the maples turn red and gold. The eponymous national park offers pristine nature and outdoor activities. Elegant and lively, Mont-Tremblant combines sport, relaxation and natural beauty, one of Québec's most beloved destinations in all seasons.

Ottawa, Canada's capital, lies on the banks of its namesake river, on the border between Ontario and Québec, and is an elegant, orderly city rich in museums and national monuments. Its symbol is Parliament Hill, with the majestic neo-Gothic Parliament buildings and the Peace Tower dominating the river. The Rideau Canal, recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, crosses the city and in winter becomes the world's longest ice-skating rink. Ottawa hosts some of the country's most important museums, from the National Gallery of Canada to the Canadian Museum of History across the river. The lively ByWard Market offers fresh produce, restaurants and bars. Bilingual and cosmopolitan, rich in green spaces and cultural life, Ottawa is a human-scale capital where history, politics and culture meet in a refined and welcoming atmosphere.

The journey from Ottawa to Toronto leads through picturesque countryside, past rivers and small villages. You pass by the Rideau Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and cities such as Kingston, with its fascinating history. As you approach Toronto, the rural setting gives way to the dynamic skyline of the city, the economic and cultural heart of Canada. Toronto, Canada's largest city, stretches along the shores of Lake Ontario with a skyline dominated by the soaring CN Tower, the metropolis's symbol, from whose top a dizzying panorama unfolds. Cosmopolitan and multicultural, the city is a mosaic of ethnic neighbourhoods such as Chinatown, Little Italy and Kensington Market, where cultures and flavours from around the world coexist. The centre pulses with life around Yonge Street, the Financial District and the Distillery District, with its Victorian brick buildings now home to galleries, cafés and shops. Among the attractions are the Royal Ontario Museum, the Art Gallery of Ontario and the modern lakefront, from which ferries depart for the Toronto Islands. The city is also an ideal base for reaching the nearby Niagara Falls. Dynamic, welcoming and ever-growing, Toronto is a metropolis open to the world, a showcase of Canadian diversity and modernity.