Notes from a Quebec touring of the Eastern Townships…(2023 edition)
Quebec visits are like visiting France, even more so these days with their language exclusion legislation, French everywhere. The only place English is used is in restaurants where menus have English though this is not guaranteed, likely the restaurant’s option.
Still, instead of repeating the cliched phrase, “like traveling in a local France,” which it is, I will emphasize numerous additional things that reinforce the ‘belle’ in the belle province.
The township towns are crowded one after the other, making it feel European in that you traverse quaint villages, one after the other, in short bursts of time. Our tour was intended as a revisit of the south and north shore communities northeast of Quebec City.
Drummondville
Overnight stop in Drummondville is a practical first leg. Though Drummondville has an excellent choice of highly praised restaurants, we chose the ubiquitous St. Hubert, the Swiss Chalet of Quebec and were very pleased with the tastiness and quantity of our order. There was enough for the next day’s lunch.
Recommended route. . . QC 132
The CAA triptik details the best routes to use to travel through the area in which we wanted to travel…between Kamouraska and Riviere du Loup. It is better to take the region in small chunks with repeated visits as each locality has much to enjoy.
Kamouraska…Walk the towns
Each town offers a variety of things to see, local beers and wines to enjoy and delicious ‘homemade cooking’ good foods must be tried. Local wines, regional cheeses and even smoked fish from area fishermen. In Kamouraska, be sure to lunch on the St. Lawrence shoreline at the Cafe du Clocher…soup and charcuterie plate for two, a must.
Riviere du Loup
Quaint, large enough to offer more than the small villages, but still small enough to give it the special warmth of rural Quebec. Visit the Quebec information centres when you see them and ask about tourist attractions in each area to benefit the most from what is available.
There’s a picturesque waterfall that should be seen and hiked called ‘La Chute’…nice, worth a visit.
Ferry crossing within the region
The St. Lawrence River can be crossed by ferry from Riviere du Loup the cost of which was just under $100. A very scenic approximately one-hour crossing with whale sighting possibilities.
Baie St. Paul
From ferry docking travel south for a must-visit town, Baie St. Paul where there is a downtown filled with artists shops and crafts stores. A must 1-2 hour visit.
St. Anne de Beaupre
St. Anne de Beaupre is a beautiful Catholic shrine cathedral. Magnificent and worth seeing what old Quebecois built to honor their saints. An hour is sufficient for this visitation.
Quebec City
This historical city deserves a full day of tour walking. From the famous Chateau Frontenac, be taken down to the old city by taking the funicular ($5 cash CAN/per person). Walking down and funicular back works for many people. The old town is an absolutely essential part of visiting Quebec City.
Montreal
There is so much to do and see in Montreal, the city needs to be visited on an independent trip where that gets 2-4 days of time.
