If you’re cruising or road-tripping along the St. Lawrence River be sure to check out the historic town of Trois-Rivieres, Quebec. Nestled halfway between Montreal and Quebec City, this historic port is filled with charm, and unique attractions in this very walkable city. Right at the port you’ll find a lot of bars and restaurants to choose from along the stretch of waterfront, past that is where you can dive into the history of this small town.

If you feel like exploring, here are our picks for Trois-Rivieres:

Tour the Old Prison. Get taken back in time through the old city prison. Have a day in the life of a prisoner, find out what processing was like and where you went if you misbehaved ( a real dungeon). The tour is guided by former inmates of the prison and really informative (when I say former inmate, it was a marijuana charge). You can even spend the night behind bars, if that’s your thing.

More info: www.enprison.com

Take a City Tour. A professional guide will give you a 90-minute fully narrated walking tour of Trois-Rivieres. Hear about the history of this town, town monuments and learn about the trading post in the early days.

Experience Sugar Shack Chez Dany. Check out a modern day sugar shack with their all you can eat menu, whiskey from maple syrup, live folk music and a great selection of beers. Their menu is complete with French Canadian pea soup, meat pie, maple ham to homemade maple taffy rolled in snow.  You start with a friendly hello from the owner, a walk through the syrup process, and end with a great meal.

More info: www.cabanechezdany.com

Ride King’s Road. This first road that was suited for new vehicles in New France that linked Montreal, Trois-Riviers and Quebec City. Picturesque views of the Saint Lawrence River while traveling through little villages are something you won’t want to miss. Don’t forget the camera!

Visit Borealis. This once-operating historic pulp and paper center will educate you on the mills and even let you make paper on your own. You can take a guided tour or self-guided through the mill and go to ground-zero, back to the day when it was just man and machine in this step-by-step  paper making process. You’re even allowed to go underground into the chambers where the water flowed into the mill.

More info: www.borealis3r.ca

One tip for Trois-Riviers is to wear comfortable walking shoes. For being a small town, there’s quite a few sites that you’ll walk too. Most of Trois-Riviers has city-wide free wifi, so if you have your smartphone with you, you can jump on the network and show people where you are!

Learn more about Trois-Riviers at www.tourismetroisrivieres.com.

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