Set the mood for a romantic getaway that you and your partner will always remember with an escape to Quebec’s Eastern Townships, a beautiful area filled with mountains, rolling fields, lakes, and wonderful hospitality.
Throughout the area you can find a little bit of everything, and that starts with iconic Quebecois stops like lavender fields, wineries, and microbreweries, to parks, fromageries, and so much more.
Best of all, the drive makes for the perfect road trip. From Toronto, it’s a seven hour drive, or four hours from Ottawa, and a short drive of four to six hours from Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire.
Check in to Ripplecove and enjoy dinner at Le Riverain
Ripplecove is celebrating their 80th anniversary, and it’s a charming spot for a romantic getaway, right on Lake Massawippi, about 40 minutes from Sherbrooke. With gorgeous lakeside suites and villas, the views are absolutely incredible, so you can sit out and enjoy coffee looking over the lake together, or order a Quebec wine and take in the sunset.
The hotel feels like pure, luxurious, Canadiana, with all the amenities you want for a getaway, including one of the best restaurants in the area, Le Riverain, a spa, and lots of activities including kayaking, biking, and hiking.
For their 80th anniversary, Ripplecove is offering discounts for longer stays, when you book three or more nights, and their special package includes one night accommodations, a 5-course dinner, breakfast, and a tour of their impressive wine cellar.
In the evening, plan to have drinks at Bistro Le Cove, inside or out beside the lake, or visit for a light lunch. And then plan your dinner at the remarkable Le Riverain.
During the cooler months, dinner inside is accompanied by piano music and a crackling fire, but for the warm months, dinner lakeside is a must, especially right around sunset.
Plan to arrive at least an hour before sunset, chat with their sommelier to pick the perfect pairings from their robust wine selections, and then enjoy a meal like no other.
Choose from the restaurant’s impeccable discovery menu, with seven courses, or table d’hôte menu, and enjoy unpretentious, beautiful cuisine. The menu changes with the seasons, but you can expect everything from fresh seafood, like a Rimouski sourced sea urchin prepared with smoked black cod and Acadian caviar, or dishes prepared with Nordic shrimp and snow crab, local cheese, an exquisite filet mignon served with pomme fondante and shallot puree red wine sauce, and desserts like panna cotta, candied figs with honey and roasted white chocolate, and much more.
The menu is impeccable, and trust me when I say that you will dream of it for weeks afterwards. And while you dine, and sip on exquisite wines from the province, or perhaps an incredible Armagnac, the sun will slowly dip over the lake.
Take your time, sit back and enjoy the atmosphere, and then slowly make your way back to your room, as the stars peek out above you.
Walk the fields at Bleu Lavande, and enjoy Magog
Wake up the next day and enjoy breakfast at the hotel, and then drive to Les Espaces Bleu Lavande in Magog for beautiful lavender fields, and flower gardens.
During the summer and early fall, the property offers a nice, relaxing space to walk and smell the flowers, and you can enjoy a picnic, a coffee and pastry, and learn about how they make lavender essential oils.
Inside the boutique you can pick out a wide assortment of things to take home, from lavender oil, soaps, and creams, to dried lavender. It’s a perfect stop to enjoy fields filled with flowers, and take a few pictures and selfies, too.
Nearby, stop in Magog on the shores of Lake Memphremagog to explore a number of boutiques, art galleries, and restaurants.
Sherbrooke murals, gastronomy, and nearby river parks
Continue your day and drive 30 minutes from Magog to Sherbrooke, the regional capital of the Eastern Townships, with a reputation for gastronomy, beautiful murals, and scenic parks and green spaces.
Plan to either stay on at Ripplecove, and explore Sherbrooke from there, or stay at one of the nearby hotels in the area, like the very central Grand Hôtel Times. The hotel is ideal, right on the shores of Lac des Nations, with a perfect sunset view, and Mount Orford on the horizon. The property offers breakfast, an indoor pool, and a gym, and it’s steps to Marché de la Gare, where you can pick up food for a picnic.
Stop for coffee at Géogène, where they roast their own beans and offer seasonal varieties, along with pastries, and quality products to make the best coffee at home.
Beer lovers will want to visit Siboire Dépôt, an excellent brewery with a wide range of flavours and styles, plus some of the best fish and chips you’ll find in Quebec. Reimagining an old train station, the brewery has wonderful character and atmosphere, with a nice patio, and if you love the beer, you can purchase cans to go.
Just outside town, Parc de la Gorge de Coaticook is a perfect spot for hiking, biking, and you can also enjoy camping. During the day, plan a hike through the forest and over their incredible suspension footbridge, with views down into the gorge and the river. Then, at night, visit the Foresta Lumina night trail that comes alive with lights and magical displays.
While you’re in Coaticook, also be sure to stop for one of the best treats in the area, La Laiterie de Coaticook. The ice cream producer has a lively store front, where you can buy a treat, or cheese, milk, and more. Very few places make dairy products like Quebec!
For dinner, there are a number of places to try in Sherbrooke, but I loved OMG Resto, a bar and unique restaurant inside a former church.
Sainte-Thérèse church has been transformed into a spacious, remarkable restaurant, with seating inside, and on the patio, with tempting, devilish options, alongside more saintly delicacies. The style and the mood is fun and fresh, and you won’t soon forget the meal.
Finally, you can plan the perfect drive around the area, or elsewhere, along the Route des vins de l’Estrie. The wine route is perfect by car, or by bicycle, and there are numerous options for food lovers, and great scenery, covering routes of 32 km to 130 km, round trip.
Helpful links and resources
Visit the Eastern Townships website for more romantic getaway ideas, and for ideas on restaurants, outdoor activities, and more.
The city of Sherbrooke website also offers lots of ideas for visiting museums, exploring the murals, and festivals coming up in the calendar.
For more ideas on accommodations in the region, use the map below.
