On the road
Two food stops before heading into the Matawinie. They aren't part of the county — one is in D'Autray, the other in Joliette — but they fall right on the way from Quebec City, and it would be a shame to drive past them.
Fromagerie Amafaçon
At 1303, rang Rivière Bayonne Sud in Sainte-Geneviève-de-Berthier, a few minutes off Highway 40. It's a family cheese dairy with about twenty years of practice behind it, and a team that clearly loves the work. Around fifteen cheeses to discover, from brie styles to semi-firms by way of the cheddars. Prices are very reasonable and the selection holds a few surprises — there's even an espresso cheese that goes completely off the beaten path. One small caveat: you don't get to tour the production room, it's a shop and nothing more. But what a shop!
Au Jardin des Noix
A place you don't forget. At 511, rang Kildare in Saint-Ambroise-de-Kildare, this nut orchard grows black walnuts and hazelnuts — yes, in Quebec. The welcome is generous in a way you rarely see: they explain the trees, the harvest, the seasons, and you taste. The flavours are rich and completely unexpected for anyone who has never eaten nuts grown here.
The orchard itself is worth the walk: peaceful trails lined with trees, punctuated by sculptures by artists that add a touch of art to the natural setting. The shop carries the farm's own products and a fine selection of other Quebec products. They also run guided mushroom-foraging outings in season.
Saint-Jean-de-Matha
La Maison Louis-Cyr
You can't pass through Saint-Jean-de-Matha without running into the name Louis Cyr: a dozen businesses carry it, Route 131 is called route Louis-Cyr, and a statue of the strongman stands in the park across from the church. But the real destination is at 215, rue Sainte-Louise — the ancestral house where Louis Cyr actually lived with his wife Mélina Comtois, now a museum.
That's what makes the place so unusual: few attractions are set up in the very spot where the history happened. You follow the rise of the man proclaimed the strongest in the world in London in 1892, some of whose feats still haven't been matched. In 1889 he lifted 251 kg with a single finger, 1,967 kg on his back and 124 kg overhead with one hand. You can measure your own strength, compare your build to his and handle replicas of period dumbbells. Four sections of the museum also offer a virtual reality experience.
The detail that gives you chills: in the heritage parlour, an old wall clock still reads 12:15, November 10, 1912. It is said to have stopped at the very moment of Louis Cyr's last breath. Several repair attempts changed nothing, and the museum keeps it exactly as it is.
Watch the hours: the museum is open Thursday through Sunday only, from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Plan your arrival accordingly.
Expérience Matha
The wow moment at the end of the day. At 2650, route Louis-Cyr, Expérience Matha is not simply a hotel: it's a four-season complex bringing together a mountain golf course, water activities on lac Rond, the Super Glissades — among the best known in Quebec for more than 40 years — and a thermal area.
The lodging counts 36 units split between rooms, suites and condos. The suites are designed for two: king or queen bed, whirlpool tub, fireplace, full bathroom, coffee maker and fridge. After three and a half hours on the road, let's just say the whirlpool tub was warmly received.
The detail that changes everything: access to the thermal area is included with every stay, whatever the room or the package. You'll find two outdoor hot pools with complementary moods, a dry sauna and a fire area surrounded by nature. The Bistro Matha rounds it out for dinner, indoors or on the covered terrace.
Good to know: the golf course is open from May to the end of October, and there's an electric-vehicle charging station on site — a real plus for us.
Le Magasin de l'Abbaye Val Notre-Dame
First stop Saturday morning, and what a fine way to start the day. At 220, chemin de la Montagne-Coupée, the Abbaye Val Notre-Dame stands at the foot of the Montagne-Coupée, overlooking the L'Assomption River. The wooden monastery, built in 2007-2009 in a bold architectural style, houses a community of Cistercian monks who came from the Abbaye d'Oka in 2009. The church is open year-round.
The shop is the community's main source of income, and it's an Ali Baba's cave for anyone who likes to eat. The monks make things on site under the brand Délices du Monastère : chocolates, caramels, fruit and date cakes, peanut, almond and hazelnut butters, forest syrups and soaps. The 53% dark Belgian chocolate they use gives a remarkable result.
But the shop also showcases Lanaudière's artisans, and that's where we made our best finds. The famous jams of Simon Turcotte, a jam maker from Sainte-Marcelline, whose jellies, spreads and mustards cheerfully step outside the ordinary: strawberry with Chinese five spice, rhubarb and wildflowers, lemon and rosemary. And the products of Jardins Arômes et Saveurs, which we didn't know at all and which are worth the detour.
The shop is open every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hiking and mountain-biking trails start from the site, and the Maison des forestibles de l'Abbaye deserves a look. Allow yourself some time: you go in for five minutes and come out an hour later with your arms full.
Sainte-Émélie-de-l'Énergie
Les sentiers du Lac Kaël
Our Saturday hike, and a fine discovery. The access is at the intersection of Route 131 and chemin du 4e Rang. The network offers between 10 and 14 km of trails open year-round, for hiking, snowshoeing and wildlife watching.
The sentier Minaki is a loop that dives into dense forest, ideal for a moderate walk. The Côte à Monette is more demanding, with climbs that pay off in open views over the surrounding country. The Maskana links the various sectors. The topography is really the strong point: you climb, you descend, sometimes along a ridge, sometimes down in a valley, often beside a river or a lake.
And at the end of the trails, the reward: a beautiful, very clean lake, perfect for swimming when the season allows. In September we settled for the view — but it was worth the climb. Still a well-kept secret: we crossed paths with very few people.
A practical tip: good hiking boots are essential, the trails are narrow and rocky in places, and a few footbridges have seen better days.
The village farmers' market
Right in the heart of the village, on the grassy area near the church, Sainte-Émélie's summer farmers' market sets up. It's exactly what you hope for from a village market: small, friendly, with local growers and artisans who take the time to chat. We stocked up there for our lunch picnic — and it's far more pleasant than stopping at the grocery store.
Worth knowing: it's a seasonal market, so check the calendar before you count on it. Off season, the village has a grocery store on rue Saint-Michel, with a small bakery inside whose pouding chômeur is worth the detour.
Saint-Zénon
Le parc des Ancêtres
Our favourite of the day, and completely free. The parc des Ancêtres, on rue Charette, is the dream spot for a picnic: laid out, peaceful, with a view that carries over the surrounding mountains. You settle in, pull out the lunch from the market, and never want to leave.
Saint-Zénon is worth lingering over. With 1,317 residents spread over nearly 500 km², it's one of the least densely populated villages in southern Quebec — fewer than three people per square kilometre. Founded in 1895, it's ringed by lakes, outfitters and ZECs, and serves as the gateway to the Haute-Matawinie. The nature here is still frankly wild.
Saint-Michel-des-Saints
An afternoon on a pontoon boat on lac Taureau
The high point of the weekend. Thanks to friends who live in the area, we spent the afternoon on a pontoon boat on lac Taureau — and you have to see it to grasp the scale of the thing. This reservoir covers 95 km² and holds 54 islands, edged with kilometres of exceptionally fine sand beaches. A regional park now protects the whole of it.
Cruising that in September, with the first colours settling in along the shores and almost no one on the water, is an experience we'd wish on everyone. You round the islands, stop at a deserted beach, cut the motor and listen. It's immense and perfectly silent.
Dinner at Au Vieux Moulin à Scie
After the afternoon on the water, we headed to 340, rue Saint-Maurice Est, in the heart of the village on the bank of the Matawin River. The building is a 1937 sawmill, converted into a restaurant in 1975 — and it has kept all of its character. The room is filled with a rich collection of antiques recalling the boom years of logging in the Haute-Matawinie. You're literally eating inside the village's history.
The house is known for its table d'hôte menus, its steaks and its seafood, with a menu varied enough to suit a relaxed family meal as easily as a more polished evening. The welcome is warm and the service attentive.
Good to know: the restaurant is closed Mondays and Tuesdays. It opens at 4 p.m. on Wednesday and from 8 a.m. Thursday through Sunday — so you can have breakfast there too. Nine motel rooms adjoin it, for anyone who'd rather not drive after the evening.
Sleeping in the Tesla on our friends' land
For the night, no hotel: we slept in the Tesla, right on our friends' land. It's our favourite formula, and it makes all the more sense in a place like this — no light pollution, a spectacular starry sky and the total silence of the Haute-Matawinie. The comfort of the car, nature all around, and friends a few steps away for morning coffee.
The drive home
Boucherie Artisanale Chez Francoeur
Last stop before heading back to Quebec City, at 901, rang Saint-Augustin in Mandeville. A genuine country butcher shop, well off the main roads, just the way we like them. We filled the cooler with quality cuts and house-made products before facing the three and a half hours home.
Mandeville, incidentally, is also home to the observatoire des Pléiades — worth keeping in mind for a future visit, the sky around here is remarkable.
