Sherbrooke

Sherbrooke lies where the Saint-François and Magog rivers join in southern Quebec, with forests and ski areas nearby. Ski at Mont-Bellevue Park when snow covers its slopes, paddle the Magog River’s rapids in warmer months, or find 17 large murals downtown that turn building walls into scenes of historic street life. Attend the Fête du Lac des Nations in July for fireworks over the water, or watch ice sculptors carve frozen blocks during the Carnaval de Sherbrooke in January. Universities like Université de Sherbrooke bring students from across Quebec, and former textile mills now house cafes and galleries. Stroll past Victorian homes in the Mont-Bellevue neighborhood or follow the lac des Nations path, where joggers and cyclists pass by willow trees.

Year-Round Trails and Water Sports

Mont Bellevue Park covers 200 hectares in the city center, with dirt trails for summer hiking and snow-covered slopes for night skiing in winter. Rent a kayak to navigate the Magog River’s Class I-II rapids, or take a calm canoe trip on the wider Saint-François River. Jacques-Cartier Park has soccer fields and a paved path that follows lac des Nations for 3 km, linking to the Promenade de la gorge de la Magog. Over 125 km of bike routes cross the city, including paths cleared for fat-tire bikes even in February. For a quick hike, try the 2 km Sentier des Prés trail near the university, which stays open year-round.

Museums and Live Performances

At the Sherbrooke Museum of Nature and Science, see fossils from the Appalachian Mountains and dioramas of wolves and moose in recreated forest habitats. The Sherbrooke Museum of Fine Arts rotates exhibits every three months, focusing on Quebec painters like Marc-Aurèle Fortin alongside 1800s French landscapes. Learn how Loyalist settlers built sawmills and wool factories at the Centre d’interprétation de l’histoire de Sherbrooke, where guides demonstrate antique spinning wheels. Catch a symphony performance at the Maurice O’Bready Theatre, which seats 1,000 under a vaulted wooden ceiling, or watch indie films at the Granada Theatre, a 1920s movie house restored with red velvet seats.

Festivals and Evening Entertainment

In July, the Fête du Lac des Nations fills Jacques-Cartier Park with food trucks serving poutine and smoked meat, plus nightly fireworks synchronized to rock covers. Sherblues & Folk takes over downtown in August, with free blues concerts at Place Nikitotek and workshops on slide guitar techniques. June’s Festival des traditions du monde brings drum circles, henna artists, and vendors selling handmade jewelry from Morocco to Peru. During the Carnaval de Sherbrooke, families slide down ice slides on cafeteria trays or try maple syrup poured onto snow. After 10 PM, bars like Le King’s Hall Pub on Wellington Street pour local IPAs from Siboire Brewery, often with live bands playing until closing.

Walking Tours of Murals and Historic Buildings

Start at the King Street tourist office to follow a 6 km route past murals such as “Le Cinéma,” which shows 1920s residents lining up for a Charlie Chaplin film. Use the free Muralis app to point your phone at frescoes like “Les Ouvriers” and watch short videos explaining the factory workers depicted. Tour the Domaine Howard estate to see its 19th-century wooden columns and hand-carved banisters, preserved since Loyalist families first settled here. On Bishop’s University’s campus, contrast the stone arches of McGreer Hall with the glass-walled Student Union building. In Lennoxville, streets like Queen’s Road have Victorian houses with triangular gables and wraparound porches painted in mint green or pale yellow.

Markets and Regional Food

Buy smoked duck breast and raw-milk cheddar at Marché de la Gare, a market inside a 19th-century railway station open every weekend. Halte des Pèlerins vineyard, 20 minutes east, lets you sample ice wine made from grapes frozen on the vine. Reserve a table at Bistro 700 for dishes like venison medallions with juniper sauce or duck confit sourced from farms in Lac Brome. For handmade wool goods, visit La Filature downtown, where weavers use looms from the 1850s to create striped blankets sold across Quebec.

Getting There and Best Times to Visit

Drive from Montreal to Sherbrooke in 90 minutes via Autoroute 10, or take an Orléans Express bus from Quebec City’s Gare du Palais station. While Sherbrooke Airport has summer flights to Montreal, most visitors rent cars at Montreal-Trudeau Airport for the 150 km trip. Pack warm layers in February, when temperatures often drop below -10°C, ideal for cross-country skiing on groomed trails. Visit in late May to kayak the Magog River’s spring rapids or in October for red maple leaves along Route 108 near Mont-Orford. Book free walking tours through the city’s Greeter program, where volunteers share tips like the best bagel spot near the university.