Photo : Pierre-Nicolas Lessard
Near the Old Capital is a well-kept secret for road trips and history-themed tours − La Route de la Nouvelle-France! While you can set out to discover it year-round, it can be done by car, bicycle or even from your living room, thanks to the new interactive map and digital experience: https://www.routedelanouvellefrance.com/
Photo : Go Van
Not requiring a mobile app, the digital experience proposes loads of content: photos, panoramic photos, an audio tour as well as informational content. Across the entire territory covered by La Route de la Nouvelle-France, designated signage bearing a QR code takes you directly to the sight’s fact sheet. Tall and small can both learn interesting historical facts about their ancestors and the early colonial days of New France. An interactive terminal can also be consulted at Sanctuaire Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré Welcome Centre. And lastly, a special local walking tour at the heart of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, between the pier and the end of rue du Sanctuaire, is also an invitation to explore further.
Photo : Au Québ
Podcasts of Historical Figures
Presented as podcasts, several individuals tell their story. Among them are James Wolfe, commander of the British troops at the capture of Québec City, in 1759, by the English, an important figure during the Conquest; Samuel de Champlain, the founder of Québec City and known as the Father of New France; and Louis Jolliet, an explorer who discovered Mississippi, born on Côte-de-Beaupré in 1645, and whose family is one of the region’s founding families.
Information Capsules
A vast inventory of heritage buildings and sites, archeological sites, ancestral land and commemorative plaques has been listed, so the interactive map contains a wealth of historical information. As you explore La Route de la Nouvelle-France, do note the many root cellars, convents, chapels and churches, founding families’ plaques, etc. Did you know that when it was built, Hôpital Sainte-Anne and its restaurant service served both as a hotel for sick pilgrims, and as a hospital for the region’s residents?
Photo : Manon Dumas
Sites for More Discoveries
La Grande Ferme is a must-visit should you wish to learn more about the great history of France, here in North America. In 1979, three centuries later, La Grande Ferme has been reconnected with its educational vocation. Now an Initiation to Heritage Centre – La Grande Ferme, its mission is to share the region’s rich heritage with one and all.
Photo : Manon Dumas
Aux Trois Couvents Heritage Center is a museum institution dedicated to the history of Côte-de-Beaupré. Founded in 1984, it takes visitors on a discovery tour of an area rich in history and local culture. Located in the old Château-Richer convent, the museum building site has been occupied since the era of New France.
Photo : Manon Dumas
Sanctuaire Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré Sanctuary
Paintings, mosaics, stained glass, stone and wood sculptures all reveal admirably well the extraordinary history of the Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré Sanctuary. The basilica has been a classified heritage site since 2001, and it welcomes a million pilgrims and visitors every year.
Photo: Au Québ