TRAVEL
Fall for the Eastern Townships
Come autumn, this southern Québec region draws eco-minded travellers with sunset-hued foliage, outdoor adventures and plenty of local flavour.
By Claire Sibonney
At the scenic and sustainably managed Abbaye de Saint-Benoît-du-Lac, Benedictine monks produce cheeses using traditional methods. | PHOTO: COURTESY OF DESTINATION OWL'S HEAD
WITH ITS PICTURESQUE historic villages and landscapes that range from bucolic to dramatic, it’s easy to fall in love with Québec’s Eastern Townships. Just a 90-minute drive southeast of Montréal, tucked into the Appalachian foothills north of the U.S. border, Les Cantons de L’Est are home to communities shaped by generations of Abenaki, British, American, Irish, Scottish and French Canadian settlement.
“For sustainability-minded travellers, it's an ideal time to slow down and savour all that the Townships have to offer, from idyllic bike paths to flavour trails to mountaintop vistas.”
This relatively small corner of Québec is rich and diverse, marked by a connection to the land that is rooted in its farming traditions, local foodways and a culture of artisanal production. In fall, grapes ripen on the vine, markets brim with the last crops of the season, and trails soften under a layer of leaves. For sustainability-minded travellers, it’s an ideal time to slow down and savour all that the Townships have to offer, from idyllic bike paths to flavour trails to mountaintop vistas.
PEDAL, SIP, SAVOUR
Spanning 235 kilometres between Montréal and Sherbrooke, the Véloroute Gourmande runs from the Montérégie region into the Eastern Townships along biking trails and quiet roads, passing by golden fields, shimmering lakes and rolling hills. It connects 127 gourmet and agritourism stops, including microbreweries, distilleries, organic grocers, farm-to-table restaurants and more. It’s designed as a self-guided bicycling trip spread over four or more days, with optional one-way shuttle service, car drop-off and luggage transport to make logistics easier. Along the route, 35 businesses now offer free e-bike charging — no purchase required.
There’s no shortage of treats and delicacies to fuel your cycling. “Local sourcing is a key part of the experience,” says trail coordinator Julie Desmarais. In Saint-Lambert, wine shop and bar Buvette Saucette sources organic ingredients from nearby micro-farms and serves natural wines alongside seasonal small plates. Granby restaurant Maison Boire bakes sourdough in a wood-fired oven, sources only local meats and aims to be fully zero-waste by 2027. North Hatley’s Manoir Hovey, a luxury lakeside retreat, creates artful dishes with produce from its English garden. Looking for edible souvenirs to take home? Sherbrooke’s Marché de la Gare is a must-visit stop for picking up fresh local products, says Desmarais. SAY CHEESE If your tastes run to the rich, oozy and unctuous, the Townships’ Cheesemakers’ Circuit includes stops at more than a dozen fromageries, primarily small-scale operations that prioritize tradition and sustainability.
La Station de Compton operates on a fourth-generation regenerative organic dairy farm alongside a 6,000-tap sugar maple grove. More than 200 cows graze in the pastures, and, inside the barn, rest on bovine-sized waterbeds and groom themselves on large hanging brushes. “The cows are happy, and that means they’ll produce good milk,” says Vincent Bolduc. This assertion is borne out by the raw-milk cheeses La Station produces, including the award-winning nutty Alfred le Fermier.
At Abbaye de Saint-Benoît-du-Lac, Benedictine monks use a combination of modern and traditional sustainable methods to produce cheeses, including Ermite, Québec’s first blue cheese, and the milder Frère Jacques. Some of the process is still done by hand, from moulding to aeration, and the surrounding orchards, open for fall apple-picking, support biodiversity as a pollinator habitat using natural pest control. Stewardship is built into the monastic philosophy. “These are goods that have been entrusted to us,” says the Abbaye’s development associate Justin Ruiss. “We’re meant to take care of them.”
(Left to right) In Mont-Orford National Park, kayakers get a panoramic view of the brilliant fall foliage from the water; Maison Boire's fire-cooked scallops, creamy polenta, chorizo and clams; aging cheeses at Fromagerie La Station. | PHOTOS: ILIESCU/ALAMY; COURTESY OF MAISON BOIRE; COURTESY OF TOURISM EASTERN TOWNSHIPS
PEAK EXPERIENCES
On weekends from mid-September to mid-October, the Eastern Townships’ ski hills draw visitors — from thrill-seekers to leaf-peepers — with fall festivals and plenty of outdoor fun.
At Mont-Orford's La Flambée des couleurs, guests can enjoy scenic trails, food trucks, live music and a family zone, plus a free shuttle bus to travel easily between festival sites. Mont Sutton offers guided hikes, chairlift rides, disc golf, mountain biking, concerts and, for the daring, a giant zipline and “zipline coaster.” Bromont transforms into an adventure playground with aerial games, mountain sledding, a climbing wall and a “trampo-bungee,” while at Owl’s Head, chairlift access offers sweeping views over Lake Memphremagog and the surrounding peaks. With so much on offer, it's clear that there are plenty of reasons to head uphill(s) before the ski season begins. WETLAND WANDERING Birders and other nature lovers will enjoy the network of marshes, bogs and ponds criss-crossing the Eastern Townships, especially during migration season.
In Cookshire-Eaton, the Parc écoforestier de Johnville winds through a rare peat bog shaped by the last ice age. Sharp-eyed hikers may spot a white-tailed deer or northern harrier. At Étang Burbank, a pond in Danville, a major late-fall attraction is the return of migratory snow geese, which arrive by the thousands in a raucous, feathered frenzy.
Magog’s Marais de la Rivière aux Cerises is home to one of the province’s longest trails on stilts, stretching across wetlands where warblers flit between branches and great blue herons patrol the shallows. The plant-cell-inspired Interpretation Centre on site is “a model of green architecture,” says Jo-Annie Chicoine, the Marais’ communications officer. “It’s a destination for learning about the fauna and flora of Québec, nature and sustainable development.”
A wetland-spanning bridge and boardwalk at Marais de la Rivière aux Cerises. | PHOTO: COURTESY OF MONT-ORFORD
“Magog's Marais de la Riviere aux Cerises is home to one of the province's longest trails on stilts, stretching across wetlands where warblers flit between branches and great blue herons patrol the shallows.”
Mont-Mégantic's ASTROLab, at the heart of the Dark Sky Preserve, offers both daytime and nighttime tours. | PHOTO: COURTESY OF REMI BOUCHER
Cozy green lodgings at Hébergement aux Cinq Sens. | PHOTO: JEAN-SIMON BÉGIN/TOURISME CANTONS-DE-E'EST
STARRY NIGHTS In fall, the cool, dry air and earlier nightfall enhance views of the Milky Way and seasonal meteor showers, making stargazing in the Townships feel especially magical. At Parc national du Mont-Mégantic, the world’s first International Dark Sky Reserve, campers can book forested sites or ready-to-camp shelters; after dark, the local group Zenderfull leads guided night hikes and astrophotography sessions. While you’re waiting for night to fall, visit the park’s ASTROLab to watch a 4K film on cosmic evolution and get a virtual reality tour of the solar system. Then access the mountaintop observatory to chat with astronomers about their research.
For those who prefer glamping to camping, Hébergement aux Cinq Sens offers eco-certified lodging in yurts, tiny houses and off-grid chalets. Guests can take part in guided stargazing excursions, medicinal plant walks or a silent forest hike. And each stay includes an immersive audio experience featuring live drum and flute, Indigenous storytelling and reflections on sustainability. For owner Paule Rochette, a member of the Huron-Wendat First Nation, it’s all grounded in the “heritage of a tradition respectful towards nature and all its relations.”
It’s just the kind of experience the Eastern Townships do so well, shaped by a philosophy that prizes tradition, environmental values, and above all, an appreciation for all the natural world has to offer. For this brief, perfect stretch before winter settles in, the crisp air of the mountains and nature’s final flare — in glorious amber and scarlet — belong to you. AMA
Where are we?
Zoom in and select the pins to see where every location mentioned in the story is in the Eastern Townships region.
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