Alberta Travel Guide

Calgary

Calgary is situated 200 miles (322km) north of the US border on the banks of the Bow River below the Rocky Mountains. Although Alberta's second city, Edmonton, is the state capital, Calgary is the largest, offering all the trappings of urban life as the territory's commercial and cultural center, along with the pleasure of enjoying the dramatic countryside that surrounds the city. Splendid national parks flourishing on Calgary's doorstep act as a magnet for hikers, fishermen and lovers of the great outdoors. The city, set on the Trans-Canada highway, is also the gateway to the Rocky Mountain resorts, which in winter attract skiers from all over the continent.

The downtown area of Calgary not only serves as a shopping, entertainment, cultural and recreation center for locals, but it is also a tourist center for more than four million visitors a year who come for the tourist attractions and annual festivals, wonderful parks and open spaces, and a selection of excellent shops, restaurants, cafes and bistros. The city is probably best known for the Calgary Stampede, a world-class cowboy carnival and rodeo that draws more than a million people every year to watch the action and be entertained by its accompanying festivities.

For over 10,000 years the site on which Calgary sits today was home to the Blackfoot Indians; the first European settlers did not arrive until 1860. Colonel James Macleod established the small trading post, Fort Calgary, named after Calgary Bay on his native Isle of Mull in Scotland. The Pacific Railway reached the town in 1883, but it was not until the discovery of oil in Turner Valley, 22 miles (35km) southwest of the city that the population started to explode. Wander the streets in your Stetson beneath the sparkling skyscrapers built on the back of the oil boom, dine on a juicy steak in a saloon with country music playing in the background, and it will be hard to decide whether you are in Calgary or Texas.

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Canadian Rocky Mountains

The Rocky Mountains of western North America stretch more than 3,000 miles (4,828km) from Mexico, through the United States and into Canada and Alaska. Dividing the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Alberta, the peaks of the Canadian Rockies tower over the plains rising to 11,975ft (3,650m). The alpine towns sprinkled along the Rockies on the Alberta side are an unspoiled mountain playground where each season has its own unique beauty and selection of activities. National parks abound in this area, offering the chance for mountain adventures and recreation. Canada's largest National Park, Wood Buffalo National Park, is larger than Switzerland. The towns in the area, like Banff and Jasper, offer a vast number of tourist attractions to entertain and entrance visitors all year round to complement the natural attractions.

Edmonton

The capital of Alberta, Edmonton is often overlooked in favor of its flashier neighbor, Calgary. Situated in the center of the province, Edmonton is relatively flat, despite coming within a few hundred kilometers of the Rockies. The city is relatively sleepy in comparison to Calgary, and has a small-town feel despite its million-plus inhabitants.

Edmonton is perhaps best known as the site of the West Edmonton Mall, the largest shopping center in North America. However, there are other attractions in Edmonton, including Fort Edmonton Park, Canada's largest living history museum. There are more than 70 museums in Edmonton, including the Alberta Railway Museum, the Telus World of Science, the Alberta Aviation Museum, and the Royal Alberta Museum.

Edmonton also has a rich cultural life, with the Francis Winspear Center for Music hosting the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and the Old Strathcona home to a number of theater groups and the Edmonton Fringe Festival. The city is home to a number of festivals including Capital EX (formerly Klondike Days), the Edmonton Folk Music Festival, and the Canadian Finals Rodeo.