Village
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The village of Saint-Jean-de-l’Île-d’Orléans is known as one of the most beautiful villages of Quebec. "La terre et la mer l’ont façonné" (The land and sea have shaped it), the slogan of St-Jean testifies its history of farmers and boats pilots. In the seventeenth century, the island was first divided into land strips stretching from the river to its middle; the first inhabitants lived in houses built on the cliff and cultivated the land. Over the years, a strip of land along the river broke away to allow the construction, at the foot of the hill, of houses for retired farmers, boat pilots and people with various professions. The vocation of the village became more and more touristic: Saint-Jean is a village "to walk" in order to admire the rich architecture of its houses, the majesty of its church (1734) and its seigniorial Manor (1734). A guided tour of the village is available by reading about forty interpretive signs attached on the lamp posts of the Chemin Royal. |
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Tourists, in harmony with the villagers, enjoy the beach for swimming, windsurfing and hiking along the banks, they also enjoy biking during summer, dog sledding during winter, art crafts and local products shops, and they especially enjoy the exceptional view of the river with the passage of cargo and cruise ships on the sea route, as well as the migration of geese and snow geese on the batture. |
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