French Canada

Eastern Townships

Eastern Townships, Canada
Eastern Townships, Canada
Eastern Townships, Canada
Eastern Townships, Canada

Why visit the Eastern Townships of Québec

Just over an hour from Montréal, Québec’s Eastern Townships (Les Cantons-de-l’Est) are a serene patchwork of rolling hills, forests and storybook villages, perfect for those craving slow travel, local flavour and countryside charm.

This is rural Québec at its best. Vineyards, cideries and sugar shacks dot the landscape, offering exceptional food and drink rooted in tradition. You might taste raw milk cheese in a converted barn or sip wine with the maker in a family-run vineyard.

Autumn is especially striking, when fiery foliage transforms the hills into a painter’s palette. But the region rewards year-round, with hiking and lake swimming in summer, and snowshoeing and skiing in winter at laid-back resorts like Mont-Orford.

Towns such as North Hatley and Sutton brim with understated charm: wooden verandahs, lakeside cafés, antique bookshops and art studios. There’s a strong Anglo-French heritage here, creating a unique cultural mix and a welcoming spirit.

Autumn colours

The Eastern Townships offer some of the world’s most spectacular autumnal colours. Fiery reds, ochres and golds sweep across maple-clad hills, rivalling New England, but with fewer crowds and a more intimate, French charm.

A silent life

The Eastern Townships are home to silent orders of monks where you can sample their cheeses, ciders and chocolate. At Saint-Benoît-du-Lac, Benedictine monks break the silence to chant Gregorian hymns once a day; a serene experience set against the region’s rolling hills and lakeside views.

Eastern Townships, Canada

Highlights of the Eastern Townships

  • Saint-Benoît-du-Lac – A peaceful lakeside abbey where Benedictine monks chant daily. Sample handmade cheeses and apple cider, and explore the forested walking trails surrounding the monastery.

  • The Route des Vins – Québec’s oldest wine trail, winding through picturesque villages and rolling vineyards. Our experts can arrange private tastings with passionate vintners and behind-the-scenes cellar visits.

  • Lake Memphremagog – A vast glacial lake that stretches into the US. Perfect for kayaking, paddleboarding or a private sunset cruise past forested coves and heritage homes.

  • North Hatley – One of the region’s prettiest villages, with white clapboard houses, antique shops and a lakeside setting straight out of a storybook. Ideal for a leisurely stop-off.

  • Mont-Orford National Park – Maple forests, rugged peaks and mirror-like lakes – all spectacular year-round, but particularly vibrant in autumn. Excellent hiking, wildlife spotting and scenic lookouts.

  • Spa Nordic Station – A forest-fringed retreat near Magog offering hot pools, cold plunges and wood-fired saunas beside a mountain stream. Blissfully restorative after a day in the outdoors.

Good to know

Getting to the Eastern Townships

This region of Canada is best reached from Montréal which is around 90 90-minute drive. Alternatively, you can get there from Quebec City, a journey of around 3 hours by road.

When to go

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OUR FAVOURITE TIME TO VISIT

The Eastern Townships really are a year-round destination, but if you are only going to go once then it has to be in Autumn. The colours are staggeringly beautiful as all the maple leaves turn red, but you will have to plan early as the best spots book up well in advance.

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