The self-styled “Queen of the Eastern Townships,’’ Sherbrooke is indeed this region’s industrial, commercial, and cultural center. The city lies in a steep-sided valley, with the historic quarter delightfully situated among the rolling farmlands of the Saint-François and Magog Rivers. The first settlers were British Loyalists from the New England states. Although their heritage survives in the fine old homes and gardens of Sherbrooke’s North Ward and in street names, today the city is overwhelmingly French speaking. From the town center runs the Riverside Trail, a lovely waterfront park with 20 km (12 miles) of cycling and walking trails along the banks of the Magog River.