In Quebec, many of the region’s iconic places and institutions are named after Samuel de Champlain – the self-proclaimed founder of New France. That’s why we have the Champlain Bridge in Montreal, the Champlain district in Quebec City and a host of schools, streets and cul-de-sacs named after him.
There’s also the Rivière Champlain, named after Samuel de Champlain in 1632, which rises near the town of Trois-Rivières and flows into the St. Lawrence just north of Montreal – at the village of Champlain.
Not to be confused with Lake Champlain, which lies further south, on the border between Canada and the United States…
Do we need more famous names for squares and bridges in Quebec – preferably ones that don’t belong to the worst colonizers in our history? Maybe we do.
In the meantime, we’re going to visit the village of Champlain, which is not only located on the Route du Roy, the oldest road created by colonizers in the region, but is also one of the most beautiful spots on the Route Verte, North America’s largest bicycle route and, according to National Geographic, the “most beautiful bicycle route in the world”.
Champlain, the Route Verte and the Route du Roy
The village of Champlain is one of the oldest in Quebec, and one of the first places where Canadians went for a weekend or a week to soak their feet in the water and laze on the large stones in the sun, watching the boats go by on the river.
Today, the village is incredibly well preserved – pampered by the region and a municipality with a passion for history – and boasts 200 heritage buildings and a listed church.
The village is located on the iconic Route du Roy, the first road built by settlers in New France in 1737…
But the road we’re most interested in is La Route Verte. It’s a cycle route that stretches over 5300km and crosses Quebec, Ontario, New Brunswick and the United States. In Quebec, a large part of the Route Verte follows the St. Lawrence River north to Baie-Comeau.
The Route Verte passes through many pretty villages to visit: Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Saint-Antoinde-de-Tilly, Kamouraska, Batiscan…
And the village of Champlain (and its surroundings) is one of the most beautiful stops for cyclists (and for those who want to spend a day or an afternoon cycling, because that’s enough) who follow the Route Verte!
Agrotourism, views and visits
We’ll start with agrotourism, which is rather seasonal (June, July, August) but is right at the top of our list of things to do in the region. And, if we’re going to ride a bike, we’re going to take one with a little basket, and since we’ve got a basket, we might as well fill it with berries… On the Route Verte and around Champlain, we have on our list;
- le Royaume Bleuets et Fraises, for blueberries, strawberries and raspberries
- starting in September, Complément Raisin, a grape interpretation center (everything but wine, and a super-intriguing soft-serve grape ice cream)
- Ferme Champlinoise and Ferme Lessard, for seasonal fruits and vegetables
And since Champlain is a historic village, you can also take a tour just for the eyes, with a bit of history thrown in: a heritage circuit with two directions and 13 stops that starts at the church (perfect if you’ve decided to buy a sandwich in town before heading out for a walk).
To see the tour, click here!
Eating and sleeping
To eat in Champlain, go to the resto-pub Le Manoir Antic, on a terrace overlooking the river or inside a large Victorian house from the 1800s – for garlic shrimp and a village atmosphere.
For a night’s sleep in Champlain, we go to the Auberge Champêtre Le Music Hall, in a large ancestral house dating from 1915 -a former music hall- which is also the starting point for several walks along the river and in the surrounding forest.
Bonne (vélo)route!