Canada
Just over an hour’s drive from Montreal, the Eastern Townships unfold their charm. Ranked as a must-visit destination by the New York Times in 2023, the region offers superb scenery along its wine route.
The scenery is so perfect, it’s like something out of a Hollywood movie: XXL-sized national parks, forests where maple leaves explode in a thousand colors in autumn, sparkling lakes and welcoming towns and villages. A peaceful, timeless atmosphere. All that’s missing is a best-selling author cut off from the world or a former industrial baron meditating on the meaning of life. If the Eastern Townships didn’t invent the concept of the slow life, it’s simply because they live it every day, with close proximity to nature, conviviality and local products from passionate producers.
A tourist destination since 1850, thanks to the development of the railroads and the infatuation of wealthy Americans with the region, the Eastern Townships are a vast 12,000 km2 playground for sports enthusiasts and nature lovers.
Wild charm
In summer, skis, snowshoes and ice skates give way to sneakers for hiking or biking in one of the four national parks, bathing suits for swimming and various water sports, fishing rods for catching fish from a boat on the lake or hitting a few golf balls. The list quickly becomes an inventory Ă la PrĂ©vert, but let’s not forget paddleboarding, which is practised almost everywhere in the region, notably at Au Diable Vert, a concept that brings together different activities to encourage visitors to experience Quebec’s wilderness. Literally immersed in the trees, with views of the Appalachians and the Green Mountains, the place is located in the Sutton mountain range. Sitting in a recumbent bike suspended from a cable, all you have to do is pedal, and you’re off on a one-kilometre ride that winds high up between the peaks, along the mountain, over waterfalls and through ravines, offering spectacular scenery and views.
The richness of nature is also expressed in national parks, such as Mont-Orford, over 58 km 2 , located north of the town of Magog. The park is a true paradise for hikers – even the less experienced – who progress through mature forests dominated by sugar maple. An easy hike is to follow the path that leads to a rocky T-shaped cape, offering breathtaking panoramic views of the region with the city of Magog, Lake Memphremagog and Lake Orford.
Wines to discover
The Eastern Townships have also made a name for themselves with their increasingly successful wines. A gamble that was far from won when, in the 1980s, a group of wine enthusiasts, including Christian Barthomeuf of Domaine des CĂŽtes d’Ardoise and Charles-Henri de Coussergues of Domaine de l’Orpailleur, decided to make Quebec wines. They came up against all kinds of obstacles, from alcohol regulations to harsh climatic conditions and consumer prejudice. But no matter! It took more than that to discourage them, especially as they were soon joined by other winemakers.
Today, with 3.1 million bottles produced and sold by 2022, Quebec wines are making a name for themselves. Diversity is the order of the day, with over 30 grape varieties, including Seyval white, Frontenac red and Maréchal Foch. The Brome-Missisquoi Wine Route, which can be explored by car or bicycle, stretches for 160 kilometers through rural landscapes, sometimes giving the pleasant sensation of being alone in the world. The route, which offers ten circuits, includes 22 vineyards, some of them the oldest in the province.
The CĂŽtes d’Ardoise estate, with its flowered paths through the vineyards and sculptures, is a must-see, as is the Domaine de l’Orpailleur, in Dunham, whose name was coined by singer and poet Gilles Vigneault. The name refers to the gold miners who once prospected in the gold-bearing rivers of the Eastern Townships. This roadtrip is also an opportunity to stroll through towns and villages, sample local products – cheeses, microbrewery beers, chocolate… – and discover original restaurants like Espace Old Mill. Part farm, part farm table, part inn, part boutique, this place was created by Jean-Martin Fortier, Quebec’s star of sustainable agriculture. As an added bonus, Air Canada operates direct flights from Geneva and Zurich to Montreal, five times a week in winter and daily in summer.