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Published on May 11, 2018
If you like hitting the open road, you’ll love the Eastern Townships. Roll down your windows, crank the tunes, and follow one of three routes (Wine Route, Townships Trail, and Summit Drive) to discover all of the region’s hidden gems.
With 22 wineries concentrated within a 25-kilometre radius, the Wine Route is an oenophile’s dream. It offers fantastic views, (think vineyards, lakes, rolling hills and valleys), but also a wide array of activities that make every stop along the Route more enjoyable than the last. At Vignoble de l’Orpailleur, for example, wine-lovers can crack open a bottle of bubbly, while at Domaine des Côtes d’Ardoise, they can wander around a sculpture garden. During September and October, a number of wineries encourage visitors to participate in the harvest by gathering the fruit and inviting them to stomp, barefoot, on the grapes! If you’ve packed a lunch, remember that wineries often offer scenic spots to enjoy a picnic. In addition to picnic areas, you’ll find plenty of great restaurants along the way.
To drive the Townships Trail is to discover the region’s idyllic scenery as well as its American and British roots. This route winds through some of the area’s oldest counties founded by early American and British settlers. Prepare to be charmed by the picturesque old-world villages—many deemed the most beautiful in the province—while discovering the unique history of the Eastern Townships. In total, the route spans 430 kilometres of open road complete with breathtaking views and historical stops, including Ulverton’s Woollen Mills, the Musée ferroviaire de Waterloo, Cookshire’s Maison de la culture John-Henry Pope and more. You can also stop in the city of Sherbrooke to peruse its 16 historical frescoes or in Magog for one of many different guided tours on offer. As the saying goes: So much to see, so little time!
Two national parks (Parc national de Frontenac and Parc national du Mont-Mégantic), nine mountains, and Mont-Mégantic’s International Dark Sky Preserve and ASTROLab, which gives visitors an extraordinary vantage point on the heavens above. The Summit Drive now extends all the way to Parc régional du Mont-Ham that, like a stalwart watch guard, stands 713 metres tall and offers a stunning 360-degree panoramic view on the region. Southern Quebec’s highest peaks offer breathtaking views—not to mention plenty of opportunity to enjoy outdoor activities like hiking, mountain biking and many more. Are you up to the challenge?
