Charlevoix Québec has Cuisine, Culture and Charm Aplenty
Published January 16th, 2025
Photography by Carole Jobin unless otherwise noted.
Visitors to Quebec City heading east may well venture out to the Montmorency Falls, and perhaps the basilica and pilgrimage site at Sainte-Anne de Beaupré.
Not all make the trek to Charlevoix, some 100 kilometres to the east.
Tiny sheds propped up by unlikely stakes. Ladders clinging to roofs seemingly for no reason. Miniscule churches whose spires disappear into the ever-widening St. Lawrence River. Easy to see how one can fall for the Charlevoix area of Quebec. Indeed, landscape artists from around Canada and the globe have been attracted to the area for centuries.
The beautiful vistas, quaint towns, fresh air and peaceful farmland have attracted the like of René Richard, A.Y. Jackson and Arthur Lismer. More recently, out of province and out of country landscape artists like Humberto Pinochet, Juan Cristobal and Vladimir Horik have chosen to live and paint here.
Juan Cristobal
Vistas along this route (which some have compared misleadingly with the Cabot Trail – Charlevoix beats it hands down), offer outstanding views upstream the St. Lawrence, as it slowly widens into the St. Lawrence Gulf and then the Atlantic Ocean. Three out of four seasons, huge cargo ships can be seen chugging along, on their way to and from Montreal.
Depending on your time available, you have to drive to Les Eboulements, an area of farmland on the cusp of the 54-kilometre-wide crater created here by a meteorite 400 million years ago. It’s only another 15 minutes east on twisting roads, but it’s very probable you’ll stop numerous times to take in the views.
Residents of Quebec province know this area well. A century ago, it was the summer playground for the well-heeled from the northern United States and Montreal.
U.S. president Taft said, ‘the air was intoxicating like champagne without the morning-after hangover’. He was referring to La Malbaie, then known as Murray Bay. For some reason, Charlevoix fell off the international touristic radar, although it’s been long known within Québec for its fabulous terroir products and stunning landscapes
Charlevoix has promoted organic and local fare long before they became fashionable, and it has built its reputation for well over 30 years.
Two local cheese producers not to be missed are La famille Migneron and the Laiterie Charlevoix, both on the main road that links Baie St.Paul with La Malbaie. The more scenic route follows the St. Lawrence River had passes through numerous small towns, including Les Eboulements.
As mentioned above, artists have been travelling to, and often settling in Charlevoix for well over a century. A.Y. Jackson, Horik, as well as scores of Québécois artists.
Not surprisingly, every year there is a huge art symposium in Baie St.Paul. Artists from around the world are invited, and Baie St.Paul’s main street, Avenue St. Jean Baptiste is packed with art galleries. And in the summer, the streets streams with visitors.
Photo Credit: André-Olivier Lyra/Tourisme Charlevoix
To avoid the crowds, I’d recommend two unique spots to rest your head.
Right in Baie St. Paul, Hotel & Spa Le Germain is spread out over a former farm which acted as a rehabilitation facility for patients for decades. Rooms are varied, with views that might include the thousands of snow geese that come by here in spring and fall, or onto a functioning farm with extremely photographic Highland cows. There is a Nordic spa and a restaurant that attracts some of the top chefs in Quebec.
Food is also big in the main town, Baie St. Paul, with local chefs being celebrated with their own ‘walk of stars’ a la Hollywood. The annual Cuisine, Cinema et Confidences is well worth attending. We did the 3-hour food tour (sounds so much better in French, le Parcours Gourmand) and enjoyed highly original tastings of wine and food in 4 cozy settings. Later, we attended intimate workshops with stars of the Québec food scene, Pasquale Vari and Soeur Angèle. This would be the equivalent of having an almost one on one meetings with Gordon Ramsay or Julia Child, thinking of equivalents in the English-speaking world.
Want to get away even further away from town? Momentôm Refuge Nature, located 15 kilometres from Baie St. Paul represents glamping at its best. Eight chalets, equipped with everything you can imagine, including a hot tub on the balcony and a splendid view of the nearby mountains are located close to the highway just before the descent to Baie St. Paul. Ingeniously located near a babbling brook that eliminates any highway noise, you can enjoy nature to the fullest.
Along the road, are signs warning people to report any moose near the road. You’re close to town, but really ‘away from it all’.
Near Momentôm is Omerto, where a unique local beverage - wine from the ancestral tomatoes is produced. Pascal Miche, the Belgian owner found the perfect micro-climate to grow his tomatoes and produce this family recipe, a homage to the owner’s great grandfather, Omer. Omerto is a must-stop visit, and is truly a unique way to end a visit to this outstanding region.
