Outdoor activities
Seasonal getaways
WinterAn avalanche of fun!
From November to March, Québec moves to the beat of a season whose bracing nature replenishes the province’s vim and vigour. The snow won’t last forever, so you might as well take advantage of it whilst it falls! Frosty or frozen, fluffy flakes or dazzling sun—it’s all just an excuse to have fun and to celebrate. Come and see how the Québécois have tamed Old Man Winter through a host of invigorating and imaginative activities!
Wonderland of snow
To experience winter near the slopes is to combine exhilaration with relaxation! With nearly 90 ski hills, night skiing and snowboarding that are unique in North America and a thick white coat of pristine snow, Québec has every ingredient to optimize your sliding pleasure. If you’d rather discover your surroundings at a faster pace, jump on a snowmobile and skim over frozen lakes into the heart of the boreal forest. The province’s 33,000-km (20,000-mi.) network of trails will take you straight into winter’s loveliest landscapes, in full comfort and safety. Be sure to book a few moments of well-earned R&R at one of Québec’s many vacancessante0.html spas, where you’ll enjoy massages, Nordic baths and personalized treatments amidst idyllic surroundings. And if you’re a true cold-weather buff, spend a night at the Ice Hotel, whose dazzling architecture rises anew each year!
Experience the excitement of winter!
For many, winter is the perfect time to try something new: dogsledding in the forest, ATVing or snowmobiling on snowy trails, snowshoeing or cross-country skiing through the valleys, ice climbing… Yearning for a back-to-nature experience? Try some of the rustic accommodation options, from yurts to prospector tents to log shelters—and even igloos! Whether you opt for the vastness of the taiga, the legendary Great White North or the summits of the Chic-Chocs, winter in Québec smacks of adventure like never before!
A flurry of urban activities
Winter in the city, perhaps a touch more sedate, still holds out incomparable attractions. Enjoy twirling on an outdoor skating rink or flying down a dizzying toboggan run. Take in a hockey game or, if you’re in Montréal, stay toasty warm as you shop in the underground city. In Québec City, join the thousands who, come February, flock to the famous Carnival, the largest of its kind in the world, whose activities include a night parade, fireworks, canoe racing on the icy St. Lawrence and snow sculpture competitions.Winter is a long slow river
Join the anglers parked in their fishing huts on the thick ice of the great river or some of its many tributaries. When it comes to ice fishing, the ambiance is always warm, while the fish couldn’t be fresher! The St. Lawrence graciously responds to winter’s call by putting its ice floes at the disposal of wildlife enthusiasts who want to observe the seals around the Îles-de-la-Madeleine. Québec’s snow: manna from heaven!
