5 of the Best Three Pines Sites to Visit in the Eastern Townships of Quebec

The first book in Louise Penny’s Chief Inspector Gamache series which is set in the Eastern Townships of Québec was published in 2005 to critical acclaim and won several major awards for mystery novels. The popularity of the series grew with each subsequent release and the books, now translated into 35 languages, have sold millions of copies worldwide and have become fixtures on the New York Times Bestseller list. The 20th book in the award-winning series has just been published and there’s no end in sight for Chief Inspector Gamache.

The novels are murder mysteries but they are also stories about human nature and readers have become very attached to Chief Inspector Gamache and the recurring characters in the books. The village of Three Pines in Québec’s Eastern Townships where the series takes place is fictional but Louise Penny lives in the region and was inspired by many real sites when she was writing her novels. As a result, the Eastern Townships has become a literary tourism destination for fans who want to visit the sites that served as inspiration for the novels.

My husband and I recently enjoyed a three night getaway to the Eastern Townships and since we both are reading the Chief Inspector Gamache series, we made a point of visiting some of the Louise Penny Three Pines sites. We used a map on Louise Penny’s website to choose the spots that we wanted to visit and were able to visit all of these sites within a few hours on one day.

These are our recommendations of five places for Louise Penny fans to visit on a getaway to Quebec’s Eastern Townships.

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Manoir Hovey

In Book 4 of the Inspector Gamache series, A Rule Against Murder, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and his wife, Reine-Marie, are celebrating their wedding anniversary at Manoir Bellechasse, a luxury inn located in the Eastern Townships not far from Three Pines, when their getaway is interrupted by a violent death. The fictional inn is inspired by Manoir Hovey, a gorgeous five-star Relais & Chateaux property located on the shores of Lake Massawippi near North Hatley, Québec.

We were staying at Manoir Hovey for our Eastern Townships getaway, however, if you’re staying elsewhere you can visit the inn to enjoy a meal at one of the restaurants or visit the spa. If the weather is pleasant then I recommend dining on the patio of Le Tap Room bistro – the views are lovely and the food excellent!

The historic Library at Manoir Hovey is a lovely spot to relax by the fireplace and read a Three Pines mystery (or any other book!). There is a display case in the library that includes several of Louise Penny’s Three Pines series of books as well as the book that she wrote with Hilary Clinton.

We had a lovely stay at Manoir Hovey and, fortunately, there were no murders while we were guests!

Located at 575 Rue Hovey (Hovey Street), North Hatley, Québec

Café Three Pines

At the top of my list when we were planning our trip was a visit to Café Three Pines which Louise Penny recently opened (June 2025) on the lower level of Brome Lake Books in Knowlton. The café is inspired by the fictional Olivier’s Bistro in Three Pines operated by Gabri and Olivier which has become a symbol of comfort, conversation and good food for readers. Penny’s goal was to bring the magic of that bistro into the real world and she has done exactly that!

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On the menu at Café Three Pines are hot and cold drinks, croissants, pastries and sandwiches served on their signature dishware with the Three Pines logo and one of four quotes from the book. I loved the decor in the café and the cozy seating areas that are perfect for conversation or reading a book while sipping a hot cup of coffee or tea.

Tea lovers can choose a special Reine-Marie tea blend or Three Pines blend and both can also be purchased in loose-leaf form to take home. There are also additional products (pottery, coffee, tea, plates, t-shirts, aprons and more) which can be purchased online if you aren’t able to visit and would like to bring a little piece of Three Pines into your home or gift to the Chief Inspector Gamache fan in your life.

In the middle of the space there are two pillars which are meant for authors to sign. Louise Penny signed first at the opening and her good friend, Hillary Clinton, also autographed when she popped in for a visit a few weeks later. By the time of our visit in September, a few more authors had added signatures to mark their visit to the café.

We arrived late morning on a weekday in September and the café was bustling! It’s popular with both tourists and locals and I imagine it is even busier during the summer season. We enjoyed coffee and pastries before heading upstairs to browse the bookstore. Unfortunately, no Louise sightings on the day of our visit!

Located at 51 Chemin Lakeside (Lakeside Road), Knowlton, Québec. Open 9 – 5 Tuesday-Sunday. Closed Mondays.

Brome Lake Books

Brome Lake Books in Knowlton (upstairs from Café Three Pines) served as the inspiration for Myrna’s bookshop in the Chief Inspector Gamache series. The fictional bookshop in Three Pines is owned by Myrna Landers, a retired psychologist from Montréal, and is a cozy spot that is regularly visited by Chief Inspector Armand Gamache both for the books and for Myrna’s insight.

We enjoyed browsing this charming family-run independent bookstore which has been serving their community for more than 20 years. The store has quite a good selection of fiction and non-fiction titles with an emphasis on Canadian authors. They also sell greeting cards, art supplies, magazines, games, puzzles, locally-made products and more. And they have a store pup called Poppy!

Louise Penny fans will love the Three Pines Corner that pays homage to the local writer and displays exclusive merchandise including mugs, t-shirts, hats, and key chains for sale in addition to all of her books. (I bought one of her books and couldn’t resist the Three Pines puzzle!) Fans can also add a pin to a world map hanging on the wall to show where they’re from and leave a personal note for Louise in a guest book.

Merchandise is also available online through the store’s website, however, the shop is not currently shipping to the U.S. because of the tariff that has been placed on Canadian goods. Books aren’t covered by the tariff though so American customers can still purchase signed first editions of the latest book.

Located at 45 Chemin Lakeside (Lakeside Road), Knowlton, Québec

Abbaye de Saint-Benoît-du-Lac

Abbaye de Saint-Benoît-du-Lac is a community of about thirty Benedictine monks living in the beautiful Lake Memphrémagog region of the Eastern Townships of Québec. This monastery served as Louise Penny’s inspiration for the fictional Saint-Gilbert-Entre-les-Loups where a murder takes place in Book #8 of the series – The Beautiful Mystery.

Visiting this Gothic style monastery should be on anyone’s intinerary for the Eastern Townships whether a Louise Penny fan or not – the architecture is stunning! Built over time during the 20th century with designs by several architects, the monastery was officially named an Abbey in 1952. Our fall visit was self-guided, however, there are guided tours available as well during the summer months. Visitors can also enjoy a contemplative walk along the 2 km of footpaths around the property.

The monks operate their own orchards, a cheese factory and a cider mill and sell a large selection of products crafted by their community in the shop on site (available online as well) including cheeses, fruit compotes and spreads and ciders as well as books, CDs and religious objects. The orchards are also open for apple picking during the fall harvest season. All the food products in the store looked delicious and I had a hard time narrowing down my choices – our favourite item was chocolate-covered blueberries which were absolutely scrumptious!

Located at 1 Rue Principale (Principale Street), Saint-Benoît-du-Lac, Québec. The shop is open 7 days a week from 9 am closing at 5 pm November 1st – May 31st and at 6 pm during the summer season from June 1st – October 31st.

La Rumeur Affamée Gourmet Foods Shop

The gourmet food shop La Rumeur Affamée in Sutton served as inspiration for Louise Penny when she created the fictional Sarah’s Boulangerie in the Three Pines series.

Located the heart of the village in an historical building that dates to 1861, the delicatessen and bakery carries a wide selection of cheeses, cold cuts, local meats, pastries, sandwiches, organic breads, Quebec alcohols and much more.

We were disappointed to find the shop closed on the day we visited but it looked lovely from what we could see from peering in the windows and we enjoyed a nice walk around the village!

Located at 15 Rue Principale N (Principale Street), Sutton, Québec. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

Three Pines Tours

We chose to visit Three Pines sites on our own, however, there are tours available as well. Three Pines Tours, operated by Louise and Gilles who own a B&B in Lac-Brome, offers a full-day tour that explores the real-life locations that inspired some of Louise Penny’s novels. The tour visits sites that were the inspiration for Mr. Beliveau’s General Store, Saint-Thomas Church, Old Hadley House, the Saint-Gilbert-entre-les-Loups Monastery, Manoir Bellechasse, Sarah’s Boulangerie and Brome Lake Books.

The small group tours accomodate a maximum of 5 guests and are available May through October at a cost of $375 per person plus tax. Early booking is recommended.