Cité de l'Énergie

Eastern Townships & Mauricie


Built around a 1901 hydroelectric power station and the country's oldest aluminum smelter, the 'City of Energy' celebrates the region's industrial legacy. The highlight is in July and August when Cité de l'Énergie puts on a whizz-bang nightly multimedia show (adult/child $80/40) that features musicians, dancers and acrobats from Cirque du Soleil. Year round, learn about turbines, electrochemistry, aluminum and pulp and papermaking via multimedia shows and exhibits.

Race along a 'walk-through comic book' with scientists as they try to save the environment by switching to non-polluting hydrogen.

They also run guided tram-style bus tours (adult/family $16/$45; 75 minutes, schedule irregular) of Shawnigan.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Eastern Townships & Mauricie attractions

1. Les Forges-du-St-Maurice

10.67 MILES

About 7km northwest of central Trois-Rivières (take bus 4), Les Forges-du-St-Maurice is a National Historic Site preserving the 18th-century birthplace of…

2. Cathédrale de l'Assomption

16.77 MILES

Church fans should make a beeline for this colossal cathedral, a soaring neo-Gothic confection with exquisite sculpture and 125 intricate Florentine…

3. Musée Québécois de Culture Populaire

16.82 MILES

One of the most interesting stops in the area, this museum's changing exhibits cover the gamut from folk art to pop culture, delving into the social and…

4. Vieille Prison

16.83 MILES

Tour guides, including some former inmates, bring the harsh realities of the lockup vividly to life during 90-minute tours that include a stop at dank…

5. Sanctuaire Notre-Dame-du-Cap

16.95 MILES

The grand Sanctuaire Notre-Dame-du-Cap looks like a spaceship sitting on a launch pad. Located in Cap-de-la-Madeleine (take bus 2), about 4km northeast of…

6. Musée des Ursulines

16.96 MILES

For a slice of the town's religious history, stop at this former hospital founded by Ursuline nuns in 1639. It forms a pretty backdrop for the fine…

7. Parc National de la Mauricie

18.56 MILES

This highly-organized national park covers 550 sq km, straddling northern evergreen forests and the more southerly hardwoods of the St Lawrence River…