Large road map area of Charlevoix and Montmagny, Quebec Canada

Charlevoix and Montmagny      

Located at the very heart of the Canadian Shield, . Charlevoix  owes its name to Father Pierre-Francois-Xavier de Charlevoix, Jesuit  priest and first historian of New France. In his time, the forbidding  cliffs between Cap Tourmente and Tadoussac offered little promise of  colonization. The lone exception, Baie Saint-Paul, was opened to  settlers in 1678. Charlevoix has since lured painters, poets, writers,  and musicians from across Canada to celebrate its rugged beauty. Here  you can explore a meteorite crater, charming villages perched on steep  hillsides, the majestic Laurentian mountains, and an amazing variety of  plant, animal, and marine life. Charlevoix was designated a World  Biosphere Reserve in 1989-one of the first such reserves with human  settlement. an enormous meteorite 350 million years ago.      

Tle aux Coudres [D7]      

A living miniature of 18th-century New France, lie aux Coudres  has well-preserved stone farmhouses, windmills, and a blackmith's shop.  Jacques Cartier, who anchored here in 1535 during his second voyage,  named the island for its hazel trees (lie aux Coudres means "hazel  island").      

Montmagny [E6]      

Bird lovers come from far and wide to admire the snow geese that stop in Montmagny by the thousands every spring and fall, while      

Baie-Saint-Paul [D7]      

Baie-Saint-Paul has inspired artists such as Clarence Gagnon,  Marc-Aurele Fortin, Rene Richard, and Jean-Paul Lemieux, who have all  immortalized the town's two-hundred-year-old houses, old wharf, dense  woods, sandy beach, and panoramic views of the valley, river, and  towering Laurentian mountains in their paintings. BAt the Centre  d'histoire naturelle de Charlevoix, you can learn how the Charlevoix  crater, one of the largest on Earth, was created by fans of the  accordion come in late summer for the Carrefour mondial de I'accordeon  festival. Montmagny also boasts remarkable 18th-century architecture,  especially in the city center and in the old quarter.      

Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park [B8]      

Once whaling grounds for Native tribes and the Basques,  Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park is a vast territory of 1,138 km2 where  you can tour the majestic Saguenay fjord, observe whales, seals, and  birds, or try sea kayaking.      

Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre [E6] Many seamen who were saved after  being stranded along Cap Tourmente attributed their luck to Ste. Ann  (Anne), and dedicated a small chapel to her in 1658. Today more than 1.5  million people visit the Sanctuaire de Sainte-Anne each year to pray to  the mother of the Virgin Mary. Don't miss the Phonograph Museum or the  world's largest panorama (110 m in circumference) that depicts the  Crucifixion.      

Tadoussac [B8] The Innu named this village Totouskak  ("breast"), to describe the rocky wooded hills on the west side of this  village. The first official fur-trading post in Canada was built here in  1600, at the junction of the Saguenay fjord and the St. Lawrence River.  The first North American community to be inducted into the 30 Most  Beautiful Bays in the World, Tadoussac is a hot spot for adventure  tourism, including whale-watching and sea kayaking.      

ATTRACTIONS      

BAIE-SAINT-PAUL      

Natural History Centre of Charlevoix Baie-Saint-Paul Lookout (meteorite crash site) Sainte-Anne Street      

Wharf Maison Rene-Richard Museum/Art Gallery Dairy of Charlevoix (cheese museum)      

ILE AUX COUDRES      

Saint-Bernard Church Saint-Louis-de-l'lsle-aux-Coudres Church  lle-aux-Coudres Museum Les Moulins de Nle-aux-Coudres (watermill and  windmill) Musee Les Voitures d'Eau (boat museum)      

MONTMAGNY      

Musee de I'accordeon (accordion museum) Couillard-Dupuis Manor (18th century) Sir Etienne-Paschal Tache House (1829)      

Centre educatif des migrations (snow goose interpretation center) Lachance Ferry Rides      

SAINTE-ANNE-DE-BEAUPRE      

Sanctuaire de Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre Cyclorama de Jerusalem Edison Phonograph      

Museum Honey Economuseum Montmorency Falls Park Mont-Sainte-Anne Park Cap-Tourmente National Wildlife Area      

TADOUSSAC      

Marine Mammal Interpretation Centre Maison-Chauvin Fur-Trade  Post Maritime History Museum of Tadoussac La Maison des Dunes  interpretive center