Best For: Croissant-loving skiers and snowboarders looking for European ambiance without the overseas flight
executive summary by darmansjah
Tremblant offers some of the best skiing in eastern Canada, with a master-planned village that feels cut from Europe—or at least the old quarter of Quebec City. With the first lift opening here in 1939, Tremblant was one of the first ski areas in North America, though the 18th-century French Alps-styled village at the base of its lifts wasn’t built until the 1990s. Fortunately, Tremblant did it right, with hotels, patisseries, and bistros packed into colorful multistory buildings that overlook narrow cobbled streets and squares. Underground parking means the entire village is car-free, making for an inviting, old-world environment.The original hamlet of Mont-Tremblant, only three miles from the mountain, makes for a mellower experience. Its smattering of hotels, hostels, and restaurants are a good option for people looking to get away from the bustling, slightly Disney-fied ambience of the resort.
The mountain itself offers a respectable 2,116 feet of skiable vertical, with 95 runs unfurling down four separate faces, providing the ability to follow the sunshine across different aspects throughout the day. Which is good, because mid-winter temps this far north can be savagely cold. The mountain’s two enclosed gondolas also help. Powder skiing may not be a regular occurrence, but assiduous grooming ensures there are no terrifying sheets of eastern ice.
Ask a Local
Twenty-five-year Tremblant local Donald Lacasse has been a ski instructor for 24 years and the director of Tremblant’s snow school since 2007. Best Digs-Budget: HI-Mont-Tremblant Youth Hostel in the old village
Swank: Fairmount Hotel for ski-in, ski-out-Best Eat-Cheap: Chez Lorraine in the old village-Gourmet: Aux Truffes at the resort-Best After-Ski Party Spot-Le P’tit Caribou-Best Rest-Day Activity-Scandinave Spa Mont Tremblant and shopping in the village-Tremblant’s Classic Ski Run-The Expo, 1,148 vertical feet of pure pleasure