Quebec

Rising dramatically from the northern banks of the Saint Lawrence River, the cityscape of Quebec casts a fairy-tale silhouette of chateau turrets and gothic spires, all encompassed by the oldest city walls in North America and some of the most enchanting urban architecture in all of Canada. No wonder this one has a reputation for handsomeness. Ask any Quebec tour guide and they’ll tell you, there really is nowhere better to start your travels here than in the heart of Vieux-Québec—the beating touristic kingpin of the city, where winding cobbled lanes abut grandiose city halls and Old World poutine eateries. Here, it’s impossible to miss the looming figure of Chateau Frontenac, soaring above the exquisite Parliament Buildings and riverside Dufferin Terrace. But don’t be deceived by Quebec’s pretty veneer, because this town is no museum piece to the colonial age. Rather, it boasts a throbbing, student-led nightlife and a buzzing international bar scene on the Rue Saint-Jean, while there’s oodles of high-energy pursuits on offer, from skiing on the inner-city Plains of Abraham, to chiselling ice sculptures at the annual Winter Carnival.