Between river, forest, and mountain, Authentic Quebec reveals its most beautiful colors to bring you a flamboyant autumn experience. Your five senses will be called upon as our region asks you to use them to revel in all it has to offer this season. Immerse yourself in the natural autumnal beauty of Lanaudière-Mauricie as pumpkin spices capture the season and your recollections.
Gourmet Expeditions
When autumn makes its appearance, it brings its colors, cooler weather, and seasonal pumpkin spice lattes. But that’s not all! Authentic Quebec has plenty of tricks up its sleeve to help you explore this colorful season through the lens of gastronomy. Here are some suggestions:
Gourmet Tours
What does autumn taste like exactly in Authentic Quebec? Find out on a Goûtez Lanaudière tour. Let yourself be guided in this adventure and meet local producers who will be delighted to share their passion for the land and the region with you for your great enjoyment.
Whether it’s a visit to the farm, a picnic in warm weather or a day of adventure on our country roads, experience a gourmet, olfactory and visual escape. See how wonderful it is to discover Quebec’s specialties with your senses in an inspiring and colorful setting.
The Goûtez Lanaudière excursions are ideal for food enthusiasts who appreciate tasty cuisine thanks to a perfect combination of various agrotourism experiences tuned to autumn fruits and vegetables. Beyond an exceptional agrotourism journey, these tours are also a unique opportunity to admire the generosity of nature in all its colors while savoring what our rich territory offers during the autumn season.
An Unforgettable Dining Experience
No matter the time of day, indulge in succulent dishes with autumnal scents and flavors from refined menus at Hotel Château Joliette. Stemming from a subtly rebellious yet pleasantly relaxed cuisine, its Table G restaurant offers an unforgettable gastronomic experience with a modern, accessible menu where originality is driven by the tasty products of the Lanaudière region. The dishes from their gourmet package are sure to make your taste buds ecstatic, and begging for more! On the other hand, Bar G presents you with an extensive selection of drinks and cocktails, as well as an incredible variety of gins, many from local distilleries, carefully curated by seasoned connoisseurs. Combine relaxation and indulgence with a gourmet package. The culinary brigade at Table G restaurant and Bar G is ready to offer you a complete culinary and mixology experience.
We pick apples, squash and pumpkins to enjoy fruit straight from the orchard. It’s a tradition that leaves its mark on our memories and creates warm, welcoming memories. The Goûtez Lanaudière outings also offer insights into the workings of harvests in preparation for the winter season, and how Authentic Quebec benefits from its year-round agriculture. Enhance your adventure on these tours by staying at an accommodation along the way.
A Renowned Culinary Stopover
This autumn, why not discover the renowned gourmet inn, the Auberge de la Montagne Coupée, located in Saint-Jean-de-Matha. There you can find an ever-changing cuisine that highlights local Lanaudière products. This means that the chefs frequently change their dishes based on the seasons and festivities, depending on what is available from our fields and forests.
Their brigade, composed of a young, dynamic and creative team, is always on the lookout for new products and trends for your utmost satisfaction. Their menu, which varies with the seasons, offers delectable cuisine worthy of the most discerning gourmets and in harmony with autumn and its comforting dishes. The magnificent outdoor setting surrounding the dining room, bathed in natural light, will complete your experience.
L’Auberge de la Montagne Coupée is the ultimate opportunity to discover local flavors and the Lanaudière region like never before. There’s nothing like sumptuous gastronomic offerings in a richly colorful setting to experience Authentic Quebec at its finest.
Remarkable Northern Nuts
Who said nuts were only for warm climates? Authentic Quebec is proud to have its own northern nuts thanks to the Jardin des Noix (Nut Garden). Welcoming curious visitors eager to taste, learn, and appreciate nuts in countless varieties and preparations, this unique place offers you the choice of exploring it freely or joining a guided tour of the orchard. You can also participate in various workshops to discover northern nuts, mushrooms and other wild edibles. A must-add to your itinerary.
Le Baluchon Eco-Resort Eco-Café
An essential stop at any time, the Baluchon Eco-Resort is even more worth a visit in autumn. This ecotourism site features a unique eco-café, both in terms of its decor and its local cuisine. The organic and natural culture of the Mauricie region is celebrated in exceptionally tasty dishes. Le Baluchon allows you to sharpen your senses by indulging in unparalleled gastronomic pleasures and an experience you’ll remember for a long time.
Gourmet and Picturesque Activities
In the fall, the Maskinongé Regional County Municipality (MRC) knows how to do it right. Located between the eastern boundary of Lanaudière and Trois-Rivières, it offers a host of gourmet activities to satisfy your taste buds and your thirst for discovery. Several producers welcome you to their farms, fields and vineyards, where seasonal flavors and vibrant colors abound. This bucolic setting is palpable everywhere you go and reaches a new level when you go pumpkin picking – a true tradition at Ferme Éthier – fruits of the sun, or squash at the start of the autumn season.
Don’t forget to make a stop at Les Couleurs de la Terre, where you can taste one of Quebec’s national dishes of choice, a succulent poutine made with fries, sauce and cheese curds. It doesn’t get much better than a local dish made with freshly picked, home-grown potatoes. Wrap up your gourmet adventure at one of the local microbreweries, restaurants, or cafes to quench your thirst in this multicolored countryside atmosphere.
The Forest on Your Plate
In Authentic Quebec, we don’t just live in the heart of the forest, we also welcome it onto our plates. The mycological sector of Mauricie offers the Forests and Gourmet Delights event in two parts. On one hand, there are nearly twenty guided mushroom picking excursions available, some of which including tastings. On the other hand, a group of restaurants will offer you a menu where mushrooms, spices, nuts and small forest fruits from the Mauricie region will blend with regional agricultural products.
An Explosion of Color
Autumn is all about color. The vast territory of Authentic Quebec shines brightly during this time of year when trees display a multitude of colors in harmony with the season. A true natural work of art, our forest can be observed and experienced at your own pace to amaze you through phenomenal activities like these:
Relaxation and Adrenalin
Enjoy the fresh autumn air in your own way. A park. A myriad of atmospheres is what the Parc de la Rivière Batiscan has to offer. With so many activities on offer, you’ll be able to switch off or head off on an adrenaline-fueled adventure. The choice is yours, but the scenery will be equally breathtaking one way or another. Parc de la Rivière Batiscan boasts a landscape of waterfalls and pools enhanced by colorful deciduous trees. These 400 hectares of woodlands reveal their finest colors in autumn. From a contemplative hike to Via Ferrata, an activity halfway between climbing and hiking, to a treetop course with multiple zip lines, there’s something to suit every taste. Take the opportunity to enjoy nature’s orange hues in a totally safe environment!
The blazing colors of autumn also captivate you at Mont-Tremblant National Park. Both contemplative and keen hikers will be delighted by the trails for all levels. You won’t know where to look, the views will be breathtaking. You can also rent a bike and access an easy to intermediate trail of 10 km’s length that will take you to a beautiful fall named Chute-aux-Rats of 17,4 m’s high. Whichever activity you choose, you’ll be able to admire the mountains of yellow, orange and red hardwoods along the way.
A Bird’s Eye Spectacle
Take a bird’s eye view of La Mauricie National Park! Thanks to Hydravion Aventure, take a bird’s-eye view of this vast area, and witness the most beautiful spectacle nature has to offer in autumn, with its fresco of flamboyantly colored trees. Take off aboard a superb seaplane for a flight over the Saint-Maurice River and La Mauricie National Park to marvel at the immensity of the Canadian forest and its breathtaking scenery. During your flight, you’ll also be equipped with headsets so you can comfortably enjoy the pilot’s remarks and learn more about Authentic Quebec and its flora. Spread your wings to observe this giant work of art that you won’t see anywhere else. This unique activity will give you a great story to share with your family and friends when you return from your trip, or live on your social networks. Try it once and you’ll want to try it again!
Unique Festivities
Over the years, the Festival Western de St-Tite has become a not-to-be-missed autumn event. Nothing embodies Quebec’s country culture better or more faithfully than this festival. The only one of its kind in the world, this unifying event leaves its mark on the memories of its loyal festival-goers, and has been offering a unique backdrop to tradition for 50 years now, with full-scale shows, a festive atmosphere and professional rodeos.
Become One with Autumn
Drop your suitcase off at one of our quality accommodations for a unique experience during your stay in Québec Authentique. Of all types, you’ll find something to suit your taste, so you can admire and become one with autumn. What’s more, each of our accommodations offers its own unique activities to make the most of this colorful season.
Hotels
In terms of classic hotels, the Château Joliette, the Auberge de la Montagne Coupée, as well as several hotels in the Maskinongé Regional County Municipality, are ready to welcome you with tailor-made packages tailored to the purpose of your stay. Whether it’s a gourmet package, a work package, a vacation package or even a golf package (golf is played here even in autumn), you’ll find what’s best for your type of stay. Whatever you choose, the autumn season will charm you. Here are some suggestions:
Forest Lodge
Immerse yourself in the forest at the Baluchon Eco-Resort. This unique hotel offers an extraordinary experience known as ecotourism. Through ecotourism, you can have experiences that respect the environment, the land, heritage and history. Staying at the Baluchon gives you the soothing feeling of being at the end of the world, on a vast territory with beauty that is both wild and tamed, inspiring serenity in an enchanting setting that only autumn can provide.
Experiential Accommodations
There’s nothing better to fully enjoy everything that autumn has to offer than opting for a non-traditional accommodation. In the heart of Authentic Quebec, the options are plentiful. Here are our top picks:
Les Versants de la falaise
Come disconnect in the beautiful forest of Les Versants de la Falaise. This place offers splendid views of the Saint-Maurice River and the mountainous territory that sparkles with autumn colors. Each dome offered by Les Versants de la Falaise is equipped with everything you need for a comfortable retreat, including an individual spa per chalet.
Les Boisés de la Rivière Noire
Relax and revel in nature at the heart of an enchanting recreation and tourism domain. Les Boisés de la Rivière Noire in Lanaudière is the place to be. Surrender to a picturesque setting where tranquility reigns supreme. Each pod (mini-cottage) is equipped with its own spa, gives you access to miles of colorful hiking trails, access to Vase Lake and a private living space for an intimate autumn experience.
Experience Equinox
Live the incredible experience of sleeping in a dome at Experience Equinox to immerse yourself in the surrounding nature. Enjoy the pure and fresh air while partaking in numerous daytime activities to admire the fabulous colorful landscape, then watch the stars come evening from the balcony or inside your dome. You’ve never experienced autumn like this before. Fully equipped, you’ll find everything you need to make the most of your stay here. Each dome is also equipped with a spa. Nearby, you’ll find Mont-Tremblant National Park and Forêt Ouareau Regional Park.
Ready, set, go! Discover Authentic Quebec in all its autumn colors and flavors!
