A Weekend in Montérégie, Quebec

From world-renowned ice cider to 15th-century forts, the Montérégie area has Quebec covered.

Minutes away from Montreal’s South Shore, the Montérégie stretches from the St. Lawrence River to the American border. Our journey began in the region’s south end, following the Richelieu River northward along the Chemin des Patriotes (Route 133). The picturesque road is peppered with heritage sites and thriving farms, which make the most of the fertile land’s offerings. We turned our trip into a taste test, stopping to sample some of the terroir’s best along the way.

Back in the days of colonization, 14 forts were erected along the Richelieu River – first to protect the French from the Iroquois and the English, and later to defend the colony against the Americans. In addition to a blockhouse built in 1781 on the Lacolle River, there are two remaining forts. One of these, Fort Chambly, from 1665, sits on the riverbank and can be visited throughout the winter (reservations required).

An imposing mound criss-crossed by 24 kilometres of trails, Mont Saint-Hilaire provides a shot of the outdoors. If the snow is packed, leave your snowshoes in the car and tackle the hill by foot. At the top you’ll be rewarded with a clear view of the region and a chance to spy some of the 250 or so species of forest dwellers that live in the country’s first Biosphere Reserve.

The Relais & Châteaux member Les Trois Tilleuls, located riverside in Saint-Marc, includes a knockout restaurant, where young chef Julien Lahourde seduced us with his Saint-Jacques ravioli with a chorizo emulsion. The inn is also home to Canada’s only Spa Givenchy. Travel the world without leaving your massage table, thanks to the Oriental-Occidental Fusion treatment – a soothing cocktail of shiatsu, Thai and Swedish massage techniques.

Tracing the Richelieu River, you’ll come across a slew of pretty villages, including Saint-Marc, Saint-Denis and Saint-Antoine, with grandiose homes. One Moorish-style building is particularly distinctive: built at the turn of the last century by Louis-Joseph Cartier (a relation of Georges-Étienne), it now houses the luxe reception hall Château Saint-Antoine. The centenarian stone houses in Calixa-Lavallée, the birthplace and namesake of the man who composed Canada’s national anthem, are also worth a close look.

The New France-inspired menu at Fourquet Fourchette, in Chambly, boasts smoked pork loin and mushrooms braised in Maudite, a local brew. To finish, we tried the Du Minot Doré, a golden cider brandy produced in Hemmingford and aged in oak barrels – a just-so end to our Montérégie jaunt.