The Mauricie stretches from the north shore of the St. Laurent River, about halfway between Montreal and Quebec City, deep into the Laurentian Mountains. Populated by French settlers under the seigneurie system in the 17th and 18th century, it has some of the oldest towns and villages in Quebec. The St. Maurice River, which gives the region its name, meanders through Mauricie to its mouth at Trois-Rivières.
Cities
- 1 Trois-Rivières — paper-milling town at the mouth of the St. Maurice River with several historical sites to see
- 2 Shawinigan — features a theme park based on local industrial history
- 3 Yamachiche — a small town settled by Acadians deported from the Maritimes, and by Loyalists fleeing the U.S.
- 4 La Tuque — a pulp and paper town named after a rock formation just outside the city that resembles a hat
Other destinations
- 1 La Mauricie National Park — camping, canoeing, kayaking, trails for hiking or snow-shoeing; a 64-km drive through the park provides spectacular views of the Maurice River and Lac Wapizagonke
Understand
Mauricie is considered the cradle of industrialization in Canada because around 1730, the Forges du Saint-Maurice became the first steel company in North America.
Get in
By car
Route 40 between Quebec and Montreal passes through Trois-Rivières and Yamachiche.
By bus
There are bus connections from Quebec City and Montreal to Trois-Rivières.
By train
Via Rail Canada has a thrice-weekly service that connects La Tuque to Montreal by train.
By plane
The nearest airports with commercial service are in Montreal and Quebec City.
Get around
By car
From Trois-Rivières, route 55 takes you to Shawinigan, where it becomes Route 155 and continues north to La Tuque.
See
See the picturesque villages and the historic districts of Trois-Rivières and Yamachiche, where stately ancestral homes have survived three centuries of history. You'll observe how the place names and rich heritage that dot this historic route evoke the lives of the peple who settled here over the course of time.
The Québec Museum of Folk Culture in Trois-Rivières presents six bold and unusual exhibitions in a distinctly Québécois style.
The Old Prison of Trois-Rivières is classified as an historical monument. Ex-inmates lead visitors on a tour that provides a real glimpse into prison life.
The Forges du Saint-Maurice National Historic Site of Canada in Trois-Rivières is the first site of the steel industry and the first industrial town in Canada
Do
Follow the Chemin du Roy, the first road open to vehicles between Québec City and Montréal, was completed in 1737. It hugs 102 km of shoreline of the St-Lawrence from Maskinongé to Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pérade. It passes by 23 attractions and 14 points of interest.
The Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières in early August is the largest motor racing event to be held on an urban circuit in the Americas.