The Canadian winter is chaotic, cold, boreal, sublime and dark – and we’ll add cold a second time, because it’s going to be really cold this winter in Montreal. Like every winter, we’ve had a touch of anxiety in our hearts ever since the first snow fell.
Until the holidays, it’s going to be lovely – like in a fairy tale or a story told by the fireside. But then… Between the icy conditions, the dangerous roads and the blizzards that hit just when we had something to do, we’re almost tempted to make like the bears and snuggle up under the comforter until the end of April.
But we’re not going to do that, because we’re Montrealers and we simply can’t stay indoors for six months of the year-and besides, we love playing in the snow…
1 Seeing the lights on the snow
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Like every winter, downtown Montreal will be transformed into a kind of open-air museum with light installations, activities, music and exhibitions.
After dark (early), we’ll be able to hang out in the city streets and party in a world of color, versus the characteristic black and white of winter in the city.
2) Play a board sport
Winter in Montreal is heavy, gray and white, and frankly, snow is more of an inconvenience.
But in the mountains, on skis, snowshoes or in the local hills, snow is practical, sublime and our best friend. To reconcile with snow, we go;
- the Domaine Enchanteur, a 12-km forest trail where you can go ice skating
- Hôtel de glace, a winter hotel built entirely of ice
- the Aventures Mille-Îles farm, to see the alpacas
- visit a village for a winter stroll, with our road trip suggestions just 2 hours from Montreal
4. ice skating on an open-air rink
To impress our lovers, to perfect our technique or just to rediscover the immense pleasure of the ice under our feet and the wind in our hair, we’re going to go skating here;
- L’Esplanade tranquille, with its interactive video projections in the heart of downtown.
- Beaver Lake, on picturesque Mont-Royal
- La Fabrik8, a skating rink on the roof of a Mile End building
5 Have a drink on a terrace
Even in winter, you can enjoy a drink on a terrace in Montreal (under a heated dome, of course)…
- at L’Auberge St-Gabriel, with its heated domes and Swiss fondue
- at Terrasse William Gray, with heated domes
- at Leméac, a must-try French restaurant with heated terrace
6 Playing in the snow (in Montreal)
Even if you’re going to leave Montreal to go (downhill) skiing, there are plenty of parks and places where you can play in the snow without leaving the island…
- the Botanical Garden, which offers cross-country skiing and winter garden walks
- Parc Jean-Drapeau, with 25 km of trails and an illuminated ice course
- Parc Mont-Royal, with its view of the snow-covered city
- Parc Frédéric-Back
7 A candlelit concert
Experience a concert illuminated by hundreds of candles, to the sound of a string quartet or pianist, in some of Montreal’s most magnificent settings. Whether you’re a fan of classical music, a hardened rocker, pop at heart or jazz at heart, these unique concerts are sure to please! This winter, Candlelight concerts offer something for everyone.
9 – Drink hot chocolate
Winter has many downsides, but it’s hot chocolate season…
- Our suggestions for the best hot chocolates
- Our suggestions for the best coffees
- Salon de thé Cardinal, for a unique and charming tea service
- Else’s, offering a hot toddy cocktail and a comforting menu
Happy winter in Montreal!