Scandinavian Spa

When we bought our chalet here in Tremblant, an outdoor hot tub was included.  Not that we're big hot tubbers, but we looked forward to luxurious post-ski soaks in our very own spa, surrounded by snowy pines.  But this vision faded for two reasons.  One was the approximately four hundred bucks a month we'd pay in electricity and spa maintenance, which is pricey considering we'd use it once or twice a month.  The second reason was that the Scandinavian Spa was a ten minute drive from our place...we could go there twice a month and still save money!  Suffice it to say we've sold the hot tub...

The Scandinavian is truly beautiful.  It's situated along the Diable river, and although it's beside the busy Montee Ryan (main thoroughfare into the Tremblant resort), the road noise fades once you enter the grounds.  There is a series of hot pools hovering just over 100 degrees F, and cold plunge pools kept at a frigid 50 degrees..  If you're particularly brave, there's a long staircase leading to a platform beside the river...the ultimate cold plunge awaits if you can handle the rushing water (somewhere in the 30's during winter).  The buildings you see in the photo above house quiet heated sitting rooms, a steam room and a sauna.

The magnificent fireplace

Perhaps our favourite part of the grounds is the outdoor fireplace.  In winter, only front-row seats will do but we've never had a problem getting those seats.  (We love the fireplace so much we had one built in our backyard.)  You can easily spend a couple hours at the Spa, switching from pools to sauna to fire to sitting room.  And the whole experience is even better if you have a massage first, the perfect way to drive out the lactic acid built up from the day's activities.

The Scandinavian can get quite busy, so we would recommend booking in advance.   Even at it's peak capacity, however, it never feels crowded.  A recommended experience...for more details, see their website.