What if you could stretch the perfect road trip season and make the most of the autumn?
(Main Picture : Go Van, Pierre-Nicolas Lessard)
Easy: it’s on the New France Route!
Hop in your car and turn up the sound of your favorite playlist: we are about to roll and (re)discover different regional attractions while admiring the new season settling in. During fall the landscape changes, new scents float around us and forgotten flavors are awakening our taste buds. All aboard for this transition!
Here are some of our all-time favorites.
Picture : Go Van
Parc de la Chute-Montmorency
Leaving Québec City, first stop is the Parc de la Chute-Montmorency. A must-see! Such a nice place for a stroll. The new sector at the feet of the waterfall allows visitors to fully take in its strength and to admire the leaves changing color.
And why not bring a nice lunch made of local and seasonal products? Who said picnic season was over?
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Vignoble Domaine l’Ange Gardien
Enough walking for now – time for a tasting. At the Vignoble Domaine l’Ange Gardien, you can savor the best of the Côte-de-Beaupré terroir with their meticulously elaborated wines. And the fall season means grape harvest. Do not miss it!
Admiring the landscape changing amid grape vines, with a glass in your hand, that’s a yes for us!
The estate is located on the terraced hills of L’Ange-Gardien municipality, 20 minutes away from downtown Québec City via route 138. Do not forget to make a reservation if you’re interested in the harvest!
Picture : Instagram @premontlachance, @stephanehawey
Bakery Praline et Chocolat
No matter what season it is or what pastry you are craving, you have to stop at Praline et Chocolat.
Established at Château-Richer, the bakery is famous for its croissants, but also the selection of decadent, delicate and authentic products.
Among all the cakes, pies or macaroons, you will be able to appreciate seasonal flavors.
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Chez Marie
While you are in Château-Richer, find the 1652 stone house sheltering Chez Marie. This is where a batch of fresh bread is baked in an outside oven. Imagine the smell! It tickles our nose just to think about it.
Donuts, brioche, hand pies… choices are numerous. But Chez Marie is known for its slice of rustic bread with maple butter. Such a simple delicacy you will not want to miss.
Belly full? Stock up for later!
Photo : Instagram @jeannemap
Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré Shrine
Every adventure is even better with a historic side to it. Especially when it comes to our own region and heritage. On the New France Route is the Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré Shrine, which means a magnificent basilica with a rich history.
Make sure to stop there on your way home to admire paintings, mosaics, stained glass windows, stone and wood sculptures revealing the extraordinary history of the site and its place in contemporary history. Just like with fall landscapes, feast your eyes!
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Véloroute Marie-Hélène Prémont
Did you know you can admire all of our previously named favorites from a totally different angle on the New France Route? Well yes, on a bicycle.
For the two-wheels adventurers, you can mix up sport, culture and food tourism via a long circuit in honor of a great mountain bike athlete from the area.
Clocking 55 kilometers long, the Véloroute Marie-Hélène Prémont begins as an extension of the bike path at the feet of the Montmorency waterfall and ends up either at the Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area or at Mont-Sainte-Anne, which is the paradise of mountain biking. Think about the fall panorama!
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In a car or on a bike, fall is here and the New France Route is perfectly laid out to create perfect memories. Enjoy!
