View of the city of Quebec and Auberge Saint-Antoine © Francis Fontaine
Within the walls of the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Historic District of Old Québec, the centuries converge at Auberge Saint-Antoine, where antiquity meets modern luxury.
Auberge Saint-Antoine is a low-key museum, with 700 artifacts displayed throughout its guest rooms and public spaces. Tours are offered for hotel guests four times weekly and, if your curiosity is piqued, the Musée de la Civilisation is right around the corner, home to Québec’s largest ethnographic collection.
Left: in front of the hotel © Samuel Tessier
Right: one of the relics of the Auberge placed in the front door of one of the rooms. © Francis Fontaine
Old Québec is the only walled city north of Mexico and the first permanent colony in New France. When archaeological digs began at Auberge Saint-Antoine in 1988, porcelain, glass, and wrought-iron remnants were unearthed, everyday objects hinting at the lives of past inhabitants. Today, you'll find these fragments of history outside the doors of all 84 rooms and 11 suites, with a corresponding relic resting in the nightstand. Perhaps a chip from a stone tankard, a clay pipe, coins, an earthenware plate, or a Chinese porcelain teacup.
Three separate historic buildings comprise the hotel, including a former maritime warehouse built of sturdy stone that now houses Chez Muffy, Auberge Saint-Antoine's signature restaurant dishing up modern twists on French-Canadian classics. Much of the produce comes from the property's own farm on Île d'Orléans, just 20 minutes by car across a suspension bridge and a great place to visit in summer for agritourism.
Cozy up by the alcove fireplace at recently renovated Artefact after a day out exploring the city, while enjoying live jazz and sipping a local beer or apple Old Fashioned with a touch of cinnamon and maple.
