Abbaye de Saint-Benoît-du-Lac
There's no mistaking the abbey, with its granite steeple that thrusts into the sky above Lac Memphrémagog's western shore. Although Saint-Benoît-du-Lac dates only from 1912, and the monastery was constructed from 1939 to 1941, its serenity is timeless. Some 45 monks live here largely in silence, keeping the art of Gregorian chant alive in their liturgy. Outsiders are welcome to attend the 45-minute service (sit in back if you want to avoid the otherwise obligatory standing and sitting during the service). A blue cheese known as L'Ermite, among Québec's most famous, is produced here, along with a creamy version and Swiss and cheddar cheeses. They are on sale in a little shop, which also sells honey, books, tapes of religious chants, and a nonalcoholic cider produced from the property's fruit orchard. Visitors that come mid-September to mid-October may want to help pick apples. And be sure to peek into the tiny stone chapel to the left of the property's entrance, opposite the small cemetery.
There's no mistaking the abbey, with its granite steeple that thrusts into the sky above Lac Memphrémagog's western shore. Although Saint-Benoît-du-Lac dates only from 1912, and the monastery was constructed from 1939 to 1941, its serenity is timeless. Some 45 monks live here largely in silence, keeping the art of Gregorian chant alive in their liturgy. Outsiders are welcome to attend the 45-minute service (sit in back if you want to avoid the otherwise obligatory standing and sitting during the service). A blue cheese known as L'Ermite, among Québec's most famous, is produced here, along with a creamy version and Swiss and cheddar cheeses. They are on sale in a little shop, which also sells honey, books, tapes of religious chants, and a nonalcoholic cider produced from the property's fruit orchard. Visitors that come mid-September to mid-October may want to help pick apples. And be sure to peek into the tiny stone chapel to the left of the property's entrance, opposite the small cemetery.
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