The Laurentians are a low range of mountains in southern Quebec that resemble the shape of pre-alpine Bavaria. The lightly powdered peaks and gently curving roads meandering around a hundred lakes remind me of the scenery around Schloß Neuschwanstein – better known as the Disney castle.
Snowshoeing trail 
Nord River
The long valley below the Laurentians leading down to Montreal have a string of villages named after saints. From north to south: St. Donat, St. Lucie, St. Agathe, St. Adèle, St. Sauveur, St. Jérôme, and St. Thérèse are indicative of the importance of Catholicism to the region’s history.
Nord River 
St. Jérôme skyline
Before 1870, most of Quebec’s settlements were south of St. Jérôme, a priest by the name of Antoine Labelle was the traveller who established more than 20 new parishes up north and helped bring new settlers all the way to Mont Tremblant. A reverend helped pave the way to a modern ski resort.
St. Donat is the anti-Tremblant. Without scores of upscale chain hotels, its warm and local atmosphere entices visitors who are looking for a more authentic and off-the-beaten-path experience.
St. Donat town hall 
Parc des Pionniers 
Lac Archambault frozen over
St. Agathe’s incredible Lac des Sables is great for water sports in summer but freezes over in winter. The town coverts the frozen lake to a park for snowshoeing, snowmobile tracks, or simply walking your dog in six inches of snow if that’s your fancy.
St. Agathe’s cathedral 
Downton St. Agathe
St. Jérôme is the largest settlement in the valley with 70,000 people and considered a suburb of Montreal. Its triple-spired cathedral is the largest in the Laurentians and celebrates the work of Labelle. Although is nowhere near as high as the ski resorts of Mont Tremblant, locals still enjoy ice skating in the park or snowshoeing by the Nord River.
Ice skating in St. Jérôme 
St. Jérôme’s triple-spired cathedral 
Maison Trudel 
St. Jérôme city hall
