Regions

Wind and sliding sports enthusiasts flock to the Îles de la Madeleine in all seasons. The archipelago's frozen lagoons provide plenty of room to enjoy winter sports such as kite skiing or kite buggying. Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are ideal ways to investigate the hidden beauties of the Islands' backcountry. In late winter, herds of harp seals migrate from Greenland to their calving grounds on the ice surrounding the Îles de la Madeleine. In March, helicopter excursions take visitors to this almost surreal world to observe baby seals in their natural habitat. You'll never feel closer to nature!

The best spots for snowshoeing, backcountry skiing or alpine touring are in Gaspésie National Park, the Matane Wildlife Reserve and the Chic-Chocs Wildlife Reserve. These sectors of Gaspésie boast the heaviest snowfall in the whole province of Québec. You will be mesmerized by this boreal wilderness, home to moose and caribou. After a day of skiing or snowshoeing, enjoy a gourmet meal at one of the many restaurants with menus featuring fish and game.

Bas-Saint-Laurent stretches along the St. Lawrence River from La Pocatière to Sainte-Luce-sur-Mer and south to New Brunswick. This region's exceptional geographical position makes for spectacular and diverse scenery: sea, plains, islands, mountains and valleys. The backcountry offers outdoor centres and winter activities such as snowmobiling, dogsledding and hiking. After a day of winter fun, enjoy the region's gastronomic delicacies: chocolate, cheese and seafood.

Québec City is unique in many ways. It is North America's only fortified city, complete with European architecture and romantic cobblestone streets. It is also the capital of snow, with a perfect blend of old-world charm and outdoor adventure opportunities. Québec City is all about enchantment: old stone houses, museums, quaint boutiques and over 250 restaurants... Enjoy the Québec Winter Carnival, the third largest in the world, and don't miss North America's only ice hotel, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. Québec City is also near an immense playground for sports enthusiasts including Mont-Sainte-Anne, a ski resort that boasts the highest vertical for night skiing in Canada. It is also the largest cross-country ski centre in Canada.

Skiing in the Charlevoix region is pure bliss! Pristine white trails, breathtaking scenery and slopes buried under hundreds of centimetres of powder... What more could you ask for? Le Massif offers the highest vertical drop in Eastern Canada as well as 49 trails and 34 acres of off-trail terrain plunging down to the St. Lawrence River . For a friendly ski area the whole family will love, opt for Mont Grand-Fonds. Charlevoix also offers the "Route des Saveurs de Charlevoix," a gastronomic tour that introduces visitors to the beautiful landscapes and attractions of Baie-Saint-Paul and Îles aux Coudres while stimulating their taste buds!

Bordered to the south by the Appalachians and the Maine border, and bisected by the Chaudière river valley, the Chaudière-Appalaches region is dotted with a string of riverside villages that are among some of the loveliest in Québec. Proud of their history and rich architectural heritage, these communities are the natural habitat of craftspeople and sculptors. The region offers over 2,700 km (1,700 mi.) of groomed snowmobile trails through peaks and valleys that give you unparalleled views over the territory.

From the banks of the St. Lawrence, the Mauricie extends into the heart of the boreal forest, covering 40,000 km2 (15,440 sq. mi.). The King's Road, Canada's first carriageway, runs alongside the river as it travels through Trois-Rivières, midway between Montréal and Québec City. The backcountry, a vast forested domain dotted with lakes and rivers, is a true outdoor paradise. Long the realm of the lumberjack and the log driver, the Mauricie region has also developed a successful hydroelectric industry. With its colourful history and immense natural beauty, this region offers no shortage of contrasting getaways!

The term picturesque was invented especially for the Eastern Townships. Brimming with holiday resorts, this undulating region rubs elbows with the U.S. border, its rolling hills the source of endless gorgeous vistas. The Townships are replete with romantic, cosy country inns whose interiors are graced with antiques, fireplaces and original artwork. Many Victorian homes have been turned into B&Bs. The region is also renowned for the quality of its spas. The region's four ski resorts, Ski Bromont.com, Mount Sutton, Mont-Orford and Owl's Head, are only half an hour away from each other. Night skiers will be delighted with Ski Bromont.com, North America's largest lit ski resort.

The Montérégie region takes its name from the Monteregian Hills that cross this mostly low-lying region. With Montréal bordering its entire northern perimeter, Montérégie is 10,000 km2 (3,900 sq. mi.) of gentle hills and valleys. The region is rich in historical touchstones reaching back as far as Canada's earliest days. A wide range of historic sites, museums and interpretation centres pay tribute to the history of Montérégie. Known for its abundance of local products, the region ranks first in Québec for maple syrup production.

Admire mountains, waterfalls and lakes while cross-country skiing or snowshoeing in one of the region's seven regional parks, along the National Hiking Trail or in Mont-Tremblant National Park. With 2,300 km (1,400 mi.) of snowmobiling trails, Lanaudière is also renowned worldwide as a prime snowmobile destination. But that's not all! Zoom down the slopes at one of the ski resorts, skate along Québec's longest skating rink, go snow tubing down a mountain, experience the thrill of dogsledding and try your hand at ice fishing! After a day of outdoor fun, relax your mind, body and soul as you enjoy some well-deserved pampering in a spa and awaken your taste buds by savouring fine regional cuisine.

Less than an hour's drive north of Montréal lie the Laurentian Mountains where outdoor enthusiasts flock to enjoy every kind of winter sports imaginable, from alpine and cross-country skiing to snowboarding and dogsledding. It is also a great destination for family fun and activities. Ski and play in the Saint-Sauveur Valley, one of the world's best night-skiing destinations with five mountains, snow parks, half-pipes, moguls and more. Explore Saint-Sauveur, a picturesque village located at the heart of the valley. It is home to chic boutiques, outlet malls, art galleries, great restaurants and a vibrant nightlife. Visit Tremblant, the #1 ski resort in Eastern North America. The highest peak in North America offers stunning panoramic views, a pedestrian village, spas and tons of family activities.

The metropolis of Montréal has everything a big city can offer. It is also a multicultural city that blends its French accent with that of over 80 other ethnic communities and charms visitors with its Euro-American ambiance. Its downtown bustles with life, while its history is rooted in the old quarters near the river. The city beckons you to discover its fashionable boutiques, famed cuisine and lively casino. Stroll through its colourful streets and typical neighbourhoods representative of a mosaic of nations, go skating in the Old Port, party in its inviting bars... Montréal? Oui, s'il vous plaît!

The Outaouais region has two sides as markedly different as they are attractive. There's the urban sophistication of Gatineau, located on the Ottawa River across from the Canadian capital: a city peppered with restaurants, a casino and museums. In contrast, there's the thrill of the great outdoors: the Outaouais region is a first-rate winter playground. Take advantage of over 2,500 km (1,500 mi.) of snowmobile trails or explore the 200 km (125 mi.) of cross-country ski trails through beautiful Gatineau Park.

Abitibi-Témiscamingue is a region characterized by immense tracts of lands, largely untouched, where the forest and a profusion of lakes predominate. Historically the trading grounds between the European fur traders and the Algonquin, only in the early 20th century did this vast area so rich in mineral resources welcome its first pioneers and draw prospectors in search of gold. Proud of a history marked by pluck and determination, Abitibi-Témiscamingue offers visitors an experience full of surprises where contact with nature takes top priority.

This vast region is named after the Saguenay River and the great Saint-Jean Lake, which it links to the St. Lawrence. The river winds through a majestic fjord whose breathtaking rocky walls hold their own special fascination. To the north extends a vast wilderness of forests and lakes simply brimming with adventure. Looming 980 metres high, Monts-Valin National Park dominates the landscape of the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region. With an exceptional snow cover, winter turns this territory into an ideal spot for snowshoeing or backcountry skiing.

Because of its dry climate and vast expanses of white snow, Manicouagan is ideal for winter sports. From December to April, it's time for snowshoeing, snowmobiling, downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, and dogsledding! You can also spend the night under a tent in the heart of winter or count the stars before going to sleep in an igloo. The many waterways offer opportunities for ice fishing for smelt, trout or perch.

When the cold weather hits, Duplessis is completely transformed into a Nordic dream. The falling snow brings with it a whole host of outdoor activities: snowshoeing, dogsledding, ice fishing, cross-country and downhill skiing, skating, tobogganing, snowmobiling, ice climbing, and more. After all, famous local poet Gilles Vigneault was proud to say "My country is winter" and "My garden is the snow!" In the Duplessis region, his words couldn't ring more true.

In Québec's northern hinterlands, wide open spaces rule supreme! Barely 30,000 people live in this vast and pristine territory that extends for some 350,000 km2 (135,000 sq. mi.) and constitutes nearly one fifth of Québec's total area. The Cree, some 14,000 of whom live in nine communities scattered along James Bay and further inland, have lived here for millennia, and call the land Istchee (Land of the People). The region is also home to a number of municipalities whose economies are based largely on the exploitation of natural resources.

Why travel hundreds of kilometres to find adventure when only 20 minutes from downtown Montréal you can find magnificent parks for cross-country skiing and 250 kilometres of snowmobiling trails? Just like Montréal, its neighbour to the south, Laval is an island. It's also a dynamic region that strikes a harmonious balance between tranquil nature and the bustle and excitement of the city. In Laval, winter is perfectly spiced with outdoor activities easily accessible to the entire family.

Halfway between Montréal and Québec City, on the south shore of the St. Lawrence, the Centre-du-Québec region offers a wide range of year-round getaways and activities in a peaceful country setting. Visitors can observe nature, go on quad adventures, walk through beautiful paths and visit antique dealers. Snow only adds to the quiet magic of this region. A multitude of winter activities are on offer: snowmobiling, ice fishing, cross-country skiing, downhill skiing and more!

Nunavik... mere words can't begin to describe it: the endless silence of the tundra, the thundering hooves of immense caribou herds, the dancing northern lights, the pack ice drifting by... Located north of the 55th parallel, Nunavik covers some 500,000 km2 (193,000 sq. mi.). For thousands of years, the Inuit have lived in this vast Arctic territory.

Winter in Québec maritime, the easternmost region of the province of Québec, is a magical season with abundant snowfall, clear blue skies and dazzling sunlight. Wrapped in warm clothes like the landscape in its blanket of snow, come and rediscover the pleasures of childhood in this region's 14 national parks and wildlife reserves!

A dream come true for snowmobile enthusiasts, Québec maritime offers over 6000 kilometres (3700 miles) of trails from the heart of the forest to the shores of the sea. Snowmobilers can also enjoy crossing the St. Lawrence on the world's longest snowmobile bridge. Although snowmobiling is our most popular winter sport, Québec maritime also offers a wide variety of other outdoor activities, from snowshoeing and sea kayaking to winter camping.