Welcome to the "Côte-de-Beaupré

"Au bout de laditte isle [d’Orléans], je vy un torrent d’eau [la chute Montmorency], qui desbordoit de dessus une grande montaigne de laditte rivière de Canadas, & dessus laditte montaigne est terre unie et plaisante à veoir, bien que dedans lesdittes terres l’on voit de haultes montaignes [les Laurentides] qui peuvent estre à quelques vingt ou vingt-cinq lieues dans les terres […]."
Samuel de Champlain, 1603

“Stretching thirty kilometres from the Montmorency River to Cap Tourmente and nestled between the majestic St. Lawrence River and the southern slopes of the Laurentian mountains, La Côte-de-Beaupré is as much a product of its environment as of its inhabitants. Avenue Royale (the historic King’s Highway), traverses the original parishes of L’Ange-Gardien, Château-Richer, Sainte-Anne-de Beaupré and Saint-Joachim, leading the visitor through an architectural treasure-trove of delightful old houses, fine churches and ancient mills. Famed as the pilgrimage site of St. Anne, the region is also the home of the world-class Mont Sainte-Anne ski resort and such renowned parks as Montmorency Falls, Parc du Mont Sainte-Anne and Cap-Tourmente National Wildlife Preserve Area. With little major industry except the leading paper mill in Beaupré, La Côte-de-Beaupré, like neighbouring L’Île d’Orléans, enjoys a suburban lifestyle yet remains a heritage and recreational gem. ”
From the book “Noms et lieux du Québec”

Cradled between the river and the mountains, the M.R.C. (Regional Municipality) La Côte-de-Beaupré offers unrivalled, unique attractions. Our region will charm you!
Allow me to introduce you to all its splendour. May it capture your heart and may you experience the excitement that has captivated us over hundreds of years. France has its Côte d’Azur, Spain its Costa del Sol and Québec its Côte-de-Beaupré! Let me tell you about it! La Côte-de-Beaupré, with its population of 22,000, hugs 40 kilometres of shoreline along the St. Lawrence River and was the gateway to New France for the early pioneers. Winding through it, is one of the oldest roads in North America: the Chemin du Roy( the King’s Highway), today known as Avenue Royale. Don’t miss the opportunity to venture along its path and discover an ancient thoroughfare strung with centuries-old houses and barns, sugar maple bushes, quaint chapels, outdoor bread ovens, like a necklace of priceless gems. Enjoy a sparkling rendez-vous with history and culture.

Although steeped in the richness of the past, the present and future remain at the heart of our plans. We are firmly committed to a diversified, dynamic economy led by the knowledge, skills and enthusiasm of our manufacturers, entrepreneurs, merchants, artists and craftsmen.

Nine (9) municipalities linked together, from West to East, form the Regional Municipality of La Côte-de-Beaupré: Boischatel, L’Ange-Gardien, Château-Richer, Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, Beaupré, Saint-Joachim, Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague-du-Cap-Tourmente, Saint-Ferréol-les-Neiges and Saint-Tite-des-Caps. While some of these names may already evoke very vivid images for you, each one has its own unforgettable cachet !

La Côte-de-Beaupré is, above all, an enchanting region profoundly connected to its extraordinary natural environment. It is an ideal place to live where open spaces, clean air, pure water, abounding flora and wildlife create a bountiful and inviting setting in any season. In the spring, our sugar shacks will delight your sweet tooth; in the summer, you will enjoy fishing, golfing, bike riding; in the autumn the exuberant colours of the forests and the massing of thousands of snow geese will captivate you; and in the winter enjoy the thrill of skiing, snowmobiling, crossing ice bridge over the grand St. Lawrence and much more.

Over the last thirty years, the region has developed high quality tourism, sports and woodland-recreational infrastructures which are today envied well beyond our borders:

 Montmorency Falls Park overlooks the St. Lawrence River. This magnificent waterfall is, in fact, 30 metres higher than Niagara Falls.
 

• Cap-Tourmente National Wildlife Preserve Area is the site of one of the most spectacular ornithological halts in North America, where thousands of snow geese stop on their flight to and from their nesting and wintering sites.

• The famous Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré with its rich religious tradition draws thousands of pilgrims each year.

• The superb Church of Saint-Joachim, one of the oldest in Québec, houses unique Baillargé-signed sculptures.

• Mont Sainte-Anne, a popular year-round tourism and sports facility with an international reputation also hosts world-class international skiing and mountain biking competitions.

• Les Sept Chutes of Saint-Ferréol, a spectacular cascade of seven waterfalls in breathtaking natural decor, is the site of a power generating station and interpretation centre operated by Hydro-Québec in partnership with the Municipality.

• Econo-museums await you. Discover the secrets of honey making and taste a delicious variety of honey based products such as honey, mustards and mead and meet the Queen Bee. Watch wood sculptors bring Quebec’s myths and legends to life through their art. They capture the imagination with stories of Werewolves, Wills-o’-the-Wisp and flying canoes.

Our region is host to many major events that attract thousands of visitors and participants each year.

• The World Cup Mountain Bike Championship;

• The Loto-Québec Fireworks Competition;

• The Snow Goose Festival;

• The Paintings Symposium of Château-Richer.

I would like to take this moment to express a heartfelt invitation. We love having visitors! It is an honour and a pleasure when you can stay with us a while! I warmly invite you to come and be our guests for a few days. Take the time to savour the unique and warm character of our region. And who knows? You might just, like us, succumb to its magic spell and make this your home.

If you are looking for a charming historic house, country living, nature at its best, peace and tranquillity, La Côte-de-Beaupré offers treasures beyond belief! A thousand-and-one discoveries are awaiting you, a thousand-and-one pleasures beckon. Come and experience “The Good Life”! Let La Côte-de-Beaupré welcome and enchant you!

I look forward to meeting you !

Jean-Guy Cloutier
Prefect of the M.R.C. of La Côte-de-Beaupré