This Hidden Quebec City Is A Riverside Gem Offering Vibrant Murals, Lush Gardens, And Local Culture

Where the St. Lawrence River meets the rural landscapes of the Gaspésie region, a small town has gone all out on lush gardens, vibrant murals, and local culture. Welcome to Mont-Joli, a colorful spot in the Québec province that welcomes visitors year-round to explore the beauty of Eastern Québec at a slower pace.

Mont-Joli is the type of small-town stunner that's often called a hidden gem, but it's also a gem that's hidden in plain sight. That's due to its strategic location. One of Québec's main thoroughfares, Highway 20, intersects with scenic Route 132 just outside of town, establishing Mont-Joli as a travel-friendly place to stop or stay. This access includes a direct riverside route to Québec City and its famed high-speed sled ride and sweet sugar shack snacks as well as to New Brunswick and its scenic fairytale getaway with high tides. Still, Mont-Joli is more than a potential pit stop on your way to somewhere else.

The quaint town of 6,500 residents is surrounded by natural and outdoor attractions, and a modern tourist information bureau (look for the giant question mark ... seriously) ensures that visitors make the most of their stay. Where to start? The tourism bureau and most locals would likely say the colorful street art, which led some to call Mont-Joli the mural capital of Eastern Québec.

This small town has a big artistic spirit that uses its public spaces as a canvas to tell the story of its people and past. The Mont-Joli Mural Trail (or "Murmures de la Ville" in French) effectively turns the entire downtown area into an open-air gallery. QR codes throughout the hour-long route provide historic and practical information for each work of art. Across more than 30 murals, the history of the town underfolds, highlighting local builders, heroes, and important events. In the past, the unveiling of new murals even brought the national Minister of Canadian Heritage to town.

Beyond its celebrated murals, the same downtown area is home to Zoom Nature Desjardins, a discovery center near the tourism office that focuses on biodiversity, including regional flora and fauna. Its collection of insects, wild plants, minerals, fossils, snakes, turtles, lizards, lizards, and more makes it the only mini zoo located in a school throughout the province.

A downtown stroll also reveals several inviting cafes and restaurants like Boulangerie Le Lotus Noir bakery, a French artisan establishment with a Vietnamese twist. A special dinner, however, might require a quick trip to the waterfront. Mont-Joli's unusual shape, almost like the number four lying on its back, means its northwest border comes a stone's throw away from the St. Lawrence River, but only a small section actually touches its shores. Still, it all feels local since riverside restaurants in neighboring Sainte-Flavie are only about 4 miles from the furthest edge of downtown Mont-Joli. Sainte-Flavie is also where you'll find the Centre d'Art Marcel Gagnon, a hotel, restaurant, and cultural space that showcases the works of regional artists.

Mont-Joli is known for its lush gardens and greenery, earning four "florets" or flowers (out of a possible five) from Fleurons du Québec for its beautification efforts. These vibrant green spaces perfectly complement the rural landscapes along the St. Lawrence River and inland at Lake Gros Ruisseau. Nevertheless, like the riverside restaurants, one of the most important gardens falls just outside of town. Roughly 10 minutes away in Grand-Métis, the world-famous Jardins de Métis (Reford Gardens) features an impressive plant collection and creative garden designs.

Mont-Joli is part of the village-relais network, municipalities recognized for offering certain services all year long, but the key word here is"certain." You can expect to see the murals anytime of year, but for other activities like the gardens, it's best to check ahead and make sure they're not on a seasonal break.

For those wishing to visit, the town can be reached by car or by train via the Atlantic Canada route between Montréal and Halifax. Despite being a 1913 heritage station, the Mont-Joli stop is by request only and doesn't have staff available to help with on-site requests. The town has its own airport, Mont-Joli Regional Airport (YYY), but with a very limited number of flights. Most local air arrivals land at Baie-Comeau Airport (YBC) across the St. Lawrence River 93 miles (and a ferry ride) away or at Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport (YQB) approximately 215 miles southwest on Highway 20.