A network of authentic heritage villages, located in remarkable landscapes

120, rue Saint-Joseph,

Deschambault-Grondines,

(Québec)

418-652-8150

Tous droits réservés, 1998 / 2009, l'Association des plus beaux villages du Québec.

All Rights Reserved, 1998 / 2010, Association of the Most Beautiful Villages of Quebec

The gentleness of the estuary

History of our village

To be completed...

 

 

As its name suggests, Notre-Dame-du-Portage was a strategic exit and entry point located at the end of the great canoe carriing trail between the St. Lawrence River, Acadia and the Maritime provinces. Natives, missionaries, coureurs de bois and other conquerors all travelled across Notre-Dame-du-Portage. The last stop on a long and arduous journey, the village was predestined to become a place of rest and the exclusive resort it is today.

 

Notre-Dame-du-Portage boasts no opulent residences or monuments; embracing instead the understated charm of century-old architecture surrounded by luscious greenery. At the edge of the St. Lawrence estuary, the village is huddled between marine docks and a beach. Across the great river, the Laurentian capes of Charlevoix are profiled in tones of blue, along with a view of Île aux Lièvres (Hare island), and the Rivière-du-Loup ferry gliding by. To the right of the island, the Saguenay fjord spreads out onto the horizon.

 

The scent of algae is unmistakable in Notre-Dame-du-Portage, where the saltwater wafts in from beyond. Treat yourself to a stay at the Victorian-style health spa Auberge du Portage, built in 1895. On the quay, try your hand at smelt fishing, or bathe in the warm salty municipal pool. With any luck and binoculars, you may even catch sight of the whales that always swim nearby…

 

The 1859 church, presbytery, and cemetery stand at the water’s edge, framed by rich vegetation. Encircling it are several major and secondary buildings, and a few waterfront inns—the Auberge du Portage, in particular, features an ocean-water pool. The sunsets in Notre-Dame-du-Portage are exceptional. In fact, they have been listed as some of the most beautiful sunsets viewed from anywhere in the world.