The Eastern Townships (Les Cantons de l’Est in French) is a region just east of Montreal that is characterized by charming villages and farmland. There are flat lowlands and rolling hills and lakes. Quebec’s Route Verte (greenway bikepath) winds through this region. It leads past orchards, sugar shacks, wineries, organic vegetable farms, artisanal cheese makers, microbreweries, and more. As such this bike route is also known as the Veloroute Gourmande – the bike path for foodies. The route is mostly a dedicated bikepath with very little on-road cycling. Most of the route is on disused rail right-of ways.
Day 1: Montreal to St-Jean-sur-Richelieu
We started our tour downtown Montreal. The instructions from our outfitter were to meet behind a train station in an industrial area. It seemed sketchy and sinister, like the plot from a gangster movie. The grey skies and drizzle did not help to dispel this feeling. But we were met by a friendly couple who supplied us with helmets, locks, a repair kit, pannier bags, and most importantly, bicycles.
And we were off! From the train station we cycled through an industrial area, underneath highway flyovers with support pillars slathered in graffiti. We crossed the Saint Lawrence River and ended up in the bland suburbs of Brossard and Longueuil. Before crossing the river we got a view of Montreal’s harbour and downtown area.
We stopped at a Tim Hortons for a coffee and a bathroom break. So far the Route Verte and Veloroute Gourmande had yet to reveal itself. Ahead, we crossed a railyard on an overpass.
Suddenly the trail led into the woods.
In terms of fall colours, sumac was the star of the show. Note that in the next picture the paved bikepath is on the left, and Diana has pulled out on a side trail.
The light rain let up, and we stopped to have a bagel and cream cheese. The bagels were from St. Vivateur bakery, a famous bagel shop in Montreal.
Our leafy surroundings and the delicious bagels made us feel like we were on the Veloroute Gourmande and La Route Verte for real now.
As we approached the historic town of Chambly, the drizzle changed to steady rain. Still, we enjoyed cycling along the Chambly Canal, which parallels the rapid-strewn Richelieu River between Chambly and St-Jean-sur-Richelieu. This canal was built in the 1830s to facilitate trade between the U.S. and Canada. These days, recreational vessels are the main users of the canal. The canal is operated by Parks Canada as a national historic site.
The canal has nine locks.
Later in the afternoon the rain intensified. But it wasn’t cold and it wasn’t windy. We really enjoyed cycling along the Chambly Canal.
Day 2: St-Jean-sur-Richelieu to Granby via Farnham
We woke up to cloudy skies. The rain had moved on, and it was overcast. The first bit of trail took us through suburban St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, and past an industrial area by a roaring freeway. But soon we found ourselves in the countryside on a disused railway bed.
The topography is quite flat here. In some places there were open views of farmland. The main crops not yet harvested were corn, and what looked to my untrained eyes to be soybeans.
In other places the trail was flanked on both sides by forest and bush, creating a “vegetation tunnel”.
Halfway along is the town of Farnham.
We stopped in Farnham for lunch: carrot soup made with local organic carrots. For desert we had some of the most decadent pain-au-chocolat I’ve ever had. We felt like true gourmands!
At the cafe we ran into Doug and Barb, a friendly couple from Northern California who were on the same itinerary as us. We had a lot in common with them, and as the tour progressed we became friends.
After lunch there was more vegetation-tunnel cycling along long straightaways on a disused railway bed. The cycling was very enjoyable.
Day 3: Granby to Foster via Bromont and Waterloo
Day three was sunny. We left Granby on a trail that cut through some pretty wetlands.
It was the weekend, and the trail was busy with day-trippers from Montreal. We detoured to Bromont, a town with a ski resort. Its main street is quite historic but not bike-friendly, so we parked our bikes and explored on foot. By each house is a plaque that explains some of the local history as well as the architectural style.
We cycled on to Waterloo where we had gelato, a nice treat on a sunny day. This was no ordinary ice cream – this was gourmande-quality stuff. Hello Quebec diary products!
Pretty fall colors between Waterloo and Foster.
We stayed at the Jolivent, a historic B&B with a gourmand restaurant attached. Later that evening we joined Doug and Barb for a nice meal.
The receptionist at the hotel told us that they have a pond on their private land, and that there is a trail behind the hotel that leads to the pond. We grabbed a few local microbrew beers for happy hour, and we sat and relaxed and watched the sun go down at the pond. It was a tranquil spot. Here I am taking photos of the canoe. I would have happily taken this canoe for a spin around the pond, but it was filled with water from the rains earlier in the week.
Day 4: Foster to Magog
On day one and two the land was flat; on day three we cycled in between some hills; but now we were going to tackle some hills straight-on. The trail took us on some gravel backroads.
We cycled past some stately heritage houses.
Farmstead
Clothes on the washing line.
Doug and Barb caught up to us as I was busy photographing the landscape. We cycled the next bit with them.
Pretty fall colours.
Later on that day we ended up cycling though a mountain-bike area in Mount Orford Provincial Park. There were tiring ascents and steep descents on loose gravel, which was tricky to ride with our setup. Luckily we emerged unscathed and rode on to Magog. Magog is a larger tourist resort on a large lake.
Day 5: Magog to North Hatley
Another fine day with sunny skies. We started our day by cycling along the Magog River.
Next, we cycled through vegetation tunnels along cutlines. The trail emerged from the bush at Deauville, where we cycled along a street lined with mansions.
After this we cycled through an area with acreages, and then through a confusing cross-country ski area with trails everywhere. But the best moments came later on in the day in the vicinity of Minton. We had crested a hill and I was parched – it was quite a hot day and I did not bring enough water. We found an honesty-box filled with produce such as kale and tomatoes. There was also a fridge with a few lemon-flavoured San Pellegrino drinks in it.
The drinks were refreshing and reviving. We relaxed for a while in the warm autumn sun.
With renewed energy we continued on. The scenery was outstanding in the Minton area.
Posing with Diana’s bike.
A short and steep downhill led to North Hatley, our destination for the day. Our accommodations were at Auberge la Chocolatiere, a chocolate-themed inn. And yes even the breakfast came with chocolate.
After checking in we celebrated Happy Hour with a drink on the front terrace. We sat and watched the world go by.
At sunset we walked across the road to the lake, where I took a few pictures. Later that evening we joined Doug and Barb in the gastropub across the street for a lovely dinner.
Day 6: North Hatley to Sherbrooke
Our final day! How time flies when you are having fun. Today was going to be a short ride beside a river. Before leaving North Hatley we posed for pictures by the lake.
It was a sunny and stunningly beautiful day. The fall colours were really popping now, and I stopped lots to take pictures.
Slowly our surroundings became more urban, and before we knew it we were in the city of Sherbrooke, our final destination. Here, the Veloroute Gourmande came to an end. While waiting for our pick-up we celebrated by having a plate of poutine. I had mine topped with viande fumée – Montreal smoked meat. Un repas gourmande, or a greasy gut-bomb? I suppose one can argue that point either way. But it was honest Quebecois food, and that’s what really counts in my books.
Logistics
Our tour was a package deal supplied by Great Canadian Trails and Voyager a Velo. These outfitters supplied us with bikes, accommodations, a luggage shuttle, return transport from Sherbrooke to Montreal, and an app indicating the suggested cycling route. We could do the tour at our own pace – there was no group to follow or anything like that. We cycled about 50 km per day.
