“Living is not enough, you need sun, freedom and a little flower.” – Hans Christian Andersen
Quebec is a region of agriculture, cycling and lakes – but it’s also a region with a European colonial past that’s visible in the architecture of some of these small villages in the middle of the region’s hills.
One of those villages where you’d think you were in a European fairy tale (with milkmaids talking to goblins in the meadows, singing bears and magical wells) is one of the places in Quebec that is often forgotten in summer: the village of Mont-Tremblant.
So put on your best frilly skirts, open your chakras and spend a day in this pedestrian village on the mountainside…
Mont-Tremblant village
Mont-Tremblant is well known as one of the region’s most beautiful mountains for skiing, drinking hot chocolate and eating beaver tail.
We also know Mont-Tremblant for its hiking – which is superbly beautiful, especially in autumn when the leaves are turning red – and for its cool water beach on the lake in summer.
There’s so much nature here that we sometimes forget the quirky streets and colorful roofs of Mont-Tremblant village, which is pedestrianized and surfs between a Megève-style European mountain village and a pretty throwback to the Quebec of yesteryear…
A little history…
The village is located on land taken from the Algonquin Anishinabeg nation in the 17th century. According to some, they called the mountain (later renamed “Mont-Tremblant”) Manitonga Soutana – the Mountain of the Spirits.
Until the 19th century, the settlers lived isolated on the mountainside, when in 1892 the railroad joined them to the transportation and trade hubs of the rest of the country.
In 1938, a wealthy American from Philadelphia came to the mountain in search of gold, and decided to transform the lower valley into a classic Alpine village. He built it to resemble Old Quebec, and the alpine village “Mont-Tremblant-Lodge” opened its doors a year later.
In the 1990s, a Canadian tourism company took over the helm of Mont-Tremblant, modernizing and developing the village that can be visited today.
In addition to a past worthy of a morality tale rewritten by Walt Disney, the village itself was built with the vocation of being Fairytale-esque.
Eating, sleeping and shopping in the village
We have a selection of the village’s most magical restaurants, shops and hotels…
Fairytale restaurants, snack bars and cafés…
To meet Prince Charming, head to the Axe Lounge bar, a cocktail lounge with a view of the mountain, where you can even take a mixology class (with a little magic thrown in, perhaps?).
Where? 3045 rue de la Chapelle Citq 128365, Mont-Tremblant
For a sugar crepe, we go to La Maison de la Crêpe, in a small farmhouse with a red roof and a dark wooden dining room.
Where? 127 chemin de Kandahar, Mont-Tremblant
For a taste of the Alps, milkmaids and wooden clogs, go to La Savoie restaurant, which serves fondues and pierrades (preferably after a hike).
Where? 115 chemin de Kandahar, Mont-Tremblant
Shopping on cobblestone streets…
To commune with the animals of legend, head to Hatley’s Petite Maison Bleue for pajamas and children’s clothing printed with the region’s flora and fauna (trout, black bears, white rabbits, wildflowers).
Where? 118 chemin de Kandahar, Mont-Tremblant
To sleep in a fairytale…
Mont-Tremblant has many beautiful hotels on the mountainside, but if you want to sleep in the village…
If you want to wake up like Belle, with a view of one of the most beautiful little streets in the village, you’ll sleep at the Place Saint-Bernard hotel, so you can open the window in the morning and say Bonjour!
Where? 135 chemin de Kandahar, Mont-Tremblant
Enjoy your visit!