City life is great, but every so often I like to spend a Saturday or Sunday afternoon someplace a little more quiet, walking and relaxing while surrounded by trees and animals instead of people. Parc Nature Du Bois De Liesse is a nature park with a lake in the north-west end of Montreal.

My favourite time to go is either summer when everything is lush and green, or fall when all the leaves are changing colour. The trails are easy to follow and since it’s not rugged terrain or mountainous, anyone can walk them regardless of their skill level. Or you can bring your bike since there are a lot of bike paths to choose from too. With 13 km of hiking trails in the park, several types of birds and plant life, I wasn’t able to see everything, but definitely enjoyed the ‘secteur des Bois-Francs’ section which was the area I walked in the most.