This Underrated Canadian Region Has the World’s First Dark Sky Reserve and a 150-mile Food Trail—and It’s Only 4 Hours From Boston

• Cycle a stretch of the 150-mile Véloroute Gourmande, with more than 120 epicurean stops from farmers markets and microbreweries to cafes and bistros.

• Hike Mont-Mégantic by day, then stay after dark for an evening of astronomy beneath the world’s first International Dark Sky Reserve.

• Visit the Abbaye de Saint-Benoît-du-Lac for striking architecture, panoramic views, apple picking, monk-made ciders, and a famous fromagerie.

• Splurge on a luxury stay at the two-Michelin-Key Manoir Hovey, home to two excellent restaurants and a dreamy spa overlooking Lake Massawippi.

• Book a table at Espace Old Mill, a Michelin Green Star restaurant, inn, and farm known for superb vegetable-forward tasting menus and a selection of local natural wines.

I first visited Quebec’s Eastern Townships in the depths of winter, making peace with the season by embracing cold-weather activities and learning to ski on some of the area’s four main mountains. What I found beyond the slopes has been drawing me back ever since.

From spring to fall, this beloved ski region—near Montreal and over the border from Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine—becomes a destination for cycling, hiking, and gourmet adventures, with vineyards, cheesemakers, and farm-driven restaurants dotting the countryside. For American travelers in particular, this corner of Canada can feel like an unexpectedly close escape. The New York Times even called it “Canada’s New England, with French flair.” Think rolling hills punctuated by mountains and lakes, storybook villages, and a distinctly Québécois joie de vivre. Better yet, it’s a place to contemplate life under a blanket of stars; it’s home to the world’s first International Dark Sky Reserve.

That exceptional mix is exactly what draws Americans north, says Patricia St-Onge, a local guide who runs Eastern Townships Tours and leads Three Pines Tours in Knowlton. “They hear that it’s kind of like going to Europe without going to Europe,” she says, pointing to the blend of French and English spoken around the region. “And if that doesn’t get them here, Louise Penny definitely does.” Penny, the bestselling Canadian novelist, lives in Knowlton, which St-Onge calls “so much the heart” of the fictional Three Pines, where Penny’s mysteries are set.

That cross-border affection goes both ways. In 2025, the region launched the delightfully Canadian, internationally viral “Come Hug It Out” campaign to reassure Americans that, whatever the political mood, they’re still very welcome here.

Best Hotels & Resorts

Manoir Hovey

For lakeside luxury, Manoir Hovey in North Hatley is a standout. Set on the shores of Lake Massawippi, this Relais & Châteaux property has earned two Michelin Keys and was modeled after George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate, one of many reminders of the region’s historic American influences. The manor, a T+L reader favorite, pairs 19th-century character with polished, contemporary accommodations. Many of the rooms have private balconies overlooking the water. The dining options are also Michelin-recommended. Book dinner at Le Hatley or, for something more casual, try Le Tap Room Bistro for lunch and dinner. Both celebrate the region’s terroir and local producers. Make time for the spa, too, where the year-round heated infinity pool overlooks the lake and makes an especially good spot for a sunset soak.

Versō Hotel

Overlooking Lake Memphremagog in the heart of Magog, Versō Hotel is a boutique stay with a mid-century modern feel. It’s an easy base for exploring the Townships, near Mont-Orford and the Cherry River Marsh. Most rooms face the lake for front-row sunset views, and some come with private balconies. In winter, a 1.7-mile ice-skating trail runs along the lakefront. Guests can hop aboard Escapades Memphrémagog for a dining or “bubbly hour” cruise, with a shuttle from the hotel. Downstairs, Bistro Kóz serves a delectable Mediterranean menu, and in winter, heated outdoor domes make lakeside dining a must.

Huttopia Sutton

The Townships’ offbeat accommodations include yurts, tree houses, domes, and other stays made for sleeping under the stars. Huttopia Sutton, part of the French glamping company, sits in a 160-acre maple forest at the foot of Mont Sutton and offers cabins, campsites, and “ready to camp” options such as wood-and-canvas trappeur tents with wood-burning stoves and real beds, some with kitchenettes and private bathrooms.

Best Things to Do

Taste your way around the Eastern Townships.

For travelers who like to explore at their own pace, the region offers self-guided gastronomic routes and a food scene that goes well beyond poutine (though you’ll find irresistible versions of that, too). Cycle the 150-mile Véloroute Gourmande from Montreal to Sherbrooke with more than 120 culinary stops, drive the Brome-Missisquoi Wine Route past some two dozen vineyards, follow the Les Têtes Fromagères cheese circuit to its 14 stops, or use the Brasseurs des Cantons map to visit the nearly 30 craft breweries across the region.

Be sure to stop at the Abbaye de Saint-Benoît-du-Lac, founded by French Benedictine monks in 1912, for Gregorian chant, panoramic views, apple picking, and monk-made cider and cheeses, including Bleu l’Ermite, a blue cheese monks have made since 1943. Don’t miss Fromagerie La Station in Compton, a family-run organic dairy farm where you can learn how the cheese is made and stock up at the shop and cafe. Also worth seeking out is Vignoble Courville, with spectacular views of Brome Lake and the Appalachian Mountains.

Follow the history trails.

If you’re hungrier for culture and history, the nearly 270-mile Townships Trail links 31 towns and dozens of heritage sites, passing covered bridges, old churches, ancestral homes, and old village centers where you’ll see how Abenaki roots and American, Loyalist, British, and French-Canadian influences have shaped the region.

You don’t have to tackle the whole circuit at once, though. Shorter themed loops focus on everything from panoramic drives and covered bridges to Christmas markets and English tea. In the Coaticook area, the separate Pioneer Trail overlaps with some of the same communities and uses talking steel silhouettes to introduce notable local figures, while the newer Foundresses’ Route connects 13 sites tied to women who helped shape the region. In Sherbrooke, a series of downtown murals offers another lovely portal into the city’s past.

Hike by day, stargaze by night.

Late summer and fall are especially glorious for getting outdoors in the Eastern Townships. Hike the peaks and forest trails around Mont-Orford, Mont Sutton, or Mont-Mégantic, then stay out after dark. (Nearby Lac-Mégantic, whose downtown has been rebuilding since the tragic 2013 rail disaster, is worth a stop, too.) The main stargazing draw is Parc National du Mont-Mégantic, at the heart of the world’s first International Dark Sky Reserve. The ASTROLab hosts astronomy evenings and telescope viewing, and mid-August is especially good for the Perseid meteor shower.

Glen Sutton also has night-sky credentials at Au Diable Vert, a Dark Sky Preserve and, as of 2026, Canada’s first DarkSky Approved Lodging. Here, guests can experience an augmented-reality outdoor planetarium. Come fall, enjoy the brilliant foliage with scenic lift rides, hiking, outdoor concerts, and seasonal festivals.

Best Restaurants

Espace Old Mill

On the wine route in tiny Stanbridge East, Espace Old Mill earned the Eastern Townships’ first Michelin Green Star in 2025. The kitchen cooks from a market garden designed by renowned organic farmer Jean-Martin Fortier, with much of the produce grown on site (the rest is sourced from a roughly 30-mile radius). Dinner begins with a walk through the gardens and greenhouse, followed by an ever-changing tasting menu built around the harvest. The restaurant also serves Sunday lunch, plus à la carte bites and drinks at the parlor and terrace. For anyone too full to pedal or drive afterward, the Cecil House inn across from the restaurant has cozy rooms.

Les Mal-Aimés

In 2026, Les Mal-Aimés in Cookshire-Eaton earned the Eastern Townships’ second Michelin Green Star. It offers another immersive, gourmet field-to-table experience, sourcing most of its ingredients from the farm it sits on. Market gardener Yannick Côté and chef Daniel Charbonneau shape a seven- or 10-course experience around the season’s haul. The dinner moves through several settings, from the woods and wood fire to the dining room, and, with luck, Charbonneau slices open a bottle of sparkling wine with an axe. The restaurant name, loosely translated as “the unloved,” reflects the team’s fondness for overlooked ingredients; the restaurant’s emblem is a turnip.

Maison Boire

Fire takes center stage at the Michelin-recommended Maison Boire in Granby, where chef and co-owner Brian Proulx and his team cook over maple embers in an open kitchen. The name has a clever double meaning: Boire means “to drink” in French, and it’s also the surname of the merchant and sawmill owner who built the Victorian home in 1893. Inside, a glass wine cellar sits at the center of a warm, convivial dining room with dark wood, leather, candlelight, and house-made pottery. Much of the seasonal menu draws on produce from the restaurant’s gardens and greenhouse, while most fish, meats, and other local ingredients come from producers within 75 miles of Granby. Don’t skip the burnt onion cream soup, a menu staple.

Best Time to Visit

There’s no bad time to visit the Eastern Townships, but outside high season—roughly June to October—some restaurants, shops, and attractions shorten hours, so Thursday through Sunday may be best for a quicker stay. Summer is prime time for outdoor adventures: hiking and camping in the mountains, paddling or fishing on the lakes, cycling, golfing, festivals, or following one of the region’s scenic routes. The ski resorts shift into warm-weather adventure hubs with lift rides, mountain biking, water parks, and zip lines.

Fall is a favorite, with leaf peeping, apple picking, and harvest season making the countryside perfect for a road trip and a food-and-drink trail, including the Brome-Missisquoi Wine Route, which winds past 24 vineyards. Clearer nights mean the region’s dark skies are especially rewarding, with Mont-Mégantic drawing stargazers.

Winter is a different world, with skiing and snowboarding on four mountains—Bromont, Mont-Orford, Mont Sutton, and Owl’s Head—plus snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, fat biking, and ice fishing. Spring has its own delicious reason to visit: Sugar shacks open their doors during maple season, and warmer days lure hikers, cyclists, and anglers back outside.

Areas to Visit

The Eastern Townships cover a lot of ground—117 municipalities, stretching from Bromont and Sutton in the west toward Lac-Mégantic in the east, with Sherbrooke roughly in between. You won’t hit all in one trip, but these four are a good place to start.

Sutton

Sutton has the classic mountain-town mix of hiking, skiing, art, good food, and boutiques, with the Sutton mountain range rising just beyond the village center. Spend the day hiking or riding at Mont Sutton, grab a beer at À L’Abordage or Sutton Brouërie, or head to Au Diable Vert for trails and views toward Vermont’s Green Mountains. For an overnight stay in town, Ewokk is a stylish bed-and-breakfast with a heated saltwater pool and spa. Try to snag the penthouse attic suite for extra character and privacy.

Orford

Orford is a great base if you want to put nature first without giving up a few creature comforts. Much of the action centers around Parc National du Mont-Orford, where you can hike, paddle, or spend the day at Lake Stukely. The mountain becomes one of the region’s major ski areas in winter. Summer brings Orford Musique, an international academy and festival with classical and jazz concerts in a distinctly outdoorsy setting. Stop at Mifigue for artisanal coffee and fresh bites before heading out, then check into Espace 4 Saisons near the foot of the mountain.

Bromont

One of the Eastern Townships’ liveliest year-round destinations, Bromont lets you ski and bike the mountain, cool off at its big summer water park, and wander the old town, checking out its charming boutiques, cafes, and bistros and completing a self-guided heritage trail. Opened at the beginning of 2026, the Residence Inn by Marriott Bromont is right at the base of the mountain, with condo-style suites and ski-in, ski-out access. In the old town, Babar brings vibrant Middle Eastern flavors to Rue Shefford; a short drive away, Le Roux is a hopping wine bar with a 130-seat terrace facing Mont Brome.

How to Get There

The Eastern Townships border Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine, putting the destination surprisingly close to much of the northeast. Sutton sits just north of the Vermont border, and the region starts roughly an hour from Montreal, four hours from Boston, and six hours from New York City. For those flying in, Montréal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL) is the closest major airport for much of the region. Travelers within Canada now have another option: The new passenger terminal at Montreal Metropolitan Airport (MET) opened in June 2026.

A car is still the easiest way to explore, unless, of course, you want to cycle the Véloroute Gourmande from Montreal to Sherbrooke, which follows sections of Quebec’s Route Verte and the Trans Canada Trail. Either way, getting there is half the fun.

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