This past summer, a late-July hot spell seemed the perfect time to scoot across the border from New Hampshire into Canada for a few days of R&R. Montréal beckoned, with its historic "old city" (Vieux-Montréal), its vast botanical gardens, and its reputation for great dining. Of course, Montreal sits squarely in the French-speaking province of Québec, which promised an added element of interest. After all, where else in the U.S. can you pass over the border and immediately be immersed in a mini European cultural experience?

We found lots to do in the warm summer sun, but Montréal also shines in the fall and winter. Plenty of cruise ships-from lines likeCrystal Cruises and Oceania Cruises^THC-pull into the Port of Montréal on the St. Lawrence River for the fall foliage season. Winter is the time for all things snow-related, from snowshoeing and ice-skating to cross-country skiing along a web of trails that crisscross the city's hilltop Mont-Royal Park. There's also the annual Montréal en Lumière, one of the world's largest winter festivals-scheduled for February 20 through March 2, 2014-with free family activities, food and wine events, and an all-night outdoor street party.