Ah, Venice! Its colorful houses, its canals, its gondoliers in striped T-shirts… It’s one of the most visited cities in the world, and for good reason. In the summer, the sun turns the lagoon turquoise, and the breeze cools the streets—it keeps you from baking, and you can dream of jumping into the cool water of a canal (really not recommended) with a gelato in hand.
In Quebec, we have a little Venice… It’s a village on the water, with its feet in Lake Champlain. No canals, no gondoliers, but on certain evenings at Le Vénisien campground, you can definitely hear a vacationer with a deep voice singing. O, Sole Mio…
Venice-in-Quebec, Venice Bay, and summer with your feet in the water
Onthe shores of Lake Champlain, there’s a postcard-perfect village that comes alive in the summer. It’s about a 1 hour and 45 minute drive from downtown Montreal—two hours if it’s a particularly beautiful day and there’s a bit of traffic.
It’s apoorly keptsecretand an old-fashioned vacation spot that serves as a base for the area’s avid outdoor enthusiasts. It’s a trueresort and water sports center, and you can spend most of your time in town by the water or even right in it.
Our favorite spots in Venice-en-Québec
Venice Bay and the village of Venise-en-Québec are all about the beach and beachgoers. There arefive campgrounds on the beach,and you can fall asleep to the sound of the water and, in the early morning, jump right into the lake or hop into a kayak… You can alsorent stand-up paddleboards and recreational boats.
Most of the beaches are located at the end of the campgrounds, in and around the village, and you have to pay for daily access—the list is here.
You can also take a stroll throughJameson Park, whichoffers the perfect view of the lake for a glass of rosé at sunset or a cup of coffee at dawn. And at noon, fora picnic filled with the smells of sandwiches, boxed juice, and sunscreen.
After (or during) a day at the beach, we also recommend:
- Les Guédilles Gaspésienne —for a guédille (lobster sandwich), fish & chips, or (for the more adventurous) seafood poutine / 243 14th Avenue West, during the Marché Public le Vénisien from June 22 to September 8, 2026, Thursday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- La Maison du Jardinier —anultra-charming bed-and-breakfast setin a large garden
- Le Bar Laitier du Lac Champlain —for some ice cream (soft-serve or otherwise)
Trails, biking, hiking
Venise-en-Québec is also a stop or starting point for the Venise-Vermont and Venise-Estrie bike trail networks, which include 40 bike routes and, depending on your preferences, traverse the Haut-Richelieu region in Montérégie, Brome-Missisquoi in the Eastern Townships, and the Lake Champlain Islands in Vermont.
Maps listing all the local trails are available for download here!
