Founded on July 4, 1634, by Sieur de Laviolette, Trois-Rivières became one of the first permanent French settlements in North America. Its name refers to the archipelago at the mouth of the Saint-Maurice River, where the waterway splits into three distinct channels before flowing into the Saint Lawrence River. This strategic location made Trois-Rivières a major fur trade hub before it became known as the “Paper Capital of the World”.
Its downtown area, located in the historic heart of the city, features around thirty heritage buildings and traces of human presence dating back to prehistoric times. Proclaimed “Poetry Capital” in 1985 under the impetus of Félix Leclerc, Trois-Rivières celebrates creativity through its Festival international de la poésie (International Poetry Festival). Architectural gems such as the Old Prison of Trois-Rivières (Musée POP museum), the Musée des Ursulines museum in Trois-Rivières, the Manoir Boucher de Niverville and Boréalis, transport visitors to a captivating past.
Just a short distance from the city, Lake Saint-Pierre, a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, highlights the region’s rich natural heritage. Today, the second oldest city in the province of Quebec combines heritage with vitality. It features a vibrant downtown core, rich cultural institutions and an incomparable effervescence.