Quebec’s creative side

DAY ONE

In the morning: Grab some bagels from one of the Montreal’s iconic spots, like the famous St-Viateur Bagel Shop, which has been operating since 1957, before heading to Mont Royal Park. Explore the trails that weave through the park, located in the city’s central hill, and see if you can find its iconic Catholic cross – it is lit up each night – that overlooks the eastern side of Montreal.

If you prefer to be inside, head to the Biodome in Montreal’s Olympic Park, where you can experience the wonders of nature indoors. Walking through the expansive building, you will encounter plants and animals from different ecosystems across North and South America, including a tropical rainforest, the polar regions (including penguins from Antarctica) and the Laurentian Forest.

In the afternoon: Fuel up on fresh bread, pastries, cheeses and coffee at one of the city’s markets, such as the Jean Talon Market in Little Italy or the Marché Atwater close to the Lachine Canal. If you want to learn more about the markets in Montreal, Spade & Palacio offers a Beyond the Market walking tour of the different venues in the city starting in May. It currently offers a two-hour Montreal Mural Art Tour, which includes 20 massive works ranging from two- to nine-stories high, on weekend afternoons (it will take place daily beginning in May).

In the evening: Start by taking a spin in one of the climate-controlled gondolas at La Grande Roue de Montréal. Located in the Old Port, this Ferris wheel soars 60 metres high offering one-of-a-kind views of the city and St. Lawrence River. After, explore Old Montreal, and enjoy dinner at one of its many amazing restaurants.

Follow dinner by heading to the Palais des congrès de Montréal for OASIS Immersion, a sound and light show where the floors, walls and ceilings of three gallery spaces transform into ethereal landscapes of plants, geometric shapes and crystal-like patterns set to music. It is a walk-through experience with distanced seating areas, so you can pass through each gallery at your own pace.

DAY TWO

In the morning: Leaving Montreal, head across the Samuel de Champlain Bridge to explore Quebec’s Eastern Townships, a series of small villages and cities located between the St. Lawrence River and the border with the United States. Take Autoroute 10 before driving south on Autoroute 35 and then turning east onto Route 202.

This round-about journey takes longer to get to your destination, Knowlton, but follows a portion of the Chemin des Canton, offering insight into some of the communities – such as Bedford and Cowansville – settled by Americans and the British in the 1800s. It also follows part of the Route des vins, which highlights wineries and associated businesses that operate in this part of the province.

In the afternoon: Park in the town of Knowlton and visit a couple of its antique stores for hidden gems ranging from porcelain cups and plates to ceramics and jewelry, before ordering lunch at Restaurant Sapin Cuisine du Village.

Knowlton is inspiration for the fictional town on Three Pines in the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache mystery novels written by Canadian author Louise Penny, who lives in the area. Local resident Danielle Viau operates Three Pine Tours from May through October. Viau gives guided excursions of the real-life locations that Penny transformed into the fictional settings in her novels.

The Lac-Brome Museum houses a clue-filled painting which was created for the movie adaptation of Penny’s book “Still Life,” while Brome Lake Books has a Three Pines corner filled with copies of her novels and other memorabilia.

Leaving Knowlton head to the Abbaye de Saint-Benoît-du-Lac, a Benedictine monastery founded more than a century ago next to Lake Memphremagog. A community of about 30 monks still live at the monastery, spending their time in religious contemplation but also working the abbey’s farm and orchards. Products crafted by the community, including cheeses, fruit compotes, spreads and ciders, are sold in its gift shop. The monastery also inspired a location in Penny’s novels.  

For the drive

Download an audiobook of one of Louise Penny’s Armand Gamache novels and try to identify some of the local sites that inspired her work. Or listen to her latest novel, “State of Terror,” that she co-wrote with Hillary Rodham Clinton and is narrated by multiple Oscar nominee Joan Allen.

In the evening: Drive to the nearby community of Magog and check into Hotel Verso, a recently remodeled hotel featuring 54 rooms. First opened 70 years ago, Verso embraces its original mid-century modern esthetic, and some rooms include fireplaces and balconies. Records featuring some of Quebec’s singing legends from the 1960s and 1970s are framed and decorate the walls (verso means back, a clever nod to the records’ B-sides).

The hotel is located on Lake Memphremagog, with easy access to the waterfront pathway that runs through the part of Magog. Stretch your legs before dinner and be sure to check out the statue of Memphre, a lake monster that is said to reside in this 40-kilometre-long lake that stretches into Vermont.

Back at the Verso, sit down to a meal at the hotel’s restaurant, Kóz, with its menu inspired by Greek and Turkish cuisine. Start with the chicken koftas or eggplant and tomato salad before enjoying the rack of lamb served with pearl onions, grape tomatoes, grilled eggplant, salsa verde, pistachios, pomegranate and grilled lemon.

DAY THREE

In the morning: Drive 10 minutes from the hotel to Mont-Orford National Park, where you can spend your morning discovering some of its more than 58 square kilometres featuring mature forests, lakes and rolling mountains. Winter hiking is a great introduction to the park, with a 3.5-kilometre marked trail accessible near the Le Cerisier Discovery and Visitors Centre, where you can also rent crampons. If you feel like burning off a few more calories, you can also rent cross-country skiing equipment, snowshoes and fat bikes.

In the afternoon: Get back into your car and drive a half-hour west along Autoroute 10, and then Route 410, to Lennoxville, a suburb of nearby Sherbrooke. The community was founded in 1871 and is home to Bishop's University, a small liberal arts institution. Drop by the Upland Cultural and Heritage Centre, which is housed in an 1862 Neo-Georgian home and features historical artifacts and exhibits of local art and crafts. It also hosts a traditional British afternoon tea, complete with scones, pastries, cucumber sandwiches and Devonshire cream during part of the year.

After, head to the Golden Lion Pub and, once you designate a driver, try one of its six ales on tap, such as the Lion’s Pride, a dark brown ale, or its hoppier Bishop’s Best Bitter. Founded in 1973, the pub is a popular spot among university students and locals. In 1986 it become the first microbrewery to operate in Quebec.

In the evening: Finish your tour of the Eastern Townships by checking in at the Grand Times Hotel Sherbrooke. Centrally located downtown, the hotel has the feel of a New York hotel, with concrete and steel features and comfortable rooms to unwind in after your drive.

Walk the pathway around the Lac des Nation, located behind the hotel, and admire the scenery as well as the community’s Sports Hall of Fame, featuring granite plaques bearing the names and achievements of prominent local athletes, that lines the route.

After, dine on seasonal fare at Restaurant Auguste, located in historic downtown Sherbrooke. Sit at one of its tables or at the bar, where you can watch the chef’s create dishes such as duck and pistachio terrine, English-style fried haddock and homemade black pudding.

Coming up

Next week we head from the Eastern Townships to the provincial capital, Quebec City.

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DISCLAIMER The Toronto Star has partnered with Bonjour Quebec to bring you this road trip series. The writer travelled as a guest of Bonjour Quebec, which did not review or approve this article.

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