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Stretching along the north shore of the St Lawrence east of Quebec City, from the Beaupre coast to the Saguenay Fjord, the area of Charlevoix , named after the Jesuit historian Francois Xavier de Charlevoix, is the world's only inhabited UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. Species like the arctic caribou and great wolf, not usually associ-ated with such southerly latitudes, can be seen in the more remote areas, and because the Ice Age that shaped the rest of eastern Canada missed this breathtaking portion of the Canadian Shield, numerous pre-glacial plants still thrive here. Its 6000 square kilometres consist of gently sloping hills, sheer cliffs and vast valleys veined with rivers, brooks and waterfalls, a landscape that Quebec's better known artists - Clarence Gagnon, Marc-Aurele Fortin and Jean-Paul Lemieux - chose for inspiration. Though Charlevoix has been a tourist destination for years, the land has been carefully preserved, and quaint villages and tin-roofed churches still nestle in an unspoiled countryside. The tourist office produces a brochure, La Route des Saveurs de Charlevoix , which is useful on a gastronomic trip - it lists agricultural producers and the restaurants that use local products in regional cuisine. Highway 138, the main route through Charlevoix, travels 225km from Quebec City to Baie-Ste-Catherine on the Saguenay. The main towns along this highway are served by Intercar buses from Quebec City, but many of the quintessential Charlevoix villages - in particular those along the coastal Hwy 362 - are not served by public transport. Be prepared to rent a car or bike - the expense is well worth it
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