Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré is a small town on the north shore of the St. Lawrence, about 35 km northeast of Quebec City. It exists in the travel imagination because of the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, a major Catholic pilgrimage site that gives the town a seriousness out of proportion to its size.
This is not a second Quebec City, and it should not be treated as one. The reason to come is the shrine, the old religious landscape around it, and the nearby Canyon Sainte-Anne, where the Sainte-Anne-du-Nord River drops through a steep gorge. Together they make a strong half-day or easy day trip from Quebec City.
The town is simple and spread along the river road. Come for the basilica's scale, the votive crutches near the entrance, the quiet side chapels, and the feeling of a pilgrimage place that has been drawing people here since the 17th century.