The Monastere des Augustines in Quebec City might be the only place in the world where a guest can wake in what was once a nun’s cell, go downstairs to a vault built in the 1600s for early morning yoga, catch the sisters singing vespers and then eat a vegetarian breakfast in monastic silence.
While this may sound like a bit of a mash-up, it makes perfect sense to an order of nuns who built and ran Quebec City’s first hospital. The first three Augustinian nuns came to Quebec in 1639. They founded their original hospital five years later, treating both native people and French settlers. Medicine was scarce, so some sisters became apothecaries. As novitiates decreased and sisters aged, turning their convent into a wellness center allowed them to continue caring for people, body and soul. The center, which opened in 2015, combines the centuries-old convent with a new modern glass and steel infrastructure.
Quebec City is about 150 miles northeast of Montreal, on the Saint Lawrence River. The monastery is located within the old walled city — a UNESCO World Heritage site featuring cobblestone streets and buildings dating back to the 17th century.
Many people say that a visit to Quebec feels like being in Europe, only without the long plane ride.
French is the official language, but many people speak English.
Quebec City: A day at the monastery
The monastery offers three movement classes daily. All are gentle forms of yoga and chi gung, with the noon class requiring slightly more energy. The silent breakfast is served buffet style — fresh fruit, cereals, breads, nut butters, potatoes and eggs. Guests can speak at lunch and dinner, where they can order entrees and help themselves to the creative salad bar. The monastery is part of a co-op with six participating restaurants that buy organic produce from local farmers. It’s also one of only three properties in the province with the highest green building rating.
Guest rooms fall into two classes — authentic and contemporary. But don’t worry, “authentic” is an exaggeration. The early nuns surely didn’t have such comfortable mattresses or nice bedding. The original doors remain, reminding guests that people were much shorter in the 1600s, and rooms have antique wardrobes and chairs. Shared clean and spacious bathrooms are down the hall. Contemporary rooms come with private baths and more modern furnishings.
Visitors can book a room like in a regular hotel, or select a wellness package which includes some of the monastery’s other offerings, such as classes, massage, nutrition counseling and holistic health consultations. The spa services focus on health, not beauty or weight loss. Packages range from the one-night Discovery and Balance stay to the five- to seven-night Regeneration stay, and include all meals.
Quebec City: Getting Outside
Tempting as it is to stay at the wellness center all day doing yoga and getting massaged, outside the monastery walls a fascinating city beckons. You might want to roam the streets of old Quebec City looking at historic buildings of architectural interest, or tour the boutiques and bakeries. Quebec also has excellent trails: Both the Saint Lawrence and the Saint Charles rivers are easily accessible from the walled city and offer more than 20 kilometers each of trails for biking, walking, roller-blading and running. In the winter, these turn into cross-country ski and snow-shoe trails.
The Plains of Abraham is another popular outdoor recreation spot in the city. Once the site of the 1759 Battle of Quebec, this urban park now offers gardens, trails and river views, a few cannons, and fortifications and ramparts built in a distinctive star shape.
Retreat: Strom Spa
The Strom Spa, which opened last fall, features several Nordic circuits of hot water, cold plunges, steam rooms and saunas right on the bank of the Saint Lawrence River. Winter retreat guests can enjoy heated sidewalks between pools, or lounge about watching icebergs crash into each other. Summer guests can relax in swing chairs hung by the river. Strom’s special amenities include Tibetan meditation ceremonies in the steam room and North America’s largest float bath. By adding 1,500 pounds of salt to the water, the float bath replicates the feel of the Dead Sea, but in a black room lit only underwater. Ambient music plays from underwater speakers.
Quebec City: If you go
United Airlines offers the fastest connections from Richmond to Quebec City. Or, you can choose between major carriers and fly from Richmond or Norfolk to Montreal. If you’re spending a few days in Montreal, the train journey to Quebec City is short, scenic and comfortable. Much of Quebec City is walkable and bike-friendly. Other transportation options include taxi, rental car or the metro bus. Uber does not operate in Quebec City.