8 Canadian Small Towns & Cities To Cozy Up In This Winter & Feel Like You're In Switzerland
Switzerland is know for its alpine terrain, winter activities and picturesque scenery, from snow-capped mountains to picturesque lakes and deep fjords.
If you want to see these features and more, you don't have to go far -- you can get a taste of Switzerland right here in Canada.
Several Canadian towns and cities have a Swiss look and feel to them, especially in winter, when they become draped in snow.
Featuring mountain towns offering winter sports like skiing and snowboarding and cobblestoned villages dotted with chalets, here are eight places in Canada to visit this winter and feel like you've journeyed to Switzerland, minus the transatlantic flight.
Blue Mountain
Location: Ontario
Why You Need To Go: Located about two hours from Toronto, Blue Mountain is a ski resort in the Collingwood area of Ontario with a charming village.
Blue Mountain Village is lined with cobblestone streets and chalet-like buildings where you can shop and dine that make the area feel like a mini Switzerland.
Like Switzerland, the area is a hotspot for skiing, with 42 named trails and more than 360 acres of skiable terrain. The resort also offers rentals and lessons for beginners.
Aside from skiing, the area offers tons of wintry activities, including snowshoeing, mountain-top skating and and a mountain ridge coaster that's open all year long.
Banff
Location: Alberta
Why You Need To Go: If you want to see snow-capped mountain peaks and deep blue lakes in Switzerland, you can find these and more in Banff, Alberta.
The mountain town just over an hour from Calgary offers endless hiking trails, mesmerizing vistas and incredible wildlife.
In Banff National Park, the iconic Lake Louise will make you feel like you've stepped right into the Swiss Alps, minus the expensive transatlantic flight.
Of course, you'll also find tons of skiing opportunities here, with Banff home to not one but three world-class resorts with scenic views, endless turns and diverse terrain.
Quebec City
Location: Quebec
Why You Need To Go: With its cobblestone streets and old town, Quebec City is like a little slice of Europe right here in Canada.
According to Expedia, Quebec City is a "destination dupe" for Geneva, Switzerland, offering many of the same features as the Swiss city, like a multilingual culture and a picturesque location on a beautiful body of water, minus the expensive flight.
"The Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec is an easy dupe for the Musée d’art et d’histoire de Genève, and while Geneva can claim the Alps, Québec City’s Montmorency Falls are no small consolation prize," says Expedia.
The city is beautiful to visit year-round. For an especially charming activity, you can wander along the Quartier de Petit Champlain and peruse quaint shops, boutiques and restaurants.
Kaslo
Location: British Columbia
Why You Need To Go: Located just west of the Canadian Rockies, Kaslo is a charming village in British Columbia that's known as Canada's Little Switzerland because of its pristine heritage buildings with mountain and lake views.
Nestled in a lush valley, and surrounded by the Selkirk and Purcell Mountains, this small village is home to only 1,000 residents, but don't think this means it's a sleepy town.
You can hike along the beautiful Kaslo River Trail, or paddle the picturesque Kootenay Lake. In the winter, you can enjoy an adrenaline rush by doing a cat or heli-skiing tour from a local company such as Stellar Heli Skiing.
In the area, you'll also find the Ainsworth Hot Springs Resort, where you'll find a natural 150-foot horseshoe cave, a large lounging pool, and a stream-fed cold plunge.
Pangnirtung
Location: Nunavut
Why You Need To Go: Described as the "Switzerland of the Arctic," Pangnirtung is a picturesque hamlet on Baffin Island in Nunavut.
Thanks to its location on the shores of Pangnirtung Fjord, the community is home to stunning mountain landscapes, jagged, frosted peaks, and glacial lakes that earned it its nickname,
Pangnirtung's snow-capped peaks and crystal-clear fjords parallel Switzerland's majestic Alps and serene lakes, and both have picture-perfect alpine surroundings. Visitors enjoy outdoor activities like dog sledding and igloo camping.
The hamlet is known as the gateway to Auyuittuq National Park, which is home to glacier-carved fjords, waterfalls, and jagged cliffs. Here, you can enjoy hiking, climbing cross-country skiing in the winter.
Wildlife lovers can enjoy the fact that many kinds of wild animals can be found thriving in the lands and waters near Pangnirtung, such as polar bears, caribou, arctic hares, arctic foxes, arctic wolves, seals, narwhals, beluga and bowhead whales.
Pangnirtung tourism website
Trinity
Location: Newfoundland
Why You Need To Go: A trip to Trinity, Newfoundland, could easily make you feel like you've left the True North in favour of a European country.
Newfoundland and Switzerland have a lot of similarities, such as their terrain — on both islands, you'll find glacial icefields, magnificent highlands and ancient rock formations.
They also share scenic elements, such as colourful houses and the ability to view the northern lights.
A visit to the quaint town of Trinity allows you to do all these and more, including visiting cafés and antique shops, and taking in picturesque churches and heritage buildings.
With beautifully restored fishing rooms and saltbox houses, accommodations in historic buildings, and top-rated dining and brewery experiences, Trinity also makes for a great base for exploring the Bonavista Peninsula.
Mont Tremblant
Location: Quebec
Why You Need To Go: Mont-Tremblant is known as a winter destination for skiing, with over 100 ski trails and 754 acres of terrain.
With its colourful buildings, Mont-Tremblant's European-style village looks more like something you'd find in Switzerland rather than right here in Canada.
The surrounding nature offers tons to see and do, including ice climbing and fishing, dogsledding, mountain fatbiking, hiking, and skating.
You'll also find thermal spas surrounded by nature, just like those in Switzeralnd, where you can soak while admiring winter landscapes, such as the Scandinave Spa Mont-Tremblant.
Fernie
Location: British Columbia
Why You Need To Go: Located in the heart of the Rockies, Fernie is a great alternative to busier winter destinations in Canada.
You'll find classic skiing and snowboarding here at the Fernie Alpine Resort, which offers the largest alpine bowl skiing in the Canadian Rockies. There are a total of 146 trails and 10 lifts across the resort's 2,500 acres.
If you're worried about the amount of snow, don't be — up to 37 feet of snow falls in the town each year, enough to cover a three-storey building!
Besides skiing, there's tons to do in this mountain town. Fernie is the largest community in B.C.'s Elk Valley, and it's also the oldest. You can explore Fernie’s historic downtown for its treasure of 100-year-old brick-and-stone architecture, go cross-country skiing or fat biking, and enjoy unique local shopping.
Before you get going, check out our Responsible Travel Guide so you can be informed, be safe, be smart, and most of all, be respectful on your adventure.
