Eastern Townships

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This beautiful region is located in the Appalachian foothills, in the southernmost part of Québec. Its rich architectural heritage and mountainous countryside give it a distinctive character reminiscent in many ways of New England. Picturesque villages marked by what is often typically Anglo-Saxon architecture, lie nestled between mountains with rounded summits and lovely little valleys. This vast region was originally explored and inhabited by natives of the Abenaki tribe. Later, when New France came under English control and the United States declared its independence, many American colonists still loyal to the British monarchy (known as Loyalists) settled in the Eastern Townships. Though the local population is now over 90% French-speaking, the area still bears obvious traces of its Anglo-Saxon past, most notably in its architecture. Many towns and villages are graced with majestic Anglican churches surrounded by beautiful 19th-century Victorian or vernacular American-style homes. The Townships are still home to a handful of prestigious local institutions, like Bishop's University in Lennoxville.