A Monastery Stay, Some Hot Waters, and Perpetual Charm, Quebec City has Never Been Lovelier

A couple of months back, I found a new side to Quebec City.

I feel so alive in unfamiliar places. I wake up after five hours of sleep and run 10k, not even tired in the slightest. Watching every sunrise becomes an attainable goal. Sentences (in my - these days lazy - writer's brain) are firing all over the place. It was a good reminder to continually seek what lights us up in life. 

For various reasons, I was unable to book a trip out of the country for my first real vacation since the start of COVID, so I stuck to a place that holds so much charm and so many memories for me, Quebec City. With the European-like old city, deep history and French language, it does really feel like you've left the country. There's something incredibly calming about using language solely for communication as opposed to cleverness (I don't know enough French to be clever). And there's nothing more charming in my mind than the chorus of Bonjour that you hear every morning.

An additional draw this time around was hearing about a place called Monastere des Augustines from my Mom's friend. A 400-year-old monastery converted into part wellness retreat. Since my original plan out of the country had been a yoga retreat, this seemed like the perfect way to combine the best of all worlds. 

Monastere des Augustines

I felt pure calm from the moment I arrived at the modern/historic monastery turned part hotel and wellness centre. The Augustine nuns came over from Dieppe France nearly 400 years ago with the purpose of founding the first hospital north of Mexico. They were around even before the first doctors arrived in Quebec and their healing practises morphed through all phases of the development of modern western medicine. Despite this transformation, they maintained a focus on the treatment of the whole person and not just the symptoms present, which fits in perfectly with their current wellness focus.

As the years progressed, the number of nuns remaining in the order was diminishing, without any replenishment. So they made a decision that would allow their mission to be carried forward into the future, by donating the monastery to the people of Quebec and working with a number of different organizations to renovate the space into the wellness centre that it is today.

The experience is completely secular, and while you can appreciate the roots of the monastery, you will also feel completely at home regardless of your religious beliefs. I loved every part of my stay and would recommend it without question, but here are some of the highlights.

The Building

The original stone structure of the rectory and monastery are housed within sweeping panes of glass, white walls and wood accents with bright lighting. Quite a stunning juxtaposition. Original artifacts are artfully displayed against this minimalist canvas. Modern pictures of the old building are hung on the walls. The accommodations are in a remodelled part of the old monastery, so you walk along creaking wood floors to get to your room. You can take the elevator, or walk up one of the oldest wooden staircases in Canada, which the nuns insisted remain, even though it's currently leaning at about a 45-degree angle.

The Rooms

You can choose to stay in one of the nun’s original cells, decorated with vintage beds and furniture, and use a beautifully remodelled shared bathroom with colourful mosaic floors. Or choose the newly refurbished rooms, that are bright, clean and modern but hold the original charm of the old latch windows and modern photographs of the original monastery. These rooms hold the additional draw of a private bath, with a super deep tub for soaking, which became my end-of-day routine. Sunrise seeps in through the lovely latched windows every morning, with a distant view of the St. Lawrence river.

The Vivoir

The onsite restaurant is also a relaxation zone, and a massive healthy breakfast buffet is included in the price of each room. Breakfast is taken in silence, just as it was when the nuns had the run of the place. With plant walls, wicker shades, and a calming green and white aesthetic, it's a peaceful reprieve from the tourist centre that the monastery now sits within. Each table displays a book on mindful eating, and you’re encouraged to try to eat mindfully when you’re there, focussing on the atmosphere surrounding the experience, the smell of the food, its texture and taste while hitting various points in your mouth, how you feel after you’ve eaten said food, etc.

You can also choose to book lunch or dinner in the restaurant, which guarantees you hours of access to the corresponding buffets and the ability to use the space for rest and reflection.

The Property

Vaults

One of the oldest original spaces in the monastery is the basement vault, which used to be where food was stored, and now is home to the most acoustically impressive and beautiful yoga/concert space. 

Museum

Walking through the halls at night in total silence, on the same floors as the original nuns, surrounded by old photographs and relics, is a bit magical. These halls open during the day to host one of the most attractive and interesting museums I’ve visited. Mostly focussed on the history of the nuns, their mission, and the development of modern medicine from ancient techniques. Since the nuns were in Quebec before doctors, there is quite a fascinating history of medicine displayed within the walls. Even if you’re not staying in the monastery, I recommend a visit to the museum.

The Rectory

There are now only 7 nuns that remain on-premises, and they continue to sing their services, every prayer, in daily masses. The sound is ethereal. It's definitely something to try to catch while you can.

The Treatments

Healing treatments 

These treatments are held in refurbished rooms around the monastery, including Mother Superior's original cell. There are a number of massages to choose from, but I selected the 1639 (the year the monastery was built) which instead of oils, uses their proprietary shea butter blend, which you get to take home with you.

I also booked a session in a Neurobed, which was new to me. The sound of a storm and light piano music played while the bed vibrated in tune with the music across different parts of the body. A very relaxing experience.

Capping off my wellness journey was some energy healing, and these are always hit or miss for me. But this one was incredibly relaxing and she used a technique called polarization treatment to bring my body back in line with its natural healing properties.

Daily Activities

In addition to the booked treatments, there are daily programs offered, and another list of monthly programs is included on the schedule on their website. 

Daily yoga takes place at 4:30 P.M. in the stunning vault, which is the perfect zen-like room to clear out all of the outside debris of life. At one point we were all asked to hum, and the sound vibrating off of the walls sent a rush of warmth up the spine.

Morning meditation walks combine a meditative walk where you inhale and exhale in tune with your steps while looking down and blocking out distractions to the best of your ability. It feels a bit silly at first, everyone walking in silence in the middle of a city (I’ve only done this before at meditation retreats in the middle of nature). But we got used to it pretty quickly. The guide would take a different path each day and stop to provide city facts, and also gave prompts for different ways to view the elements on your walk, emphasizing the different ways to look at life, situations, problems, and joy.

I also bought tickets to a Tibetan bowls concert, also in the vault, which provides incredible acoustics for the sonorous bowls. This was more of a short concert, accompanied by different meditative prompts, including a laughing meditation and an opportunity to wear a bowl on your head and hit it with a small hammer. You'll definitely forget your worries in this moment. 

The land outside the monastery was sold and sits right at the edge of the old city. You really couldn't find a better-located hotel to explore the magic that is Quebec City. 

Quebec City

I've been to QC a few times before, so it was comforting and nostalgic to match my memories to the landscape as I stumbled upon familiar corners.

But I also found so many new haunts and completely different sides of the city as I saw it with new eyes. Runners are everywhere, cross country skiers as well, streets are steep, and historical buildings line pretty much every street. It’s such a beautiful place!

On day two of my trip, I stumbled on the staircase leading down to a cobblestone street filled with artisans, that figured prominently in my memories of QC. A rush of nostalgia filled me as I found the small shop where years ago I’d treated myself to a watch by Akteo, that had a quill and fountain pen as clock hands. At the time, I thought I was close to finishing my book and I reasoned that it would be a good gift to get myself to celebrate that milestone. It ended up taking me another three years to finish the book (and I’m sure I treated myself to other souvenirs to mark other milestones along that path) but this remained my favourite. The memory of that time when I was so excited about writing and fully immersed in the activity of creating gave me back a bit of a long-lost spark.

The vibe in QC is quite celebratory, and you can find live music pretty much every night of the week. Even Monday was a good time! I also stumbled on the Atlas Obscura website and decided to seek out one of the hidden attractions in the city, which was an old CN rail tunnel that runs 30k under the city itself. 

I got stuck in the citadel. Sank into icy snow banks of the not-cleared parks. Bought a cheap bottle of local wine and drank it in my hotel room with a book and a bath to close out the evenings. I climbed every mountain in this cobblestone city, browsed in artisan and antique shops, and ate everything my heart desired. It was bliss, especially the Nordic spas, of which there are a few to choose from.

The Nordic spas

After living in Japan, I became obsessed with the “spa” or bathing experience. The alternating hot, cold, and rest formula combining steam rooms, saunas, hot tubs, and cold plunge pools. Quebec city has a number of these and I visited two, which I highly recommend.

Siberia

I took a cab outside of the city one night to visit this spa (bonus, it’s cheaper at night!), set right off of the highway, but in a completely natural and remote-feeling setting. This spa boasts many smaller hot tubs, and multiple steam room options, including one with an ice fountain that you can pour over yourself for the hot/cold experience. One of the cold plunges is actually a cut-out in a dock on the edge of the river (SO COLD), and there were multiple "rest" rooms with fireplaces and hammock chairs. It was serene with the stars above, and the trees hanging over creating shadows in the sparkling snow. There's also a simple cute cafe serving comfort food like soups and grilled cheeses.

Strom

Strom was the opposite vibe. Modern and clean lines, and almost resort-like in feel as it sits on the St. Lawrence river near the city centre. It has multiple large hot tubs facing the water, complete with an infinity pool, waterfalls, a floating river, and multiple firepits. This spa had the addition of a salt scrub area and a beautiful restaurant where I sipped white wine and ate French cheese. For an extra 25 dollars,  you can enter the floating bath area, where you put on a neck pillow and float in a pool filled with salt water amidst the warm glow of light sconces and the sound of classical music piping through the water. 

Chateau Le Frontenac

On my last night, I really treated myself to a night at the historic Chateau Le Frontenac. I upgraded to a room that faced a corner of the city, and the expanse of the St. Lawrence river, and I sat on the large windowsill with a new bottle of wine and watched the freighters float by. It was magical. I spent some time in their pool/spa area, had a nice drink in the bar, and enjoyed sleeping in the most comfortable bed I’ve laid in in a long time.

Restaurants I recommend

The Pub St. Patrick is a go-to every time I'm in QC. A classic 
Irish Pub with live music, the most delicious Salmon Tartar and a good selection of beer. 

The St. Alexandre with daily live music, burgers and the most incredible Poutine.

Chex Rioux and Pettigrew, if you want a bit of a fancy indie flair, with the most delectable scallop cake, assorted seafood and an amazing selection of wine.

For a good old traditional Quebecois meal, Aux Anciens Canadiens has a great lunch set menu with all of the faves (I had some meat pate and Tortiere, wine and some dessert) to fully put you into a food coma.

And for some traditional food, at a place even the locals visit, I recommend Le Buffet de l'Antiquaire, where I had an amazing Paté Chinois (Quebec version of shepherd’s pie) and a bit of a local and historical diner vibe. 

And for a chain that had one of the best breakfasts, and accompanying Caesar Cochon Dingue.

I came back to a bunch of shit, literally. Some pigeons had moved onto my balcony and there were about 100 pigeon turds that I needed to trash. Ah, life, the beauty and the shit. Until the next time, I definitely recommend you Pay Quebec City a visit!