Sitting on the western shore of Lac Memphrémagog is the awe-inspiring Abbaye St-Benoît-du-Lac (abbaye.ca), home to 30 Benedictine Trappist monks who are part of a community that has been here since 1912. Followers of St Benedict – who withdrew to an Italian grotto outside Rome in around 500 CE to pray in solitude – the monks spend much of their time in silent prayer, chanting, playing music or working in their orchard, cidery and cheese factory, though they will talk to you if you ask questions.
The astonishing abbey, built over four years and inaugurated in 1994, can be explored on your own or via 70-minute guided tour, from June to September. The geometric hall leading to the main chapel is extraordinary, with fall-colored bricks to match the trees outside and arches that adhere to the golden ratio. The abbey is also home to a relic that was once part of St Benedict's skull. Time your visit for 7:30am, 11am or 5pm to hear the Gregorian chant ring through the abbey.
While the monks spend a lot of time praying, like the rest of us they need to make a living. That's why they produce an array of cheeses, spreads, chocolate truffles and some very fine cider and sell their wares in the store downstairs as well as in specialty shops across Québec. Speaking from experience, their products are worth chanting about.
There's a hostel for men here and another for women at a nearby nunnery.