Canada’s Quebec is a beautiful place to visit all year round, but especially so in winter.  That’s when the countryside is blanketed in snow, and the cultured cities brighten up with special festivals, performances, and fun. Hello Montreal!

For a traditional skiing vacation at a great value, Quebec’s Mont Tremblant can’t be beat. With a wide variety of trails, a pretty, pedestrian-only village, and the tourist infrastructure of Whistler/Blackcomb - but with a tenth of the crowds at a tenth of the costs. It is definitely a contender for Canada’s best East Coast resort.

A close proximity to Montreal also makes it a cinch to combine a skiing vacation with some shopping and culture.

If you’re lucky enough to be near Quebec City around the beginning of February, be sure to make time for the city’s incredible Winter Carnival. Fun for travelers and locals of all ages and interests, this carnival offers ice sculptures, parades, canoe races across the frozen St. Lawrence, and an impressive castle of ice.

For a unique hotel experience, try the Ice Hotel (located outside Quebec City). Rebuilt every year out of snow and ice, it’s a beautiful piece of architecture and design. It will be hard forget a night spent in a crystal cave staying cozy in fur pelts.

And of course… Mush! Kids especially will love the chance to try dogsledding, a uniquely winter activity. In Quebec, dogsledding tours include the opportunity to explore a beautiful (and otherwise inaccessible) countryside, all the while mushing your own team of sled dogs. You can also choose to let a professional take the reins. Either way, it’s exhilarating!

Here’s another great idea for an unusual and inspiring way to discover Quebec City:

• Quebec City Balloon Flight

However you choose to discover Quebec, enjoy the province’s beautiful nature, accessible culture, and unique and proud heritage. Bons voyage!