9 Best Places to Shop in Side Trips from Montreal, Quebec

The gigantic sign on Autoroute 10 is hard to miss. Take Exit 78 to explore more than 1,000 vendors at this indoor flea market selling T-shirts, household gadgets, and much, much more. Shoppers come from as far away as Vermont.

This shop offers a wide variety of local products, not the least being the abbey's famous Oka cheese. It also has a small dining area where you can dine on Oka cheese poutine and other tasty sundries.

One of the most interesting events in Val-David is this ceramic exhibition, held from July through mid-August, which started in 1988. On view is the Japanese-style pottery of 1001 Pots' founder Kinya Ishikawa—as well as pieces by up to 100 other ceramists. Ishikawa's studio also displays work by his wife, Marie-Andrée Benoît, who makes fish-shaped bowls with a texture derived from pressing canvas on the clay. There are workshops for adults and children throughout the exhibition, and there is always at least one artisan on-site. While you're there, take the time to enjoy tea in one of the three beautiful gardens and learn the art of the Japanese tea ceremony.

If you're looking for an interesting conversation piece to bring back home with you, check out master craftsman Bernard Chaudron's hand-forged, lead-free pewter household objects that include oil lamps, hammered-silver beer mugs, pitchers, candleholders, and animal-themed knife rests.

Cameron and Helen Brown (get it? Cam + len) import gorgeous antiques from China and Eastern Europe, create reproductions using old wood, and sell antique Canadian pieces. Their passion for, and dedication to, the art of furniture making is reflected in the high standard of their merchandise.

Stop into this charming little shop filled with crafts, jewelry, kitchenware, and clothing made by artists from the Eastern Townships.

Owners Carla Hadlock and Anita Laurent—the latter a former model—know fashion and style, and have many contacts in the business, so their collection of clothing and accessories includes many items obtained straight from manufacturers. You'll love the prices, too, which are a fraction of what you'd pay in a large retail store.

Small fashion boutiques, restaurant terraces, and cute gift shops in old French Canadian and Victorian homes adorned with bright awnings and flowers line this popular tree-lined shopping street.