Being located just about an hour out of Quebec City (photos) and less then hour southeast from Montreal (travel notes) in Eastern Townships we discovered mix of Quebecois and Anglo-Saxon history, cuisine, culture and everyday life.
Cantons-de-l’Est – Eastern Townships, Quebec
Upon arrival to our destination, B&B “Domaine des Chutes”, then browsing from town to town, discovering farms, orchards and they produce, discovering great variety of restaurants, craft shops, lakes and hills we have learned by talking to the inhabitants that from late 18th to early 19th century after American War of Independence, the first wave of American immigrants arrived wanting to stay loyal to the British crown. They were first settlers in the region. French Canadians started to settle in second part of the 19th century and today French Canadians are majority of population in the Eastern Townships, in French language called Cantons-de-l’Est.
Throughout the majestic mountains in Eastern Townships you’ll find Victorian towns, villages and farms that reflect New England heritage. The roads are scattered around the countryside surrounded with barns colored in red, fields of grain and just around next curve being replaced with vineyards or apple orchards.
In some of the local restaurants menus are prepared in a way that fresh produce from local farms, orchards and stores are used. To mention few local specialties; Blue cheese and Cider (apple wine). They are some of the specialties you must try.
There are also many innovative entrepreneurs in the region and if you try hard enough you may find chocolate museum, buy a soap containing percentage of a goat milk with unlimited choice of scent or you may end up on a golf course, lake, discover food festival, art gallery etc. You’ll find for every taste something and beside learning “Bon Jour” you will easily find a gift for someone back home so they too can enjoy a bit of the La Belle Provence.
Just with knowledge that region has a large number of artists we ended up being lucky that during our visit there was one of few organized studio tours. Very well prepared map was our guide from one town to another with artist’s homes or studios open to the public to view and purchase art work.
The B&B Domaine des Chutes, just outside of picturesque village of Frelighsburg is surrounded by forest with spectacular view from their rooms on waterfalls of the Pikes River. Pictures will tell more then words.
Address: 6 chemin des Chutes, Frelighsburg, Quebec, Canada.
Photo: guests enjoying hospitality and art work
At B&B Domaine des Chutes your hosts are artists too and you will enjoy their art work on every corner of their lovely home.
They were also more then happy to provide us with local maps, point interesting, tasty, artsy, historic and fun places to visit. Highly recommended!
We would recommend to spend minimum a weekend in Eastern Townships in any time of the year, explore local apple farms, try local produce, pick a pumpkin or two for a pie or Halloween, visit local towns, search for antics, take that perfect photo, relax by staying in some of local B&B’s, enjoy tranquility of quiet life not so far from a big and “loud” north-American cities and after two or tree days you’ll be planning your next trip back.
Eastern Townships on the map:
Hope you’ll enjoy Eastern Townships – Cantons-de-l’Est as much we did.
