A network of authentic heritage villages, located in remarkable landscapes

All Rights Reserved, 1998 / 2012, Association of the Most Beautiful Villages of Quebec

A seigneury on the cape

History of our village

Lotbinière belongs to the plateau that dominates the south flank of the St. Lawrence River, some fifty kilometres from Quebec City. Conceded to Seigneur Louis Chartier de Lotbinère in 1672 (whose descendant, Henry Gustave Joly-de-Lotbinière became Premier of Quebec in 1878-79), the village’s superb stone houses are dotted along the main street (route 132, or Marie Victorin), forming a rich ensemble of historical monuments protected by law.

Examples include the Pagé House (1785) at 7482 Marie Victorin, the Bélanger House at 7661 Marie Victorin, the Chavigny-de-la-Chevrotière Manor at 7640 Marie Victorin, and the Moulin du Domaine 7218 Marie Victorin. The early nineteenth-century church, designed by the famous religious François Baillargé (as were the presbytery, cemetery and convent) is a magnificent architectural combination overlooking the river. Equally impressive is the quaint stone processional chapel located near the village exit.

The Moulin du Portage (1816) stands alone, apart from the village, in an enchanting location on a bend in the Du Chêne River whose rapids have long challenged springtime rowers at this place. Shows are put on here during the summer season, and the Moulin makes a charming picnic area with a trail leading to the top of the hill. A few kilometres from the village towards Sainte-Croix, in Pointe-Platon, the Joly-de-Lotbinière Manor (1851) stands on the shores of the Saint-Lawrence, serving as a lively centre of activity with its outdoor café, Sunday concerts, expositions, shady park, decorative ponds and gardens, and trails leading to the water’s edge.

Lotbinière quay was once a trade centre with its neighbouring villages, bustling in eel fishing, softwood trading, and naval construction. Beyond it, great sea liners glide gently on the river towards Montreal and the Great Lakes. Near of the village, a family has developped the tradition of Further away on the north bank, the soft outline of the massive Laurentian Mountains can be admired.

Today, agriculture is the mainstay of Lotbinière. During the summer season, visit the Centre agrotouristique de Lotbinière (the Agrotourist Centre of Lotbinière) located on the Laval University farm, and enjoy exhibits of new technologies, the childrens’ farm, ostriches, vegetable gardens, orchards, and a dairy farm.

Mr Maurice Senécal,

Mayor of Lotbinière