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Getaways: Mont-Sainte-Anne |
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Quebec City's premier ski destination is also hard to resist in the fall
by John M. Smith
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| Photo by John M. Smith |
Mont-Sainte-Anne is renowned for its skiing in the wintertime, but it's also becoming a popular getaway destination during the off-season as well.
Three hours away from Montreal and just 30 minutes outside of Quebec City, Mont-Sainte-Anne is a great place to simply unwind and/or re-energize.
You can partake in a relaxing horse and carriage ride, try some local wine at a nearby vineyard, casually browse through art galleries and boutiques, enjoy a fireworks show at Montmorency Falls or even visit the Shrine of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré.
If the theme of your getaway is more to unwind, you may decide to simply stay in and take in a massage at one of the spas or enjoy a fine meal at one of several good restaurants right there at the resort.
If you're looking to get some exercise, Mont-Sainte-Anne offers a varied list of options. Your choices include cycling, hiking, golfing, kayaking, paragliding, rappelling, bird watching, white-water rafting and horseback riding.
The many quiet roads and hilly terrain offer wonderful biking opportunities.
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Courtesy of Tourisme Mont-Sainte-Anne
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On my most recent and quick two-day visit to the resort, I wanted to get the most out of the fresh mountain air and spectacular scenery so I decided to do some road cycling along the Cap Tourmente loop and a section of the 55-km Marie-Hélène-Prémont route. According to Sebastien Roy, General Manager at the Chateau Mont-Sainte-Anne, "The many quiet roads and hilly terrain in the area offer wonderful biking opportunities."
The next day, wanting to stay closer to the mountain, I decided to board the gondola to the summit where I found a great network of both hiking and mountain-biking trails at my disposal. A hiking enthusiast who knew the trails rather well recommended I try the Mustachio Trail which links the Jean Larose Waterfalls to the village of Saint-Ferreol-les-Neiges and the Pioneer Trail that takes you from the summit to the base of the mountain.
It was here that I also visited the Sled Dog Village which houses some 65 canines during the summer. A surprising highlight of my trip, I was able to pet and walk among the dogs and also learn about their winter dogsledding activities.
After a great re-energizing day of hiking and sightseeing, I succumbed to some unwinding with a great massage and meal at the Chateau Mont-Sainte-Anne.
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