Word of mouth
Word of mouth reveals the very best! Here are 4 of Charlevoix's best-kept secrets...
Five Peaks Challenge
For a 10th year, we’re playing outside with the Le Défi des 5 sommets [The Five Peaks Challenge]. Prized by locals, it also attracts hikers from everywhere with a very simple premise: Climbers have all summer, June through October, to scale the five Challenge peaks in the Charlevoix area (plus Mont Mystère for climbers who can’t get enough), backing up their feats with photographic proof. The prizes are well worth the climbs, so start taking those selfies!
Fiery Vinegar
Going by the name ApothicAri, Ariane and Benjamin, of the Jardins de La Minga concoct, or rather macerate, a vinegar they tell us is both a culinary stimulant and grandma’s cure for what ails you. The recipe includes garlic, onion, ginger, turmeric, and lemon grass, which boost the base of organic, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar, to become an immune system ally. Above all, it enhances every dish, whether a dressing or something simmering on the stove… Try it as a deglazer or as an alternative to the well-known Worcestershire in your Bloody Marys!
Famille Migneron
& Hugues Dufour
A Michelin-starred chef in the cheese shop; The grand opening of the Relais des Florents is surely the most awaited of the year! The Charlevoix Migneron family’s Madeleine and Alexandre welcome chef Hugues Dufour, the prodigal son with the notable New York career, from Saguenay (in a roundabout way from Charlevoix) to their premises, coming home as the first Quebecer to have been awarded the renowned star!
Forêt Marine
[Marine Forest]
A poetic name for a performer just as poetic, Forêt Marine is multidisciplinary Charlevoix performer Sandie Valiquette’s (mainly musical) alter ego. Her compositions, strummed soberly on the ukulele and accompanied by her bright, sensitive voice, speak of love and of sisterhood, by turns... Find her songs on your favourite platform or go find her videos, an important artistic idiom for someone who started in film studies.
