Les Éboulements Heritage Trail

Following the Route du Fleuve (route 362) eastward, two first stops stand out: the Moulin banal des Éboulements, listed as a historic monument, and the Manoir Laterrière, better known today as Camp Le Manoir, for its summer camps for children. One of the last remaining watermills in Quebec, the Moulin seigneurial des Éboulements is a pretty, white flour mill whose neighbors include a sawmill, an old stable, a bakery and even a chapel. Manoir Laterrière, next door, is the second manor never built in Les Éboulements, circa 1811, and features many buildings in matching red and white.

If you turn right down the steep hillside that plunges into the majestic St. Lawrence River, you'll reach Saint-Joseph-de-la-Rive, formerly known as "Les Éboulements-en-Bas" or "Quai-des-Éboulements", in just a few minutes. It's here that you'll find the Saint-Joseph-de-la-Rive church, commonly known as the "tourist chapel", as well as its presbytery and delicate kiosk overlooking the tides. It's also here, following the route map, that you'll come across the home of the late Abbé Félix-Antoine Savard, made famous by his novel Menaud, maître-draveur, as well as that of Captain Joseph-Arthur Desgagnés, nicknamed J.A.Z.

If you turn right on rang Éboulements-Centre up the hill towards 362, you'll see some magnificent French and QuébéYou'll also see an authentic hillside root cellar inspired by traditional native methods.

Back on the Route du Fleuve, driving slowly or parking at the church in Les Éboulements, you'll then have the chance to contemplate several carefully preserved heritage houses, including one painted with whitewash. The former chicken coop, now the main residence of renowned painter Claude LeSauteur, is also a must-see on this part of the route. A little further on, the blacksmith's shop featured in the soap opera Le temps d'une paix, the church, its presbytery and its bucolic, hilltop cemetery, all offer a view of the surrounding countryside.The church, its presbytery and its bucolic hilltop cemetery overlooking both water and mountains are also worth a visit, if only to take a breath of fresh air.

Finally, end your tour in the direction of Cap-aux-Oies, where you'll be charmed by the small school for 20 to 25 students.will have no trouble conjuring up images of children of all ages running and working hard in the field, as seen not so long ago in the large families that dotted Quebec.

Have a good trip!