A Magical Trip to Mont-Tremblant

It’s about that time of year when we’re all craving a warm-weather getaway. And while I am definitely ready for a tropical beach vacation, my fiancé and I booked a winter trip north to Mont-Tremblant in Québec, Canada instead. You might think we are crazy, but hear me out. This was the most magical trip I could have ever imagined.

From the quaint European village at the base of the mountain to the cozy restaurants and pubs, I was in heaven. Although we were only there for a few days, we quickly adapted to a routine. We’d wake up early at the Fairmont Tremblant, take the elevator down to grab our skis, and spend the next several hours on the slopes. We’d break for lunch, either at the lodge at the top or in a cozy cabin halfway down the mountain. In the early afternoon, the après would begin! We’d pop off our skis and decompress with a beer at one of the taverns at the base of the mountain. Then for my favorite part… we’d scurry back to our rooms for our bathing suits and hop into the heated outdoor pool at the Fairmont, hot chocolates in hand. We’d soak until we were just too hot to bear it anymore, run back up to the room to shower and get ready for dinner. I was active and using my body the entire time, so I totally felt deserving of all those hot chocolates, crepes and beavertails.

Here are a few of my favorite spots:

La maison de la crêpe – the strawberry, banana, nutella crepe is to die for

Queues de Castor (Beavertails) – the nutella banana (are you sensing a theme yet?) beavertail, i.e., fried dough, is everything

Microbrassiere La Diable – good for craft beers and a more contemporary setting for dinner

La Forge Bistro-Bar – one of the closest options to our hotel, great for dinner and for après

Le Shack Resto-Bar – at the very base of the mountain (right next to La Forge) and ideal for a lunch break or après; has an outdoorsy feel inside

Shopping – there’s a shop every ski brand imaginable if you’re looking for some skiwear. Otherwise, I highly recommend stopping into one of the maple shops and picking up some soft maple candies as well as stopping into Pop Therapy for some Chicago style popcorn done the Montreal way – white cheddar and maple corn – so good.

Hotel Mont-Tremblant Au Coin Resto Pub – not within walking distance, but an ideal stop on your way in or out of Tremblant. This was highly recommended to us by one of the locals, so we stopped for lunch on our way to Montreal. I had some of the best vegetarian chili of my life here.

• 

• 

On our way back to Massachusetts, we stopped over in Montreal for a night to break up the drive a bit. We got a GREAT last-minute deal on HotelTonight for Hotel Birks Montreal. It was super luxe, and I would definitely go back! We popped into Chez Henri, the hotel bar and restaurant for a late-night drink after dinner.

• 

• 

Montreal was very cold, but as New Englanders, we could totally hang. I layered up in a big way and we walked around the city for a few hours and even hit the La Grande Roue de Montréal. Yes, it felt a little touristy to ride the giant ferris wheel, but believe me when I say I loved it and would 100% do it again. The views of the city, especially at dusk, were so pretty.

For dinner, we had read great things about Modavie, and it was the perfect jazzy French bistro and wine bar. We sat at the bar, because we like to be next to each other instead of across from each other (LOL, can anyone else relate or are we weird?), but we felt extra taken care of by the owner and the bartender there. I got a killer saffron risotto that I was still dreaming about the next day, and Bishir got the lamb that they are known for!

THE BAGELS! Okay, I did NOT know about Montreal bagels before this trip. But these bagels…dare I say it….are even better than New York bagels (please don’t come for me)!!! If you ever go to Montreal, you MUST go to the Original Fairmount Bagel shop. These bagels are UNREAL. They are all made by hand, boiled in water with maple syrup and then wood-fired. In my opinion, the sesame is the best because it has a slightly sweet and toasted flavor. Be warned though, this shop sells nothing but bagels (and spreads) and takes only cash. We ran out of Canadian dollars and had to use American dollars (which they accept at a 1:1 exchange rate). We didn’t even care about losing to the exchange rate and bought well over a dozen bagels and ate two each on the ride home.

Have you been to Mont-Tremblant or Montreal? If so, please tell me your favorite spots to visit because we are most definitely planning our trip back for next winter!