One recommendation for my time in Quebec City was to visit Montmorency Falls. I paid little attention to the suggestion at the time assuming any attraction like that would be a trek out of the city, and being sans car, that's a problem.
But my visit to the tourist infomation centre the other day paid off. Not only was there a bus travelling to the falls every 10 minutes, it only took about half and hour and cost $3 each way.
After leaving my luggage at the station (travelling with ViaRail has been great), I bought some lunch from the supermarket and caught the next #800 bus. The falls was the last stop, but I disembarked to no signage at all. But I could hear the water so followed a little gravel track in that direction. A few hundred metres later I was at the suspension bridge. The water wasn't great, but I put up with the rain and walked down the stairs on the edge of the cliff to view the falls from the bottom. They are 30-metres higher than Niagara, but not as wide. Waterfalls fascinate me a little. I'm always amazed at how much water continues to flow down the rivers to sustain the power of the falls. And how quickly the river calms at the bottom.
I followed the walkway, which was wet with both rain and the spray from the falls, around to the cable car station. I saw pictures of the falls in winter - it would be a pretty amazing sight. I ate my lunch then it was up the cable car to the top!
Back in the city I decided to check one last thing off my list. I really wanted to see the Old Town from the water. When walking through it, it's hard to get a good view of what you're in the middle of. There are so many levels! The Quebec-Levis ferry runs regularly across the St Lawrence River. I was going over at a peak time so only had to wait 10-minutes on the other side before the 15-minute trip back.
I would have loved to do this at dusk or night, but it was beautiful anyway. The Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac is such a dominating presence in the landscape. I just love the little pointy buildings too!
Love your article! I'll try to remember to take the ferry with my parents, do you remember the price?
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It was about $6 return so super cheap. It's just the everyday ferry that takes cars and people across the river.
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