Mont-Tremblant: Mountains of Fun

	A skier in Mont-Tremblant Photo courtesy of Tourisme Mont-Tremblant

As the highest peak in the Laurentian Mountains, Mont-Tremblant towers majestically over a land of winding rivers, immense lakes and lush green forests. Boasting a summit elevation of 875 metres (2870 ft), an average snowfall of 382 cm (149 in) a year and over 90 ski trails, the Tremblant year-round ski resort is the largest in the region. It attracts visitors from around the globe to its world class ski runs during the winter, as well as to its network of first-rate golf courses in the summer.

Located 90 minutes north of Montreal, Mont Tremblant is situated in the centre of the Laurentians, and at the doorstep of Parc national du Mont-Tremblant (Mont-Tremblant National Park). Ville de Mont-Tremblant consists of: the Tremblant resort, with its abundance of hotels, multi-coloured buildings and pedestrian streets lined with bistros, designer boutiques, chocolateries and gourmet restaurants; historic Mont-Tremblant Village, with its quaint cafes and charming buildings; and the nearby village of Saint-Jovite.

There are a host of activities available to visitors in Mont-Tremblant, from exploring the lakes and rivers of the national park, riding a dogsled or visiting a traditional sugar shack, to relaxing in one of the town's luxurious spas, exploring the designer shops or sampling the Quebecois cuisine. The pedestrian streets of Mont-Tremblant bustle with activity during the town's numerous festivals, such as the Festival International du Blues de Tremblant, or Mont-Tremblant International Blues Festival, which attracts musicians and visitors from around the globe to enjoy this breathtaking setting.

HISTORY

The Laurentian Mountains were surrounded by wild, sparsely occupied land until the late 19th century, when French Catholic priest Father Antoine Labelle arrived and decided to populate northern Quebec with French Canadians. In a span of about 10 years, he travelled the area, chose locations for future villages, and helped to establish over 5,000 settlers on their own pieces of land.

Father Labelle saw the area's tourism potential, and pushed for the construction of the Montreal to Saint-Jerome railway line in 1879. The railway spurred development in the Laurentians, leading to the eventual growth of tourism in the area.

In 1938, a young gold prospector from Philadelphia named Joseph Bondurant Ryan climbed to the summit of Mont-Tremblant (which in English translates to trembling mountain), and, upon seeing the magnificent views, vowed to establish a village there. One year later, the Mont-Tremblant Lodge opened and the area's first days as a tourist destination began.

Eventually, thousands of travellers began taking the train from Montreal to Mont-Tremblant to ski in the winter or to take their vacation in the summer. The trip to the Laurentians was so popular that the route became nicknamed Le P'tit Train du Nord (The Little Train of the North).

In 1991, one of the major ski resort companies in Canada arrived in Mont-Tremblant, and began to create the state-of-the-art recreation facilities that have made it the popular ski resort that it is today.

In 2000, the communities of Mont-Tremblant, Lac-Tremblant-Nord and Saint-Jovite joined together to form Ville de Mont-Tremblant, a tourist-oriented territory that includes numerous hotels, golf courses, restaurants, shopping districts and spas.

Today, many of the original 1930s-era buildings constructed by Joe Ryan can still be found, in the Vieux-Tremblant (Old Tremblant) district.

ACCOMMODATIONS

A wide range of accommodation choices, from upscale to budget, are available in Mont-Tremblant. Youth hostels offer budget travellers cheap prices for dormitory accommodations or double rooms, as well as low-priced breakfasts. A shuttle service is offered between the Montreal and Mont-Tremblant youth hostels during peak season (from approximately January to March).

Other accommodations include an abundance of hotels, from small and quaint to large, upscale hotels, most including gyms, pools and daily maid service. The resort's hotels are all centrally located and allow for quick access to the ski hill, restaurants and shops.

Several bed and breakfasts provide an affordable choice for families or budget travellers, all offering complimentary breakfast. Those wishing for more privacy can opt to rent a vacation chalet or condo. These vacation home rentals are ideal for families or groups, featuring several bedrooms, a kitchen, common room, and often including amenities such as washer/dryers, full kitchens and baths, fireplaces, saunas, hot tubs and pool tables.

CLIMATE

Mont-Tremblant has a continental climate, often providing ideal weather conditions for the four seasons resort. In the winter, the hill receives abundant snow for the ski season, while the summers are very warm, suitable for golfing and other outdoor activities.

Visitors should bring a warm jacket and winter boots during the winter season, as the area normally receives a large snowfall, with the greatest amount in November and December.

Spring and summer seasons are generally warm, with temperatures in the summer reaching the mid-to-low 20 °C (70 °F). There is considerable rainfall from May to September, so it is advisable for visitors to come prepared with an umbrella or rain jacket during these months.

TRANSPORTATION

While the Little Train of the North is no longer operating, it is still very easy for visitors to get to Mont-Tremblant. There is no shortage of choices in transportation, from traditional modes of transport such as airplane, car rental, shuttle or bus, to more unconventional vehicles, such as snowmobiles.

The Mont-Tremblant International Airport is located 30 minutes from the Mont-Tremblant town centre, and shuttle service is offered during the winter.

The former Little Train of the North route has now been converted into a trail for cycling, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling. P'Tit Train du Nord Linear Park, as it is now called, travels 200 km (124 mi) from Saint-Jerome to Mont-Laurier, passing through other Laurentian mountain villages on the way. A shuttle bus service is also available between the two towns for those wishing to bike or ski a portion of the trail and receive a lift in the other direction.

Those wishing to admire the Laurentians from behind the driver's wheel can rent a vehicle through one of the many car rental companies in Montreal, which are located at the airport, Central Station bus terminal and at other locations around the city.

The major thoroughfare from Montreal to Mont-Tremblant is via Highway 15, otherwise known as Autoroute Laurentienne. A slower, but more pleasant, route from Montreal to the Laurentians is the older Highway 117.

Limocar Laurentides buses are a popular mode of transport to Mont-Tremblant from Montreal. Leaving from Montreal's main terminal, the buses stop in most major towns. During ski season, special buses operate to various hills.

A municipal bus service is offered for visitors to Mont-Tremblant. The bus runs between the Tremblant resort, Village Mont-Tremblant and Saint-Jovite, with regular service from April to September.

ACTIVITIES & ATTRACTIONS

Winter Activities

	A snowboarder at the Mont-Tremblant ski resort Photo courtesy of Tourisme Mont-Tremblant

Mont-Tremblant towers at an elevation of 875 m (2870 ft), features over 90 ski and snowboarding trails, more than a dozen chair lifts, and receives an average annual snowfall of nearly 4 m (13 ft). The site also features 18 acres (7.2 ha) of ramps, rails, jumps and a superpipe.

As skiing is the main reason many visitors go to Mont-Tremblant, an array of vacation packages are available, usually including several days of accommodation and skiing, some meals and parking. Season passes are also offered for special rates. Skiing classes and equipment rentals are available as well.

Those who prefer cross-country skiing can explore the vast network of over 290 km (180 mi) of trails that wind through the varied Laurentian landscape, scattered with forests, fields, lakes, mountains, streams and rivers.

Another popular activity at Mont-Tremblant is dogsledding. This unique activity gives visitors the chance to drive their own team of husky dogs through the Laurentian wilderness.

Other winter activities at Mont-Tremblant include ice climbing, horse-drawn sleigh rides, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, tubing (tobagganing with an inner tube) and cross-country skiing tours.

Another favourite pastime any time of year is visiting one of Tremblant's many spas. Both Scandinavian and Hammam baths are found here. Scandinavian baths typically feature Finnish and Norwegian baths, outdoor hot tubs and thermal waterfalls, while Hammam baths consist of a warm, steam-filled room with comfortable sitting areas, where visitors can wait prior to their massage.

Summer Activities

	Golfing in Mont-Tremblant Photo courtesy of Tourisme Mont-Tremblant

While Mont-Tremblant is known mainly for its world-class ski facilities, the area also offers an abundance of summer activities. During the spring and summer months, numerous professional golf courses make the area a popular golfing destination.

Two of Tremblant's best-known golf courses are Le Geant (The Giant) and Le Diable (The Devil), which are 18-hole courses with impressive mountain views.

The proximity of Parc national du Mont-Tremblant (Mont-Tremblant National Park) is also conducive to an array of summer outdoor activities. Located about 25 km (16 mi) from Mont-Tremblant, the park, which is Quebec's oldest and largest protected region, takes up an area of over 1500 km (932 mi) and is home to hundreds of lakes, mountainous terrain, hiking and biking trails, waterfalls, winding rivers and peaceful lakes. The area also provides natural habitat for various wildlife, such as black bears, wolves, moose, beavers, deer, foxes and bald eagles.

Visitors can explore the provincial park, and try to catch a glimpse of the wildlife that inhabit it, via the network of hiking and cycling paths, or by the canoe routes that wind their way through the lush forests of the area. There are a number of campsites in the park where hikers or paddlers can stop for the night, but most sites are basic. The most developed area is the Diable region (the area closest to Mont-Tremblant), where many campgrounds have showers. The interior and eastern sections of the park are further off the beaten track, and these isolated spots are where wildlife sightings, particularly of moose or bears, are most likely.

A good way to appreciate the impressive surroundings of Mont-Tremblant is by riding the panoramic gondola up to the summit during the spring and summer. At the summit, an observation tower provides a breathtaking view of the Laurentian Mountains, nearby lakes and Mont-Tremblant Provincial Park.

Other summer activities at Mont-Tremblant include horseback riding, rock climbing, kayaking, white water rafting, swimming, waterskiing, wakeboarding, fly-fishing, airplane tours, ATV (All Terrain Vehicle) tours, alpine luge (which involves riding a non-motorised cart down a paved moun tain trail) and guided cycling tours.

Restaurants & Shopping

A typical street scene in Mont-Tremblant Photo courtesy of Tourisme Mont-Tremblant

The pedestrian streets of Mont-Tremblant wind through the colourful buildings of the Tremblant resort village--located at the foot of the mountain and parallel to Lac-Tremblant (Tremblant Lake)--passing by quaint cafes, creperies, chocolate shops, ethnic restaurants and an abundance of shops.

Visitors can sample Quebecois cuisine at many of the restaurants around town. The local cuisine consists of a combination of wild game such as venison or caribou, mountain trout, rabbit and traditional French sauces.

Another traditional Quebecois food that visitors can get a taste of is maple syrup. Visiting a cabane a sucre, or sugar shack, is an experience in itself. At these cabins, where maple syrup is collected by tapping maple trees, visitors can try maple taffy on snow (a traditional Quebecois treat) and other maple products.

Browsing through the stores of Mont-Tremblant reveals a wide mix of products. Designer clothing boutiques are located beside gift shops, leather boutiques and bookstores. Most are located along Tremblant's pedestrian streets, allowing easy access to stores and providing a unique atmosphere.

Arts & Entertainment
With the impressive mountain landscape around Mont-Tremblant serving as inspiration for painters and other artists, it is not surprising that there are many art galleries here. Local galleries offer original Inuit sculptures, paintings by renowned Quebecois artists and objets d'art (art objects) from Quebec.

Whether it's the sound of blues music floating out from cafes and bars, the rumbling of car engines at Mont-Tremblant's speedway, or a series of events to mark the changing colours of autumn, the region nearly always has a festival or special event to spice up the streets of the alpine village.

Some of the major festivals include: Les Rythmes Tremblant, from June to August, which attracts a wide variety of musicians over the course of eight weekends; the Festival International du Blues de Tremblant (Tremblant International Blues Festival); Beach Fest in early July; the Wine and Game Festival in October; and the Symphony of Colours, an autumn festival of various events and activities in September and October.

In the summer, a popular event is the series of international automobile racing competitions held at the Championnat National du Canada speedway, from mid-June to the end of September. Various other sports competitions attract the crowds to Mont-Tremblant throughout the year, including the Canada and Quebec mountain biking cups, the Tremblant Women's Futures international tennis competition and other sports events.