On the shores of Lac Champlain, one of the few lakes in Quebec where you can swim for free(sorry, but the lakes in the region are incredibly clean and well-preserved, and conservation is expensive), there’s a picture-postcard village that comes alive in summer.
It’s a poorly-keptsecret and an old-fashioned vacation spot that serves as a stopping-off point for the area’s great sportsmen and women. After 20km of cycling through the forest, soft ice cream (at the Lac Champlain dairy bar) and a break on the grass by the lake is elevated to a religious experience…
We’re talking about Venice-in-Quebec, of course, and we’ve found the most charming corners of this ultra-charming corner for you!
Lake Champlain, Baie de Venise and the beach
The village of Venise-en-Québec sits in the hollow of a small bay on Lake Champlain, the Baie de Venise.
It’s a true resort and water sports center, and you can spend most of your time in town on the water’s edge or in the water itself.
There are five campgrounds on the beach, and you can sleep with the sound of the water and, in the early morning, jump straight into the lake or into a kayak… You can also rent paddleboards and pleasure boats.
You can also stroll through Parc Jameson, which has the perfect view of the lake for rosé at sunset or coffee at dawn. And, at midday, for a picnic that smells of sandwiches, juice bricks and sunscreen.
Trails, biking, hiking
Venice-in-Quebec is also a stopover or starting point for the Venice-Vermont and Venise-Estrie bike trail networks , which include 40 cycling circuits through the Haut-Richelieu in Montérégie, Brome-Missisquoi in the Eastern Townships and the Îles du Lac Champlain in Vermont.
The maps cataloguing all the circuits in the area are available for download here!
The area around Venise-en-Québec is full of farms that sell their produce locally, and some where you can pick your own.
You can bike or drive around the area, and between June and September, you can taste and shop at the Marché Public Le Vénisien…
Practical info
As well as campsites, there are some very nice hotels in town, often within walking distance of the beach.
The full list is here, and we’re particularly fond of the bed & breakfast La Maison du Jardinier,
You can go to Venise-en-Québec with your hands in your pockets if you’re going there for lake sports, because you can rent everything there: pontoons, rowboats, pedal boats, paddleboards…
However, we didn’t find any bike rentals (only fat bikes here), so you’ll have to plan ahead if you want to spend a day or two on wheels.
We’ve heard that you absolutely have to be there for the sunset, and we recommend staying a while in Venise-en-Québec for the red skies at the end of the summer evening…
Enjoy your visit!