A vast, magnificent land

The heart and soul of Québec, the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region is located around two magnificent bodies of water: the Saguenay River, which features a fjord unique in North America, and Lake Saint-Jean—a huge fresh-water lake that is fed by numerous small rivers and lined with beaches. Known around the world for its wide-open spaces and its wild natural beauty, the region covers a total area of 107,952 square kilometres, each harbouring innumerable secret pleasures

A unique experience

The Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region combines the best of what city and nature can offer. The 300,000 residents of this region have access to a wide range of highly specialized services. For anyone wishing to enjoy a rich and intense cultural experience, the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region will fill the bill. You will discover the traditional warm welcome the local residents or “Bleuets” reserve for their guests, as well as the unique geography of a part of the continent that is as vast as it is fascinating, all bathed in the unique light that enhances the natural beauty of this region. This is the perfect place to experience total immersion in French within the framework of a program organized by the École de langue française et de culture québécoise

A diversified economy

Over the years, the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region—often dubbed “aluminum valley”—has made a place for itself on the world economic stage through the production of that highly useful metal, as well as other mineral and forest products, and through its agricultural and market gardening sectors.