Winter is a season of burrowing in for many Vermonters, but don’t get too cozy yet. As the solstice nears, we’ve been counting reasons to pry ourselves off the couch during the coldest months of the year, bundle up and head north for a little French-accented seasonal fun à la Québécoise.
Our picks include brand-new things to do and see while visiting Québec, from a restaurant made entirely of snow and ice to a gallery where Inuit artists have pride of place. In the just-across-the-border Eastern Townships, there’s a budget-friendly “social” sauna with cold plunges courtesy of a forest pond; to the northeast, in the Laurentian Mountains, a nonprofit aimed at protecting land access is making it easier than ever to ski inn-to-inn on historic backcountry trails.
And with the wallet-biting holiday season upon us, Montréal is planning all sorts of free December fun, including luminous art installations and choral concerts in an 18th-century chapel. Here’s what we’re doing in Québec this winter. Are you heading there, too? We’d love to hear how it goes. Drop us a line at quebec@sevendaysvt.com.
Montréal Holiday Sparkle That’s (Mostly) Free
Between European-inspired Christmas markets and glittery décor in the Old Port neighborhood, Montréal goes all out for the holidays — and much of the fun is free or inexpensive. Start in the Quartier des Spectacles, where the open-air Great Christmas Market runs from November 22 through December 30 on rue Jeanne-Mance (noelmontreal.ca; free; closed on Christmas day). In the village of wooden “chalets,” you’ll find free musical performances along with vendors selling mulled wine, wintry snacks and locally made gifts.
While you’re in the quartier: Check out the outdoor illuminated installations of the 15th annual arts event Lumino (quartierdesspectacles.com; free) at the Place des Festivals November 28 through March 9, and glide around the refrigerated outdoor ice-skating rink Tranquille Esplanade (quartierdesspectacles.com; free; CA$10.50-14.95 for skate rentals) that opens mid-November. A 15-minute walk from the Quartier des Spectacles is another Christmas favorite, nostalgic holiday window displays from department store Ogilvy exhibited November 30 through January 5 at the McCord Stewart Museum (musee-mccord-stewart.ca; admission to the Christmas windows exhibit by donation; museum tickets CA$13-20; free for ages 17 and under).
On weekends in December, there’s additional Christmas bustle along avenue du Mont-Royal, where Noël Sur l’Avenue features choirs and other outdoor concerts amid decorated Christmas trees, all temptingly close to excellent vintage and boutique shopping in the stylish Plateau neighborhood (mont-royal.net; free). And in the Old Port’s 18th-century Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel, choirs will sing holiday favorites during performances on December Saturdays and Sundays (margueritebourgeoys.org; free).
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Christmas at the museum: Archeology and history museum Pointe-à-Callière is staging Holidays on the Pointe, programming ranging from free Christmas events to holiday-themed creative kids’ workshops included in the price of admission. Museum tickets, CA$9-27; free for ages 4 and under. pacmusee.qc.ca/en
In with the new: After a two-year absence, traditional New Year’s Eve fireworks are back this year in Montréal’s Old Port neighborhood, alongside festivities staged for the first time by the team behind popular midwinter electronic music bash Igloofest. Beyond the midnight display, there will be late-night concerts at Jacques-Cartier Quay. It all coincides with Montréal Festif at nearby Place Jacques-Cartier, where daytime concerts, family programming and themed events run from December 29 to 31. Free. mtl.org/en
‘Social’ Wellness in the Eastern Townships
With their relaxing cycles of hot and cold, hydrothermal spas are a Québec specialty and a top draw for Vermonters. While its hushed calm can be soothing, the white bathrobe-and-whispers spa experience is not the only way to ward off winter chills. Last year, Solstice Sauna debuted a wood-fired cedar sauna in the Eastern Townships’ teensy North Hatley, offering a more social approach to wellness (solsticesauna.com; CA$29).
On a frigid January day last winter, the vibe at the public sauna was easygoing and convivial; bathers from nearby Sherbrooke shuttled between the sauna’s enveloping heat and a cold plunge hacked into the ice of adjacent Lake Massawippi. This year the sauna is moving several miles to Station Chêne Rouge, a forested glamping and cabin area with a pond for winter swimming (stationchenerouge.com). Book before visiting, as public sauna sessions sometimes fill up.
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A revamped standby: With its peaceful, forested site by Bromont’s Lac Gale, hydrothermal spa Balnéa is a longtime favorite with a few recent updates. There’s a new infinity pool-style hot bath, as well as a beachy relaxation room where you can watch howling winter weather through plate-glass windows with your toes buried in warm sand. CA$40-95. balnea.ca/en
Stay and spa: A handful of Eastern Townships hotels have in-house hydrothermal spas, from North Hatley’s luxe Manoir Hovey (manoirhovey.com/en) to wellness retreat center Spa Eastman (spa-eastman.com/en). The newest is Estello Suites & Spa, a spa-hotel that opened this fall on the shores of Lac Mégantic. The hydrothermal spa is substantially farther than other options in the Eastern Townships — but it may be worth the trip for stargazers heading for the Mont-Mégantic Dark Sky Reserve. Spa, CA$50-62. estello.ca
A Fresh Look at Inuit Artwork
A spacious new gallery dedicated to Inuit art opened last month at the Montréal Museum of Fine Arts (mbam.qc.ca/en; CA$30; free for ages 25 and under), a fitting showcase for the museum’s collection of nearly 900 Inuit works, which used to live in a shadowy corner on the fourth floor. Sixty of those pieces are in the inaugural permanent exhibition “Uummaqutik: Essence of Life,” guest-curated by asinnajaq, an Inuk artist from the northern Québec village of Inukjuak, who describes the show as an “invitation to the many ties that unite life forms.”
Just down the street at the McCord Stewart Museum (musee-mccord-stewart.ca/en; CA$13-20; free for ages 17 and under), visitors can see dozens of pieces by legendary Inuk sculptor Manasie Akpaliapik at a new exhibit dedicated to his work. “Inuit Universe” includes sculptures in stone, whalebone and caribou antler that bring to life figures from oral traditions and wildlife of Akpaliapik’s native Nunavut. The show runs through March 9.
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Northern exposure: Newly opened Cree-owned gift shop Wachiya sells works by artists from Québec’s Eeyou Istchee region at 29 rue Saint-Paul Est in the Old Port neighborhood. You can find everything from moose-hide slippers and mittens to exquisitely beaded jewelry and traditional crooked knives. wachiya.com
Town-to-Town Skiing in the Laurentians
The Laurentian Mountains northwest of Montréal have been a destination for snow sports since the early 20th century, complete with special trains to whisk skiers from the city to sprawling networks of trails. Amid the Laurentians’ growing development and land privatization, nonprofit organization Les Routes Blanches (pleinairpdh.com/lesroutesblanches/en) aims to promote backcountry skiing between the region’s inns and towns — in part, with the goal of demonstrating the value of public land access.
Its recently launched website features two- and three-day ski routes ranging in length from 19 to 28 miles, which can be explored on all-inclusive guided tours or self-guided trips (BYO gear for two- to three-day guided tours, CA$765-998; CA$60 for app and information kit for self-guided options). If you choose the self-guided option, you’ll have to coordinate transport, accommodations and luggage shuttle yourself.
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A well-groomed alternative: During warm-weather months, the 143-mile P’tit Train du Nord rail trail through the Laurentians is popular with cyclists and walkers. Come winter, it’s a playground that often has snow even when Vermont’s trails are bare. A popular and scenic section is the 27.5-mile stretch from Saint-Jérôme to Val-David, which is groomed for both classic and skate skiing (with room for walkers and fat bikes, too). Free. ptittraindunord.com/en
Québec City Dining on Ice
North America’s first “ice restaurant” débuts on January 17 at the Hôtel de Glace de Québec, the ephemeral, sculpture-filled ice hotel rebuilt each winter in Québec City (valcartier.com/en). It’s a collaboration of the ice hotel and the culinary team from Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, the castle-like landmark hotel perched high above Old Québec (fairmont.fr/frontenac-quebec). On Friday and Saturday nights through March 15, the 52-seat restaurant will serve prix-fixe, three-course menus to diners seated on fur-covered ice benches around a solid ice table. Pack mittens and a warm coat for the CA$225 dinner, which includes a welcome cocktail, ice hotel tour and round-trip transport from the château.
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Smooth moves: Québec City is a gleaming archipelago of ice, from the compact skating rink at Place D’Youville to a mile-long skating trail winding through Pointe-aux-Lièvres. New this year at the city’s Old Port Agora, the refrigerated ice-skating rink Icecothèque will feature DJs and other programming for a party atmosphere. Free; opens December 20. quebec-cite.com
The most Québécois sport: The annual Ice Canoe Race across the semi-frozen Saint Lawrence River features teams of boaters who alternately paddle open water and sprint over floating bergs — a highlight of Québec City’s Winter Carnival that runs from February 7 to 16 (carnaval.qc.ca/en). Catch the big race on February 9 (free, or CA$55 for VIP viewing from the Lomer-Gouin ferry) or give it a whirl with Québec City’s Canot à Glace Expérience. Two-hour introductory sessions start in mid-December (or when ice conditions allow). CA$99-189. canotaglaceexperience.ca
This article is part of a travel series on Québec. The province’s destination marketing organization, Alliance de l’industrie touristique du Québec, under the Bonjour Québec brand, is a financial underwriter of the project but has no influence over story selection or content. Find the complete series plus travel tips at sevendaysvt.com/quebec.
The original print version of this article was headlined “Winter Wanderland | From brand-new spots to old-timey Christmas nostalgia, here’s what we’re doing in Québec this season”
This article appears in Nov 20-26, 2024.
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