Quebec Off The Beaten Path Tips by tayloretc

Parc linéaire de la rivière Saint-Charles Quebec City parks Review

Another in the series of excellent Québec city parks. The parc linéaire de la rivière Saint-Charles follows the river from the old port in Québec city to Saint Charles lake, 32 kilometers away. It’s more correct to say it’s a chain of parks connected by a trail, since in some parts there isn’t much park around the trail. The parks themselves have their own character, from urban to rural, but all provide open spaces, and some also have playground equipment.

About 10 or so km are paved for cyclists, starting from the town center – areas further out have dirt and some boardwalk trails. A few places involve climbing stairs, but most of the trail is fairly flat, and is an easy walk. In winter, one section of trail around the falls is closed because of ice, but you can still drive there and take a look.

You can get to all the parks and many other sections by bus, although it would take some planning. There’s parking at different locations.

Website: http://www.ville.quebec.qc.ca/citoyens/loisirs_sports/parc_lineaire/index.aspx

L’Ecole de Cirque de Quebec (circus school)

The Ecole de Cirque de Quebec operates in a decommissioned church, and it’s a brilliant space. The interior still looks like a church, but the nave is full of colorful mats and is strung with nets for the trapezes and rings above, and there are racks of unicycles and juggling equipment along the edges. There’s a lunchroom at one end, with a huge viewing window, and downstairs are reception and the changing rooms.

The professional school focuses on acrobatics and aerial acrobatics, dance, and theater; they also offer multi-month programs, as well as 3-hour workshops for school, adult, or tourist groups. There are several shows produced during the year, by professional students (required for their course) and students in the shorter programs, all of which you can attend for low ticket prices. You can also pop in for a few minutes during regular classes, but you can’t just show up and wander around – if you want a longer visit, you have to call ahead and arrange it.

Phone: 418-525-0101

Website: http://www.ecoledecirque.com/en/