It’s Time to Say ‘Aaah’ as You Relax Into Life in the Eastern Townships

With my cellphone on silent and left behind some distance away, I rested my chin on the edge of Spa Balnea’s infinity pool and stared out at calm, glistening Lake Gale. The sky was a thin slate of grey, broken intermittently when the sun’s rays found an opening to cut through the canvas. Even from 200 yards away, I could hear fish splash into the water and swift birds rustle in the forest that marched up from the lake’s edge. Around me was quiet, with only the sounds of damp flip-flops clapping on concrete once in a while or the occasional gentle splatter of water when a fellow spa guest chose to move in or out of the pool. It was heated to a cozy 34 Celsius degrees (93 Fahrenheit) and its ripples massaged the skin while the warm breeze brushed the face, and, figuratively, the mind’s stresses, too. In such serenity, I could understand why spa-goers come for a full day, lingering into the evening when fire pits are lit on both the terrace and below at the Balnea beach club by the lake.

Even though the primary parking lot was so jammed with cars I had to station my vehicle in the overflow gravel lot, there was no sense of Balnea feeling overcrowded. Along with the multiple pools on the spa decks, a space lined with lounge chairs and sofas, there were 15 two-person cabanas on the lawn leading down to the lake and additional hot tubs and seating areas in front of the dock. Guests can swim in the lake or walk along trails near it.

With my time limited and my contentment level peaking, I chose to soak in the pools at the spa chalet. They include cold plunges and a thermal waterfall. Inside are a solarium, Turkish baths, cinema showing aquarium scenes, relaxation areas, massage treatment rooms, and the Lumami restaurant. The menu is small but fitting for a spa. Try the salmon rillettes, served with dill sour cream and a mesclun salad, or the Quebec cheese plate with a housemade chutney.

Spa Balnea celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2025 and its presence has added to the joys of Bromont, one of the most charming small communities in Canada. One of the 15 Eastern Townships cities, it is abundant with sublime and sophisticated attractions like the spa, and connects with travellers who want a distinct sense of place when they venture away. Along with Balnea, the region has marquee names like Hotel Château-Bromont, home to an outstanding golf course that hosts an annual PGA Americas Tour event, and small business run by artisans and connoisseurs.

Culinary Highlights of Bromont

Among them is Le Vignoble du PicBois (translated as Woodpecker Winery), owned by Andre Pollender, a leader in Quebec’s artisan maple-syrup industry who has made the move to viticulturist. The 35-acre farm in the neighbouring municipality of Brigham features 22,000 vines that produce approximately 42,000 bottles per year. The wines from PicBois debuted in 2022 and in 2023 the winery retailed the first-ever Quebec-made Syrah.

Pollender and his son, David, recruited Marc Grau, a pioneering winemaker in Quebec who has a deep understanding of the terroir of the province. Grapes such as Seyval Blanc, Geisenheim, Sabrevois, and Cayuga are among those planted at PicBois and used in its award-winning white wines, which include an off-dry blend and the elegant Cuvée Séduction. The impressive rosé is dry with notes of pear on the finish. PicBois shows what Quebec’s grapes can do, even if they’re young.

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“Quebec’s wineries are producing less than 2% of what’s consumed in the province,” says Andre Pollender, whose family has lived in the Bromont and Brigham area since 1813. “We have a long way to go to get the people to consume what’s made here but when they try it, they like it, and that’s why we’re here.”

Visitors to the winery can enjoy a tasting of the products and also shop for PicBois’s renowned maple syrup and maple vinegar.

Once you’ve savoured the wine and other flavours, you’ll want to enjoy the food in the township. Here are restaurants and cafes to try in Bromont, all but one located on Rue Shefford, which is without a doubt one of the prettiest streets in Canada:

Chardo: Frog legs? Here’s the place to get them — and become a fan like I did. I had tried frog legs before, at a bistro in Paris that sauteed them in brandy with garlic and herbs. It wasn’t memorable except for the novelty to my North American palate. At Chardo, the delicacy is given a familiar treatment — battered and seasoned with coriander, salt, and pepper before being fried like chicken wings. That’s exactly what they taste like, too. The frog legs — which are sourced from Vietnam — come in servings of four ($17) and are an enjoyable start to a meal that presents such good quality bistro fare you might think you’re in Montreal’s Mile End.

While the frog legs are a quirk, the other menu items are regional specialties that foodies will adore. A dish of silky, savoury chanterelles ($26) came with the mushrooms served atop grilled brioche with sweet peas while monkfish ($26) arrived in front of me on a colourful corn crepe with strawberry, cilantro, and jalapeno. To finish off the clever dinner, select the strawberry and soy mousse, served with bee pollen and oat crumble.

Add to it sharp, friendly service and a casual patio in front of an attractive century-old steep-roofed building, and you can understand why Chardo is a spot in demand. And a restaurant that will lure you back to Bromont all on its own.

Pizzeria No. 900: A Quebec-based franchise, Pizzeria No. 900 serves authentic Neopolitan pizza. The Bromont location is unique because, like Chardo, it calls a charming historic building home. Try the Charlevoix pizza ($20), which features ingredients from its namesake region east of Quebec City, or take advantage of the lunch special of a Margherita pizza with a Caesar salad for $18.

Musee du Chocolat: Immaculate truffles made in-house, plus a restaurant that serves waffles and crepes topped with melted chocolate, are among the reasons to enter the colourful building that houses Bromont’s Musee du Chocolat.

An array of goods are also for sale, including items made by the team in Bromont and fine chocolate products from around the world. As its name suggests, the business includes a small museum that explains the history of chocolate and the process of making the treat.

N Latte: Every town with upscale leanings has an artisan coffee shop that would be a fit in a much larger metropolis. On Rue Shefford, N Latte is that place. The coffee is exceptional, the menu includes a variety of vegan items, and the atmosphere is fitting for Bromont’s most popular street. Two levels of seating are within the intimate wooden building. On the second floor is a back room that resembles an old study, complete with an antique-looking chess set that might entice you and a friend to huddle for a while.

Les 4 Canards (The 4 Ducks): The flagship restaurant of Hotel Château-Bromont, a five-minute drive from Rue Shefford, has an attractive wine cave with some quality choices at affordable prices. The food menu is devoted to ingredients from the Eastern Townships. Opt for the four-course tasting menu ($75) and consider the fish of the day for your main. It will likely be a lake fish like trout or pickerel, or perhaps Atlantic cod, delicately prepared with a white-wine cream sauce and seasonal vegetables.

Golf and More Outdoors in the Eastern Townships

Hotel Château-Bromont has been a beneficiary of the PGA Americas Tour, which was launched in 2023, combining the former Canadian Tour and Mexican Tour to create a more competitve and consistent league. Martin Ducharme, director of golf at Château Bromont, likens the PGA Americas Tour to the American Hockey League or AAA baseball — a top-level minor league whose athletes are only a step away from elite stardom.

“These are very good players. I would say almost all of them have the talent to go on to the PGA Tour,” Ducharme said on the eve of the 2024 Bromont Open, won by Californian Ryan Burnett.

Approximately 10,000 people visited the course at Château-Bromont during the tournament, held July 17-21. The revenue will help improve the tourist experience at the course, hotel, and elsewhere on the Château-Bromont properties, which include a water park and mountain-biking circuit that turns into a massive ski resort in winter.

In fact, it’s skiing that first made Bromont a destination. It has transformed into an all-season playground with luxury hotels, fine restaurants, artisan businesses, and exceptional spas.

As I ventured away from the village, departing Rue Shefford after my satisfying meal at Chardo, I remembered my time at Spa Balnea, where the sense of relaxation was an antidote for stress and tension. It occurred that there was one word that appropriately summed up life in Bromont: pleasant.

The town is utterly easy to adore and marvellous to settle into for a few days, and perhaps even longer. Bromont has a census population of 11,943 residents. Chances are after a few days in the village you’d be tempted to make it one more.

MORE ABOUT VISITING BROMONT

 

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Where to Stay: Hotel Château-Bromont is a four-star resort with both indoor and outdoor heated pools, hot tubs, a terrace bistro, and The 4 Ducks restaurant. Several suites include a loft with an additional bedroom. Address: 90 Rue de Stanstead, Bromont, Quebec (see map below). Room Rates: Based on a recent search of the property’s booking engine, a weekend night in August costs $379.

Getting There: Bromont is one of the 15 cities in the Eastern Townships (or Cantons de l’est) and is about one hour by car southeast of Montreal. For additional information on trip planning and to learn about all of the municipalities in the region, visit the Tourism Eastern Townships website.