Active Pursuits

The waters and hills around Québec City provide countless opportunities for outdoor recreation, from swimming, rafting, and fishing, to skiing, snowmobiling, and sleigh rides. There are three centers in particular to keep in mind for most winter and summer activities, both within easy drives from the capital. All are within a 45-minute drive. The provincial Parc de la Jacques-Cartier (tel. 418/848-3169 in summer, 418/528-8787 in winter; www.sepaq.com/pq/jac/en) is off Route 175 north; Station Touristique Duchesnay (tel. 877/511-5885 or 418/875-2122; www.sepaq.com/duchesnay) is a resort in the town of Ste-Catherine-de-la-Jacques-Cartier; and Parc Mont Ste-Anne (tel. 888/827-4579 or 418/827-4561; www.mont-sainte-anne.com) is northeast of the city toward Charlevoix.

From about mid-November to late March, the HiverExpress shuttle service picks up passengers at over a dozen hotels in the morning to take them to Parc Mont Ste-Anne and Station Stoneham (where Parc de la Jacques-Cartier is) and returning them to Québec City in later afternoon. Round-trip fare the same day is C$25 (US$22/£11). Call tel. 418/525-5191 to make a reservation or ask if your hotel participates when booking a room.

In season, the HiverExpress shuttle service to the mountain that picks up from downtown hotels. The cars or minivans are equipped to carry ski gear and cost C$25 (US$22/£11) round-trip (the same day) per person. For information call tel. 418/525-5191.

Biking

Given the hilly topography of the Upper Town, biking isn't a particularly attractive option inside the walls. But there are lots of places to go for a couple hours right in the city, either along the river or up in Parliament Hill in the Parc des Champs-de-Bataille (Battlefields Park). Rentals are available at a shop next to the Marché du Vieux-Port (Old Port Market) in the flatter Lower Town: Cyclo Services, 160 rue du Quai St-André (tel. 418/692-4052) rents bikes for C$16 (US$14/£6.90) for 2 hours and C$25 (US$22/£11) for 12 hours, with other increments available. Bike trailers and electric bikes are available. The company also conducts guided tours on bicycle with several routes in the immediate environs of the city. It's open daily in summer. A marked path for cyclists (and in-line skaters) along the waterfront follows the second half of the route described in the Lower Town Walking Tour 2. Tourist information centers have bicycle trail maps and can point out a variety of routes depending on your time and interests.

Camping

There are over 20 campgrounds in the greater Québec City area, some with as few as 25 individual campsites and others up to about 250 (one even has 703 sites). Most have showers and toilets available. One of the largest (they even accept credit cards) is in the Parc Mont Ste-Anne. One of the smaller grounds, with 161 sites and chalet rentals, is Camping La Loutre (tel. 418/528-6868) on Lac Jacques-Cartier in the park of the same name. The tourist site www.quebecregion.com has details.

Canoeing

The several lakes and rivers of Parc de la Jacques-Cartier are fairly easy to reach, yet still seem to be in the midst of virtual wilderness. Canoes are available to rent in the park itself. The Station Touristique Duchesnay resort is directly on the shores of Lac Saint-Joseph and has canoeing, kayaking, and pedal boats for rent.

Cross-Country Skiing

In the city, the Parc des Champs-de-Bataille (Battlefields Park), where the Carnaval de Québec establishes its winter playground during February, has a network of groomed cross-country trails. Equipment can be rented at the Discovery Pavilion at 835 av. Wilfrid-Laurier, near the Citadelle (tel. 418/648-2586). The Station Touristique Duchesnay offers extensive trails on the grounds along with ski rentals. This is where the Ice Hotel is built each winter, making it well worth the trip out. There's also a spa, nightly accommodations, and a good bistro, Le Quatre-Temps, on the resort's campus. The Association of Cross-Country Ski Stations (www.rssfrq.qc.ca) has a list of maps and other options.

Dog Sledding

Aventure Inukshuk (tel. 418/875-0770; www.aventureinukshuk.qc.ca), at 143 route de Duchesnay in Ste-Catherine-de-la-Jacques-Cartier, is located in Station Touristique Duchesnay, near where the Ice Hotel is built each winter. Guides show you how to lead a sled pulled by six dogs. Even on the short 1-hour trip, you go deep into the hushed world of snow and thick woods, past rows of Christmas trees, and over a beaver pond. The company's 200-plus dogs live in a field of individual pens and houses under evergreen trees, and they work up an enormous cacophony of howls whenever a team of dogs is harnessed up and set to go. Guides work with the same dogs every day, training and caring for their teams themselves. Overnight trips with camping are available. The 1-hour trip, which includes an additional half-hour of training, is C$88 (US$76/£38). Children ages 6 to 12 are half price, and ages 2 to 5 go free. It's expensive, especially for families, but the memory stays with you.

Aventures Nord-Bec (tel. 418/889-8001; www.aventures-nord-bec.com), at 4 chemin des Anémones in Stoneham, is also about a half-hour from the city. It's a different direction, though, so dog sledding and a trip to the Ice Hotel can't be bundled into the same visit. You do, though, get a longer ride for your dollar. One-and-a-half to 2 hours of dog sledding in addition to a 20-minute lesson costs C$83 adult (US$72/£36) and C$25 (US$22/£11) ages 5 to 11.

Downhill Skiing

Foremost among the nearby downhill centers is Mont Ste-Anne, containing the largest total skiing surface in eastern Canada, with 65 trails (17 lit for night skiing). In season, the Hiver Express shuttle service to the mountain that picks up from downtown hotels. Farther away -- about an hour and a half north in the Charlevoix region -- Le Massif is a mountain almost directly on the St. Lawrence River.

Fishing

Anglers can wet their lines in the river that flows through the Parc de la Jacques-Cartier. The catches are mostly trout and salmon. Permits are required and can be purchased at many sporting-goods stores. Information on regulations for fishing is available from the Minstère des Ressources naturelles et de la Faune (tel. 866/248-6936; www.mrnf.gouv.qc.ca/faune).

Golf

Le Grand Vallon (tel. 888/827-4579 or 418/827-4653; www.legrandvallon.com) at Parc Mont Ste-Anne, is an 18-hole, par 72 course with tree-lined stretches, wide-open mid-course sections, four lakes, and 40 sand traps. Rates are C$36 to C$85 (US$31-US$74/£16-£37) and include golf cart, access to the driving range, and practice balls. Club rental is available.

Ice-Skating

In the wintertime, outdoor rinks (with skate rentals) are set up in the Place d'Youville just outside the Upper Town walls.

Swimming

Those who want to swim during their visit should plan to stay at one of the handful of hotels with pools. Fairmont Le Château Frontenac has one, as do Manoir Victoria, Château Laurier, Hilton Québec, Loews Le Concorde, and Château Bonne Entente.Village Vacances Valcartier, an all-season recreational center in St-Gabriel-de-Valcartier (1860 bd. Valcartier; tel. 418/844-1239) a half-hour from the city, has an immense wave pool and water slides.

Tobogganing

An old-fashioned toboggan run is created every winter down a steep staircase at the south end of the Terrasse Dufferin. It runs nearly all the way to the Château Frontenac. Tickets are sold at a temporary booth near the end of the run and include the use of toboggans.