Mont-Sainte-Anne

Mont-Sainte-Anne climbs from 175 metres at the base to 800 at the summit, a vertical that sounds modest but plays bigger because of the unfiltered Laurentian wind and the way the trails are cut straight off the upper plateau. Three distinct faces, south, north and west, give it variety: the south face, lit for night skiing, is the largest night-ski operation in Canada and runs until 9 pm on weekends, while the north face holds the resort's quietest, snowiest tree runs and the west face dishes out the racing pitches favoured by the Quebec carving school. The gondola, the oldest in Canada, still hauls skiers up to the summit in a rhythm that feels delightfully retro. The Beaupré coast road below the mountain leads to the Sainte-Anne basilica, the cliffs of the Côte-de-Beaupré and the bridge across to Île d'Orléans, where producers and cheesemakers stay open through winter. Forty minutes' drive south, Quebec City offers fortified ramparts, Petit-Champlain bistros and bagged poutine after midnight. Less polished than Tremblant but considerably more authentic, Mont-Sainte-Anne suits skiers who want an east-coast Quebec experience, families with young night-skiers and travellers chasing French Canadian culture as much as carving turns.