Sainte-Thérèse is a small city on the North Shore of Montreal, about 30 kilometres northwest of downtown. Part of the Laurentides region, it sits at the edge of the suburban sprawl where the landscape starts transitioning toward the Laurentian hills. The town has a lively main street with cafes, bakeries, and a few good restaurants, and the Séminaire de Sainte-Thérèse, a historic college founded in 1825, gives the centre a bit of old-Quebec charm.
Sainte-Thérèse is primarily a commuter town, but it earns its place on the map for outdoor access. In winter there is decent cross-country skiing on trails that double as cycling paths in summer. The P'tit Train du Nord linear park, one of Quebec's best cycling routes, passes nearby and runs 230 kilometres north into the Laurentians. The town also hosts a popular summer music festival, the Fête de la Musique, which draws crowds from across the greater Montreal area.
For travelers, Sainte-Thérèse works best as a base if you want to be close to Montreal but prefer a quieter setting with easy access to the Laurentian countryside. The commuter train connects you to downtown Montreal in about 40 minutes.