Baie-Saint-Paul, Quebec, Canada

Baie-Saint-Paul, one of the oldest towns in Quebec, is the cultural capital of Charlevoix. Painters and other artists have long been drawn to the region for its natural beauty. Baie-Saint-Paul is also the birthplace of Cirque du Soleil.

Galleries, boutiques and cafés line the busy rue Saint-Jean-Baptiste. It is a great place to find all sorts of souvenirs of your trip, from woolen socks to fine art.

The kind of traditional houses with mansard roofs immortalized by Clarence Gagnon in his enchanting winter landscapes are found here and along the side streets.

Browse the work of Quebec’s finest landscape artists past and present amidst the original furnishings in the gallery of Maison René Richard (free). Richard lived here during the last 43 years of his life and met with other artists like Gagnon, Fortin and the Group of Seven. A tour of the studio is $7 CAD.

Musée d’Art Contemporain, with national and international contemporary art, ($10, seniors $7 CAD) and Carrefour Culturel Pail-Médéric (free) are nearby, just past Baie-Saint-Paul’s Church. Canadian artists come here in August for the Symposium of Modern Art and make a giant painting of the theme of the year.

Restaurant Bistro Mouton Noir’s chef-owner Thierry Ferré, from the Brittany region of France, incorporates local products in his cuisine. The Bohemian decor is reminiscent of the 1980s when a group of about twenty street performers met here. (main dishes, dinner, $34-$41 CAD)

 

Two of those performers, Gilles Ste-Croix and Guy Laliberté, went on to found Cirque du Soleil. Laliberté eventually bought out Gauthier, who returned to his roots to invest in three major projects — the Train of Le Massif , Hôtel La Ferme, and Le Massif de Charlevoix ski area.

The Flavour Trail

Canada’s Slow Foods Movement, farm-to-fork program, and Flavour Trail originated in Charlevoix. This epicurean destination offers opportunities to sample the province’s finest signature products.

 

La Route des Saveurs de Charlevoix, Charlevoix’s Flavour Trail, is a result of the close ties between chefs and local growers and producers. This adventure in gastronomy is a circuit of over forty local growers, specialty producers, and restaurateurs who open their doors to visitors. Ciders, artisan beers, pâtés, cheeses, fois gras, fresh produce, baked goods, meats and fine chocolates are but some of what is found here.

The trail runs from Petite-Rivière-St-François to La Malbaie and includes L’Isle-Aux-Coudres. We made several stops along the way.

We savored Ciel de Charlevoix and Le Secret de Maurice before selecting Le Migneron as our favorite at Maison D’Affinage Maurice Dufour in Baie-Saint-Paul. There are samples of the fine award-winning Quebec cheeses — blue cheese prepared with ewe’s milk and a brie that stays runny even when chilled. It is even possible to visit the sheep.

The bakers had risen with the sun to make their baguettes, bâtards, a round bread aptly called Meteorite, and more at Boulangerie Meunerie La Rémy in Baie-Saint-Paul.

Organic wheat is ground into flour as gushing water turns the gears of a watermill that dates to 1827.

Cirque du Soleil co-founder Daniel Gauthier opened Hôtel La Ferme in Baie-Saint-Paul in 2012. He planned to renovate the largest freestanding wood barn in Canada as lodging for his other venture, the ski area at Le Massif de Charlevoix, a ski mountain with the highest vertical drop east of the Canadian Rockies.

The barn burned down before he could start. Instead a chic yet casual award-winning five pavilion complex was built and decorated in a style reflecting the agricultural nature of the area.(Rooms from $229 CAD. Dormitory from $85 CAD, package plans available.)

Chef David Forbes’ uses Charlevoix products in his seasonal cuisine du marché (market fresh cuisine) served in the hotel’s Les Labours Restaurant.(Dinner main dishes $25-34 CAD)

During the summer season Le Train of Le Massif de Charlevoix travels between Montmorency Falls in Quebec City and Hôtel La Ferme.

Train of Le Massif at La Ferme, Baie-Saint-Paul, Charlevoix, Quebec, Canada

The gourmet menu of regional flavors served onboard during the two-hour trip was created by the chef of the Manoir Richelieu.

The route runs along the St. Lawrence past charming villages and offers mountain and sea vistas accessible only by rail.

It is the most scenic rail excursion in eastern Canada. An iPad multimedia presentation describes points of interest along the way like Basilique Sainte Anne de Beaupre.

 

Smart travelers have discovered another great reason to vacation in Canada. After years of trading at par or less, a U.S. dollar buys $1.27 Canadian dollars (CAD) July 9, 2015. That means a Canadian dollar costs just seventy-nine cents. Why not opt for a trip like this with a built-in discount?

Prices and exchange rates are as of July 10, 2015 and subject to change.