Why Antique Lovers Are Winetiquing Through Québec’s Eastern Townships

Imagine crossing the border into a storybook world where vineyards meet charming mountain villages and the morning air smells faintly of fresh croissants. On our recent RV adventure through Quebec’s Eastern Townships, we set out to explore the scenic countryside just beyond New England, but what we stumbled upon was something even better: a spectacular Québec antiquing road trip, a charming new way to travel that I’m calling winetiquing. Part antiquing, part vineyard hopping, and entirely delightful, this Québec antiquing road trip led us through picturesque towns filled with curated antique shops, lakeside cafés, vineyard views, and some of the most beautiful scenery we’ve explored.

Nestled just 15 to 20 minutes apart along pristine lakes and historic ski hills, quaint villages like Dunham, Sutton, Knowlton, and Bromont offer a four-season escape where world-class wineries, charming lakeside restaurants, and gorgeous, curated antique shops await at every turn. Whether you’re looking to stretch your travel budget with a favorable exchange rate or want to lose yourself in a beautiful landscape, this hidden gem of a route is the dream destination your vintage-loving heart needs to experience at least once.

Move Over, Québec City: Why Antique Lovers Are Headed to the Eastern Townships

Just a short drive over the Vermont border, this region completely redefines what a vintage hunt can look like. Because the historic towns here are nestled so close together, you can easily spend a morning sorting through primitives in one village and the afternoon uncovering French treasures in another, all with plenty of time to stop at a local vineyard along the way.

It has all the ease of a classic New England weekend road trip, but with a distinct French-Canadian flair that makes the entire hunt feel like a European getaway. If you’ve been looking for a fresh route to spark your collecting inspiration, this close-knit cluster of towns is exactly where you want to point your car.

The Eastern Townships Villages We Fell in Love With While Winetiquing

What makes exploring this region so unique and completely different from a typical antiquing trip in the States is how effortlessly high-end vintage style blends with local wine culture. Instead of just driving from town to town looking for antiques, you’ll find a sophisticated mix of traditional antique stores, fashionable retro thrift, and designer consignment boutiques clustered right alongside incredible local vineyards.

The formula here is beautifully simple: you park once in the center of town, stroll the main strip to hit two or three fantastic shops, and then wrap up the afternoon with a wine tasting nearby.

If you are planning a long weekend across the border, these are the four charming villages I would prioritize for the ultimate winetiquing getaway:

Dunham

Located just over the Vermont border, this cozy town was our very first stop and the perfect introduction to the region. We stayed for two nights in our RV via Harvest Hosts at the gorgeous Vignoble Clos Ste-Croix, which features a fantastic antique shop right next door and highly walkable local restaurants nearby. What surprised us most, however, was that we found ourselves returning to Dunham later in the week for another overnight stay and a visit to the highly recommended Vignoble de l’Orpailleur. While the wine and the atmosphere were wonderful, you can easily experience the best of this town in a single day before moving along the trail.

Sutton

If you’re looking for a town that combines antiques, boutiques, mountain views, and great food, don’t skip Sutton, just 15 minutes down the road from Dunham. This charming village has a creative, artsy feel with walkable streets lined with independent shops, cafés, galleries, and antique stores. Sutton is known as a ski destination in the winter, but year-round it offers the kind of relaxed small-town atmosphere that makes you want to spend the afternoon browsing, shopping, and lingering over lunch. For antique lovers exploring Quebec’s Eastern Townships, Sutton is an easy addition to any road trip itinerary.

Bromont

Next on the route, just another quick 15 minutes down the road from Sutton, is a completely picture-perfect alpine ski town surrounded by mountain views and upscale boutiques. It features a wonderful handful of local antique stores and a fabulous downtown thrift shop that you can easily walk up and down in just a couple of hours. It’s a vibrant, high-energy spot with great restaurants that make it an ideal stop to grab lunch and explore. If I had to choose one town to revisit first, it would probably be Bromont.

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Knowlton (Lac-Brome)

Knowlton is an absolute must-visit lakeside village that feels a bit more upscale and is packed with historic charm. Mystery lovers will instantly recognize it as the inspiration behind author Louise Penny’s famous Three Pines book series, and you can even stop by Brome Lake Books and Café Three Pines below it for a warm pastry and coffee. Right downtown, you’ll find Antiquité Lebel Objet, an incredible, 3,000-square-foot shop absolutely loaded with curated vintage goodies that completely stole my heart.

What Antiquing in Québec’s Eastern Townships Is Really Like

Unlike some antiquing destinations built around large antique malls or seasonal flea markets, the charm of antiquing in Québec’s Eastern Townships is found right in the heart of the villages themselves. As you stroll through downtown Dunham, Bromont, Knowlton, and Sutton, you’ll discover antique shops tucked between cafés, bakeries, bookstores, and consignment shops, making the hunt feel like part of the overall experience rather than a separate destination.

What I loved most was the variety. We found everything from antique furniture and architectural pieces to vintage home decor, artwork, quilts, collectibles, and beautifully curated European-inspired treasures. Many of the shops felt more like carefully designed boutiques than traditional antique stores, with displays that were as inspiring as the pieces themselves.

For vintage lovers from New England, the experience feels familiar yet different. The French influence, unique merchandise, and charming village settings give these shops a character all their own. You won’t find endless rows of booths or warehouse-sized antique centers here. Instead, you’ll find thoughtfully curated shops, friendly shop owners, and the kind of unexpected discoveries that make antiquing so much fun.

The Thrift Store Clothing Shops Are Worth the Trip Too

While you might be crossing the border for the traditional antique shops, you absolutely cannot miss the curated thrift and consignment stores hidden throughout towns like Dunham and Sutton. Forget any preconceived notions of digging through dusty bins; these shops are styled like beautiful, upscale clothing boutiques. They boast massive, affordable inventories packed with incredible European-styled clothing, especially from the 1960s and 1970s.

It is a total goldmine for retro fashion and high-end accessories. You’ll find everything from vintage sunglasses and statement jewelry to gorgeous, designer leather boots, hats, wallets, and bags that look like they walked right off a mid-century runway in Paris. Best of all? Many of these shops blend in a beautiful selection of vintage home decor alongside the fashion, making them an essential, stylish stop on your itinerary that you definitely don’t want to skip.

My Favorite Finds from Quebec’s Eastern Townships

While I was tempted by plenty of treasures along the way, I managed to keep my purchases surprisingly modest. My favorite find was a beautiful vintage red-and-white quilt that I picked up for just $59. Not only will it work beautifully in my home, but it also came in handy on a few chilly evenings while we sat outside the RV watching the sunset.

I also brought home two oversized antique wooden hangers that were originally designed to hold heavy textiles. I’d never seen anything quite like them before, and while I’m still deciding exactly how I’ll use them, I think they may be perfect for displaying a vintage quilt or other treasured fabric.

Another find was a small green vintage cake stand that immediately caught my eye. I love collecting cake stands in different sizes and colors, and this one was marked down 50%, bringing the price to just $9.

And last but not least, I picked up a set of silver forks to give as part of a wedding gift coming up this summer. Silverware pieces like this are one of my favorite vintage items to gift. From spoons to forks, to special cocktail spoons. Learn more in my Thrifted Gift Ideas: 10 Simple Vintage Finds That Make the Best Presents post.

The one item I didn’t buy, but still think about, was a collection of large French demijohns we spotted early in the trip. At just $45 Canadian each, they were an incredible value and far less expensive than what I’ve seen at home. Unfortunately, with eight days left on our RV adventure, I simply didn’t have room to safely haul one around. While I don’t regret leaving them behind, they may have been the best bargain of the entire trip.

Exploring Québec’s Eastern Townships by RV

One of the things that surprised us most about this trip was just how easy Québec’s Eastern Townships were to explore by RV. The roads are well-maintained, the towns are close together, and we never encountered steep mountain passes, difficult driving conditions, or stressful navigation. In fact, most of the towns on this route are only 15 to 30 minutes apart, making it easy to spend the day antiquing, shopping, and sightseeing without spending hours behind the wheel.

We traveled throughout the region in our Class B RV and had no trouble finding parking in any of the downtown areas we visited. From Dunham and Sutton to Bromont and Knowlton, the villages were easy to navigate and surprisingly accommodating for travelers. The relaxed pace of the Eastern Townships made the entire experience feel effortless.

One of our favorite parts of the trip was staying at local vineyards through the Harvest Hosts app and Canada’s own Terego, waking up among the vineyards, spending the day exploring antique shops and charming villages, and returning to the beautiful countryside at night, which made this one of our most enjoyable RV road trips to date. If you’ve been considering crossing the border with your RV, Québec’s Eastern Townships offer an easy, scenic, and rewarding destination for vintage lovers, food lovers, and anyone looking for a memorable long weekend getaway.

Ann was recently quoted in House Beautiful‘s article: “Why Buying an RV Is the New Vacation Home, According to Experts”, which you may enjoy reading.

The French Flair: The Best Part Happens After the Antiquing

As much as we loved the antique shops and vintage boutiques, some of our favorite memories happened in between the shopping. We’d spend the morning wandering through village streets, browsing antique stores and consignment shops, then stop into a local bakery for fresh croissants and pastries before heading to the next town. More than once, we stepped out of the RV and were greeted by the smell of warm bread and chocolate croissants drifting down the street.

The French influence is everywhere here, from the bakeries and cafés to the vineyards, markets, and local food shops. Combined with the favorable Canadian exchange rate, it felt like our travel and shopping budget stretched a little further, allowing us to enjoy a few extra treats along the way. The entire region has an atmosphere that feels distinctly different from a typical New England road trip.

Build Yourself a Charcuterie Board

One of our favorite discoveries in Québec’s Eastern Townships had nothing to do with antiques. Nearly every town seemed to offer incredible bakeries, specialty food shops, local cheeses, cured meats, pâtés, fresh fruit, and vineyard wines. Before long, we found ourselves creating our own charcuterie boards for afternoon snacks and sunset dinners.

A fresh baguette, local cheese, grapes, apples, pâté, and a bottle of wine quickly became our go-to meal after a day of antiquing. Whether you’re staying in an RV, a boutique inn, or a vacation rental, don’t miss the opportunity to visit the local markets and bakeries. Some of our favorite moments of the trip happened around a simple charcuterie board shared at the end of the day.

Where We Parked and Poured: Our 4 Favorite Vineyard Stays

One of the highlights of our Québec antiquing road trip was spending our nights at local vineyards. We selected each of these locations because they welcomed RV travelers through Harvest Hosts, allowing us to combine antiquing, wine tasting, beautiful scenery, and overnight stays all in one trip. While there are many excellent wineries throughout the region, these are the four where we stayed and the ones that helped make this road trip so memorable.

Vignoble Clos Ste-Croix, Dunham

Located just over the Vermont border, Vignoble Clos Ste-Croix was our first stop and a wonderful introduction to the Eastern Townships. We enjoyed a generous wine tasting, discovered our favorite red wine of the trip, and spent two relaxing nights surrounded by vineyards and countryside views.

Domaine Les Petits Cailloux, Saint-Paul-d’Abbotsford

Although this vineyard sits about an hour outside the Eastern Townships, it was well worth the drive. The views from the property are spectacular, and watching paragliders soar over the hillside while enjoying a glass of wine made for one of the most unique experiences of our trip. The sunsets alone were worth the detour.

Vignoble de l’Orpailleur, Dunham

Of all the vineyards we visited, this was our favorite. The wine tasting was exceptional, the outdoor restaurant was outstanding, and the entire property felt polished and welcoming. Spending the night among the vines with panoramic views of the surrounding countryside made this one of the most memorable stops of our journey.

Vignoble Domaine Brésee, Sutton

Our final vineyard stay brought us to Sutton, where we enjoyed another peaceful evening overlooking the vineyards and rolling hills. The hospitality here was wonderful, and we especially appreciated the warm welcome and thoughtful touches that made us feel right at home. It was the perfect way to end our week exploring Québec’s Eastern Townships.

Planning Your Own Winetiquing Weekend

Thinking about crossing the border for your own antiquing and vineyard adventure? Here are a few tips based on what we learned during our week exploring Québec’s Eastern Townships.

• Plan for 3–4 days. While you could visit in a long weekend, four days give you enough time to explore multiple villages, browse antique shops, enjoy vineyard visits, and still have time to relax.
• Prioritize Dunham, Sutton, Bromont, and Knowlton. These four villages offered our favorite combination of antiquing, vintage boutiques, bakeries, restaurants, vineyards, and walkable downtowns.
• Leave room in your vehicle. Between antique shops, vintage clothing stores, bakeries, and local markets, you’re likely to find more treasures than you expected.
• Don’t skip the bakeries. Fresh croissants, pastries, baguettes, and local treats became one of our favorite parts of the trip.
• Build a charcuterie board. Pick up local cheeses, pâtés, cured meats, fresh fruit, and a bottle of wine from a nearby vineyard for an easy and memorable meal.
• Consider staying at a vineyard. If you’re traveling by RV, Harvest Hosts and Terego offer unique overnight stays at several local wineries. If you’re not, you’ll find plenty of charming inns, boutique hotels, and vacation rentals throughout the region.
• Bring your dog. We found the Eastern Townships to be incredibly dog-friendly, with outdoor cafés, walkable downtowns, vineyard grounds, and scenic areas where Ella was welcome.
• Take advantage of the exchange rate. Between shopping, dining, and antiquing, we found our budget stretched a little further than it typically does at home.
• Expect to want to come back. We certainly do.

We based our route around a handful of villages, vineyards, and antique-filled downtowns that were all within an easy drive of one another. Here’s the route we followed through Quebec’s Eastern Townships.

Will We Be Back? Absolutely.

What started as a simple RV getaway turned into one of our favorite antiquing road trips. Between the charming villages, antique shops, vintage boutiques, vineyards, bakeries, and French flair, Québec’s Eastern Townships completely exceeded our expectations. In fact, we’ve already talked about making this an annual trip, and I’d love to see these mountain towns in the winter, too. If you’re looking for a unique antiquing getaway just over the Vermont border, I can’t recommend it enough.

Have you visited Québec’s Eastern Townships? I’d love to hear about your favorite stops in the comments below.

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