Mont-Tremblant, Quebec

Situated some 130km north of Montréal, MONT-TREMBLANT is the Laurentians' oldest and most renowned ski area, focused on the range's highest peak, Mont Tremblant (960m), so called because the native population believed it was the home of spirits that could move the mountain. In 1997, the company that developed British Columbia's ski resort of Whistler pumped some $50m into Tremblant, and the resulting European-style ski village has made it a premier ski destination. The 92 runs are for all levels, with a maximum vertical drop of more than 640m and the longest ski run in Québec. One-day ski passes cost $55.

Mont-Tremblant Village has only the most basic services but some cheap accommodation, including a hostel – the Auberge de Jeunesse International du Mont-Tremblant, 2313 chemin du Village (Tel:819/425-6008 or 1-866/425-6008, Web: www.hostellingtremblant.com ), with dorms for $29, double rooms (Price: $41–100) and plenty of organized activities. Throughout the area are a variety of lodges, though two of the most glamorous in the Laurentians are both slope-side: Fairmont Tremblant, by Lac Tremblant facing the base of the mountain (Tel:819/681-7000 or 1-800/441-1414, Web: www.fairmont.com ; Price: $241 and over), and Auberge Gray Rocks, at the smaller resort midway to St-Jovite (Tel:819/425-2771 or 1-800/567-6767, Web: www.grayrocks.com ; Price: $241 and over). Less pricey rooms are available at Hôtel Mont Tremblant, 1900 chemin du Village (Tel:819/425-3232 or 1-888/887-1111, Web: www.hotelmonttremblant.com ; Price: $81-100 including breakfast), right where the P'tit Train du Nord bike path passes Lac Mercier. On the lakeshore facing the hotel, Tremblant Onwego, 112 chemin Plouffe (Tel:819/429-5522 or 1-866/429-5522, Web: www.tremblantonwego.com ; Price: $101-125), provides canoes, kayaks and pedal-boats free of charge and is one of a dozen B&Bs in the area.

For eating, there are plenty of options in all price brackets. In the St-Jovite sector, there's a cheap pub-style restaurant, Bagatelle Saloon, at 852 rue de St-Jovite, and a decent-priced café-bar, Le Bistro Brunch Café, at no. 814, in the same complex as La Crémerie du Hameau, a candy store. For dinner, Chez Roger, 444 rue St-Georges (Tel:819/429-6991), offers rich French cuisine at slightly elevated prices – the three-course table d'hôte starts at $30. The best party scene is at the resort's après-ski spots; elsewhere, you can kick things off at Le Saint Georges, a relaxed pub with a terrace at 890 rue de St-Jovite.