5 more reasons to visit the Eastern Townships

As promised in my earlier post about the Eastern Townships, here are five more great reasons to visit this scenic region of Quebec—including an astronomical observatory, a scenic hiking trail and an unusual place to stay.

Sleep in a sleek cabin in the forest

Photo copyright Laura Byrne Paquet.

Wild, quiet Parc national du Mont-Mégantic is home to seven EXP cabins, which you can rent for rates starting at $122 a night. Most are designed for two people, but two (including the one I stayed in) include a bunkie that allows them to sleep four. All of them are named after planets (more about that later). They’re not large but they are well equipped, with a tiny bathroom, a kitchen, a table and chairs, a wood stove and, separated from the main area by a partial slatted-wood wall, a platform with two basic twin mattresses that you can push together into a double.

Photo copyright Laura Byrne Paquet.

The kitchen has dishes, cooking utensils and appliances—even a kettle, hallelujah!—but you’ll need to bring your own food and bedding. If you’re sensitive to light, make sure you pack a mask, as the cabins have lovely large windows and a skylight that aren’t easy to block fully. Surrounded by trees, you’ll feel miles from civilization—but the park’s visitor centre is just a short drive or manageable walk away. (P.S.: Several other Quebec parks, including Mont-Tremblant, also offer EXP cabins.)

Hike an inspiring trail

Photo copyright Laura Byrne Paquet.

We spent about four hours winter hiking the 6-kilometre Pain de Sucre trail in the Franceville sector of the park, which climbs to an elevation of about 650 metres. (We probably could have done it in less time, but we stopped a lot to take pictures, to touch a cascade of giant icicles, and to examine the tracks of deer, rabbits and other critters along the route.) The summit offers spectacular views of several peaks and the park’s observatory (see below). You can rent snowshoes and crampons at the visitor centre.

Photo copyright Laura Byrne Paquet.

Learn about the stars

Photo copyright Guillaume Poulin.

Did you know that Parc national du Mont-Megantic is one of only six dark-sky preserves in Canada? These are areas where residents take measures to reduce light pollution, making it easier to see the stars. A fascinating, sobering movie called Cosmic Rhythms at the ASTROLab interpretive centre in the park explains that light pollution has increased so dramatically around the world in the last half-century that there are surprisingly few places left where we can see glittering galaxies of stars the way our ancestors did. The ASTROLab is well worth a visit; aside from the movie and informative exhibits about astronomy, it is also home to a powerful 1.6-metre telescope that is open to the public on select evenings. (We didn’t get to try it, alas, because of the overcast skies the night we visited.)

Enjoy lunch with a view

Photo of Saveurs & Gourmandises in North Hatley copyright Laura Byrne Paquet.

My last stop in the Eastern Townships was the cozy Saveurs & Gourmandises restaurant on the main street of North Hatley, overlooking Lake Massawippi. It is part of a regional group of independent coffee shops/restaurants called Cafés de Village, all of which feature at least some local food products. Lunch was a delicious smoked-salmon croissant and a giant oatmeal cookie, served with a big pot of tea. The menu also includes soups, salads and charcuterie. Come early at lunchtime if you want a chair, as the café only has 14 seats (a few more when the summer patio is open). Hours are shorter in the winter; check the website for details.

Savour the scenery

Photo copyright Laura Byrne Paquet.

Bring your camera—you won’t run out of pretty scenes to photograph.

And yet more inspiration

Looking for still more ideas? Here are two posts by other journalists who were on my January 2016 trip. First, a jam-packed 2015 post about foodie destinations in the Eastern Townships, written by Sherel Purcell.

And second, this intriguing “choose your own adventure” video post by Dayvee Sutton, showing many of the places we visited in January.

If you go

For more travel information, see the Tourism Eastern Townships website.

I participated in this trip as a guest of Tourism Eastern Townships and the participating businesses, none of which reviewed or approved this post.

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