Trois-Rivières

A historic city on the St. Lawrence founded in 1634, with an old town and old prison to explore, and the lakes and forests of La Mauricie National Park and Shawinigan's Cité de l'énergie just to the north.

Trois-Rivières lies on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River in Quebec, Canada, at the mouth of the Saint-Maurice River, roughly halfway between Montreal and Quebec City (about 1.5 hours' drive from each). Founded in 1634, it is the second-oldest city in Quebec. Its name comes from the way two islands split the mouth of the Saint-Maurice into three channels. In the first half of the 20th century, thanks to log driving on the river and hydroelectric power, it became the paper capital of the world, and today Rue des Ursulines and Rue des Forges in the old town, the Old Prison and the Boréalis paper industry history centre all tie into that story. Climate: winters are long and cold, often below −15°C, but offer distinctive experiences such as ice fishing and forest skating; summers are warm, and June–September is the season for festivals, outdoor terraces and paddling in the national park; fall colors peak from late September to early October. Areas to explore: (1) the old town and riverfront, a half-day to full-day walk; (2) the Notre-Dame-du-Cap Shrine on the east bank; (3) the Forges du Saint-Maurice historic site, Shawinigan's Cité de l'énergie and the falls to the north of the city; (4) farther north, natural areas such as La Mauricie National Park, Parc de la rivière Batiscan and the Sainte-Ursule Falls; (5) in winter, the ice trails of Domaine de la Forêt Perdue and the ice-fishing village at Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pérade. Getting there: about 1.5 hours from Montreal via Highway 40, with intercity buses available, but the national park and surrounding sights are realistically only reachable by car. Allow 2–3 days, plus an extra day each for fall colors or winter activities. Note: French is the main language here and English-language guided tours are limited; book national park campsites and ice-fishing cabins in advance.

Top sights

Where to eat

Itineraries