Saint-Ambroise: River, Heritage and Potato Country

Saint-Ambroise brings together riverside scenery, a farming landscape and local history, offering a variety of vacation experiences. You can plan a walk along the Shipshaw, explore the town’s history or get a seasonal glimpse of growing and harvesting crops. The panoramas across the fields add another distinctive touch.

Walk along the Shipshaw and look out across the fields

The Sentier pédestre de la chute Gagnon is located within Saint-Ambroise’s municipal boundaries and runs along the Shipshaw River. This 1.7-kilometre linear trail is suitable for beginners. Its clearly described route offers a helpful guide if you want to include a walk in your day’s plans.

In some places, the cultivated fields offer a different view of the surrounding area, with sweeping panoramas stretching to the Monts Valin in the distance. The municipality’s agricultural outskirts are crisscrossed by numerous rangs, or rural roads, that lead to fields where potatoes and other crops grow. Saint-Ambroise is also part of a protected agricultural zone for potato growing. The riverside trail and the agricultural landscape thus offer two distinct ways to experience the outdoors here.

Agriculture and the seasonal harvest

Fermette Accapella offers pick-your-own haskap berries and raspberries in its four-hectare orchards. The offering is seasonal, so it’s best to check opening hours with the farm before visiting. This makes for a different kind of vacation activity than a walk or a tour of local history: here, the focus is on harvesting local fruit.

Rue Simard is the municipality’s main commercial and thoroughfare street and can help you get your bearings in the townscape. If you’re looking for a vacation rental, first consider what kinds of experiences you want to shape your days away.

Discover local history and culture

The Saint-Ambroise heritage tour brings history to life through specific stops. It includes a suggested route and a map marking places of interest. Interactive audio capsules cover key points in the town’s history. The map, route suggestion and audio content offer different ways to explore the local heritage.

The history of the Saint-Ambroise church is a particularly memorable chapter. A fire destroyed it in 1921; it was then rebuilt in stone and inaugurated in 1924, based on plans by architect Philippe Mayrand. The environmental park is also home to a stone sculpture honouring Jules Tremblay, one of the founders of Saint-Ambroise.

Contemporary life and culture are also part of the townscape: the Complexe socio-culturel has a large hall for receptions, exhibitions and other uses. A mural by artist Alain Thériault gives the space its character. For 35 years, the Festival de la chanson de Saint-Ambroise has served as a launching pad for emerging Francophone musicians. Together, these examples showcase different facets of cultural life, from visual art and local history to music.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Saint-Félix-D'otis, Saguenay, L'anse-Saint-Jean, Saint-David-De-Falardeau, Larouche, Sainte-Rose-Du-Nord, Rivière-Éternité, Petit-Saguenay.

For the broader travel guide: Le Fjord-Du-Saguenay.