Nestled into Quebec’s Laurentian Mountains, the town of Mont-Tremblant earns fame as home to a ski resort of the same name. The name means “trembling mountain,” from the local Algonquin legend that the god of the wilderness sent rocks crashing down the side of it when angry. These days, the town enjoys a reputation less for anger and more as a relaxing getaway in a winter wonderland. The cobblestone streets and pedestrian-friendly, European-style village invite visitors to stop in and slow down in summer, too. Besides alpine skiing, Mont-Tremblant offers a wide variety of world-class outdoor recreation opportunities, including hiking, biking, and golf, while the Circuit Mont-Tremblant racetrack hosts major motorsport events.

It takes about an hour and a half to drive to Mont-Tremblant from Montreal, where the Montréal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL) offers flights or connections to cities all around the globe. You’ll find a multitude of rental car options there. Ottawa is a slightly longer drive away, at about two hours, while Boston and Toronto are each closer to seven hours away. At times, Porter Airlines and Air Canada offer flights to the small regional Mont-Tremblant Airport (YTM) from Billy Bishop Airport (YTZ) and Pearson Airport (YYZ) in Toronto, and Air Canada flies there from New York City’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA) seasonally as well. Buses connect Montreal to Mont-Tremblant and shuttles can bring you from the Montreal Airport to the town. Once you’re there, free shuttles connect the town and resort, making it an easy place to avoid renting a car.

Mont-Tremblant receives significant amounts of precipitation: rain in the late spring through early fall, turning to the snow that powers the town’s world-class ski resort during the rest of the year. Though February is the driest month, with only 12 days of rain, waterproof gear is a must-pack for any season. In the winter, that should be in the form of very warm clothing, as the average highs get down to the single digits Fahrenheit and the average low temperatures fall below zero. Summer warms up significantly, with average high temperatures in the mid-70s, though the average low stays around 50 degrees, requiring visitors to pack at least one warm layer.

The town of Mont-Tremblant grew up because of the great skiing on its namesake mountain. Skiers will have a picturesque view of the Laurentians from the peak before they head down the more than 100 trails, which are served by 14 lifts (six high speed).

Quebec’s first national park includes six rivers and 400 lakes and streams, making it a summer destination for canoers, kayakers, and boaters and fishers of all types. In winter, the trails designed for cross-country skiing, hiking, snowshoeing, and sledding encourage visitors to enjoy nature, even in the bitter cold.

The winding Via Ferrata Du Diable trail up the Vache Noire Mountain, inside Mont-Tremblant National Park, brings harnessed, guided hikers — whether beginner or advanced — on a breathtaking journey along the rock face and across bridges high over the river.