| Saguenay – Lac-Saint-Jean | |
 | |
| Saguenay Fjord | |
| Information | |
| Country |  Canada |
|---|---|
| Region | Quebec |
| Regional capital | Saguenay |
| Area | 95 769,39 km² |
| Population | 279 873 hab. (2014) |
| Density | 2,92 inhab./km² |
| Telephone prefix | 1 418 |
| Location | |
 49 ° 52 ′ 0 ″ N 71 ° 45 ′ 0 ″ W | |
| Official site | |
| Touristic site | |
the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean is an administrative region of the province of Quebec.
Understand
This territory is so vast that it is nicknamed "the Kingdom"! Renowned for its river as wide as a river, its lake as immense as an inland sea and its majestic fjord, the Saguenay — Lac-Saint-Jean region is full of attractions and striking panoramas. A host of activities await you, winter and summer: cruises, whale and bird watching, kayaking, rafting, hiking, biking, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, quad biking, dog sledding, ice fishing, cross-country skiing ... to name just a few! Its vibrant cities are home to some 300,000 inhabitants particularly welcoming.
The region is located in the northeast of the Quebec region at approximately 200 km of the Capitale-Nationale.
Located in the heart of the boreal forest, the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean takes its name from its main hydraulic network, the Saguenay River and the immense Lac Saint-Jean. The Saguenay part (around the Saguenay River) is made up of quite varied relief and dense forest. As for the Jeanoise part (around the Lake), it consists of a flat relief and plains all around Lac-Saint-Jean.
The word Saguenay would date from the time when Jacques Cartier brought an Amerindian (the leader of Canada: Donnacona) to France in order to present him to King François 1er. Donnacona then became aware of the value of gold and the market for animal skins in Europe. To return home, he would have invented the story of a 7th city of gold in North America: Sagana. The King then instructed Cartier to find Sagana and thus was born the name of the Saguenay Fjord: The 7th city of gold in America. Donnacona died in France in 1536.
Regions
Cities
- Alma
- Dolbeau-Mistassini
- Roberval – As well as the ghost town of Val-Jalbert.
- Saguenay – Chief town of the region.
- Saint-Félicien – With a zoo where animals roam free.
- 1 L'Anse-Saint-Jean (route 170 east of Saguenay and west of Petit Saguenay) – The small town of L'Anse-Saint-Jean is located in the bay of the same name and is crossed by a river. The covered bridge and the church are the two monuments that characterize it.
Other destinations
To go
By car
There are several routes to get to Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean.
- If you are leaving from Quebec, you must take route 175 which passes through the Parc des Laurentides.
- If you are passing near Shawinigan in Mauricie, take route 155 which goes through La Tuque.
- If you are leaving from maritime regions east of the St. Lawrence such as the Gaspé, you must go to Rivière-du-Loup and take the ferry to Saint-Siméon and then take route 170 to Saguenay.
- If you are leaving from the Charlevoix region, you must take route 381 which passes through Saint-Urbain.
- If you are arriving from Chibougamau, you must take route 167 towards La Dorée and Saint-Félicien.
By plane
There is a trip from Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau airport in Montreal to Bagotville airport in Saguenay but the cost is high.
By bus
You can also take the bus from Montreal or Quebec. From Montreal, the journey takes approximately 6 h to get to Chicoutimi, Arvida or Jonquière (the three within the city of Saguenay) You can also go to Alma. The main supplier of coaches is Intercar (www.intercar.qc.ca).
Circulate
To see
The Saguenay and its fjord
Very touristy during the summer, this vast region has hundreds of attractions and family activities. Linking the immense Lac St-Jean to the St. Lawrence River, the Saguenay Fjord is one of the most beautiful regions of the province of Quebec. Deep enough to accommodate whales and other unique marine animals, the region is also famous for its blueberries, small fruits resembling blueberries.
In order to connect the 2 shores of the Fjord, a free ferry shuttles between the 2 sections of Route 138, even during winter, between Tadoussac and Baie-Sainte-Catherine. Several portions of the Fjord are protected National Parks. The majestic fjord is the pride of the people of the region.
To visit the fjord by footpath, you can go to Anse-St-Jean or to the Rivière Éternité park (operated by Sepaq: www.sepaq.com). From Rivière Éternité park, you can take a cruise for a tour of the capes or rent sea kayaks for a little excursion. In any case, the landscape is superb.
The city of Saguenay includes three major shows and are presented during the summer:
- In La Baie, the Fabulous History of the Kingdom
- In Chicoutimi, Ecce Mundo
- In Jonquière, Expressio
Around
To speak
To buy
Eat
The Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region is probably the richest region in Quebec from a culinary point of view. It hides there a large number of products and dishes that are unknown, even in the rest of the province. The region is a major producer of blueberries (known as blueberries in France). The most famous regional dish remains the famous tourtière, often confused with meat pie elsewhere in Quebec. There are also several excellent cheeses as well as a fish, Ouananiche, a freshwater salmon that lives almost exclusively in Quebec. Lake Saint-Jean.
