This summer, we’re doing – again! – the tour of Quebec. Each weekend, we offer you a few new or lesser-known attractions in a region of the province. Enough to complete your vacation itinerary or fill your days off. Today: heading for the Laurentians.
Hike for all in the treetops
Credit: Courtesy EKA Sentier des Cimes
A trail like no other opened its doors on July 24 in Saint-Faustin-Lac-Carré. This is the Sentier des Cimes, a wooded course of more than one kilometer (1250 m) built at tree height. The highest point of this footbridge is a 40 m observation tower which offers a 360 degree view of the Laurentian mountains. Built on the site of the former Saint-Faustin fish farm, the Sentier des Cimes includes educational panels and is accessible to everyone, including people in wheelchairs, scooters or strollers.
Credit: Courtesy EKA Sentier des Cimes
This type of course is a first for us, but there are others in Slovakia, Germany, Austria and other European countries.
Credit: Courtesy EKA Sentier des Cimes
Gourmet picnic in the orchard
Lower Laurentians
The summer season is generous and to take full advantage of it, nothing better than a meal of fresh and local products tasted in the open air. In the Lower Laurentians, in Saint-Benoît de Mirabel, the Cabane d’à Côté, little sister of the renowned Pied de Cochon, offers gourmet baskets to be enjoyed on its land. The menu, to be shared, is simple but full of finesse, and it changes every month according to the harvest. It is also possible to treat yourself to a picnic under the apple trees at Labonté de la pomme, in Oka. The company offers various gourmet baskets throughout the season. As for Domaine Lafrance, in Saint-Joseph-du-Lac, it has picnic tables available to visitors, who can get ready-to-eat meals on site.
Romantic stay in a luxury “little chalet”
The six luxury mini-chalets of the Les Petits chalets site opened their doors in December 2021, 20 minutes from Mont-Tremblant, in the beautiful nature of Val-des-Lacs. Designed for couples, these upscale accommodations feature a private hot tub and outdoor fire pit, indoor fire pit, double shower, overhead netting and skylight to admire the night sky. On the estate, a “resourcing center” with a yoga and meditation room is reserved for clients and courses and retreats will be offered there from autumn 2022.
Les Petits Chalets are located about twenty minutes from Mont-Tremblant and within walking distance of the Kanatha-Aki nature activity center, which offers horseback riding, zip lines, bison reserve and forest survival workshops, among others.