You don't have to travel far from Montréal to reach mountains, parks, or bike trails; in fact, nature is just a 30-minute drive either to the north or east of the city. The resort regions of the Laurentians (to the north) and the Cantons-de-l'Est (to the east) have both seen the development of year-round vacation retreats, with skiing in the winter, biking and boating in the summer, maple sugaring in the spring, and vineyard touring and leaf-peeping in the fall.
The pearl of the Laurentians (also called the Laurentides) is Mont-Tremblant, the highest peak in eastern Canada and a mecca in the winter for skiers and snowboarders from all over North America. Development has been particularly heavy in the resort town here, for both better and worse. The region has dozens of other ski centers, too, with scores of trails at every level of difficulty, and many are less than an hour from Montréal. The area loses none of its charm in the summer (and in fact gains some of it back with thinned-out traffic). That's when ski resorts become attractive green mountain rental properties close to biking, fishing, and golfing. It's even possible to participate in cattle roundups.
The bucolic Cantons-de-l'Est to the southeast of Montréal were known as the Eastern Townships when they were a haven for English Loyalists and their descendants. The region is still referred to by that name by some Anglophones today. It's blessed with memorable country inns that used to be the homes of early-1900s aristocracy and the beautiful Lake Massawippi. As with the Laurentians, many of the same trails developed for winter sports are used for parallel activities in summer. The mountain of Bromont, for example, has marked paths for mountain biking, and Mont-Orford Park is the focal point for hiking trails linking six regional parks. Rock climbing, white-water kayaking, sailing, and fishing are additional options, with equipment readily available for rent.
Because the people of both regions rely heavily on tourism for their livelihoods, knowledge of at least rudimentary English is widespread, even outside such obvious places as hotels and restaurants.
