Canada Guide
Southwest Québec
Trois-Rivières
The major town between Montréal and Québec City is TROIS-RIVIÈRES, midway between the two, at the point where the Rivière St-Maurice splits into three channels – hence the name "Three Rivers" – before meeting the St Lawrence. The European settlement dates from 1634, when the town established itself as an embarkation point for the French explorers of the continent and as an iron-ore centre. Lumber followed, and today Trois-Rivières is one of the world's largest producers of paper, the delta chock-full of logs to be pulped. It's often dismissed as an industrial city and little else, but its shady streets of historic buildings – neither as twee as Québec City, nor as monumental as Vieux-Montréal – are well worth a wander.
For a place to stay, the cheapest option is the clean and comfortable hostel, La Flottille, in the heart of downtown at 497 rue Radisson ( 
819/378-8010, 
www.hihostels.ca ; dorms $20). A number of attractive B&Bs are situated in heritage homes in Vieux Trois-Rivières: Le Fleurvil at no. 635 rue des Ursulines, has five rooms in a low-lying house ( 819/372-5195 or 1-877/375-5190, www.fleurvil.qc.ca ; Price: $61-80); and the gorgeous Manoir DeBlois, 197 rue Bonaventure, an 1828 stone house with original wood floors and an antique-strewn salon ( 819/373-1090 or 1-800/397-5184, www.multimania.com/manoirdeblois ; Price: $81–175). Centrally located, modern hotels include the high-rise Delta, 1620 rue Notre-Dame ( 819/376-1991 or 1-800/268-1133, www.deltahotels.com ; Price: $101-125), and Hôtel Gouverneur, 975 Hart ( 819/379-4550 or 1-888/910-1111, www.gouverneur.com ; Price: $126-175).
Most of the city's restaurants are located in the downtown core. Le Bolvert, 1556 rue Royale, is a hearty, affordable breakfast option and Angeline, 313 rue des Forges, has imaginative pasta and pizza choices for under $10. The nearby Gaspard at no. 475 offers steak, fish and chicken, plus some cheaper lunch specials. Le Zenob, 171 rue Bonaventure, is a chilled bar with two leafy terraces that also sells sandwiches; for coffee and a snack, head to Café Morgane, at 100 rue des Forges, a sleek coffee shop with three other outlets around town. For nightlife, the multistorey Le Temple, 300 rue des Forge, caters to all types.