Albertas Rocky Mountains and its National and Provincial Parks are major year round attractions, with stunning mountain peaks, glaciers, valleys and lakes.
Banff, offer a vast number of tourist attractions to entertain and entrance visitors all year round to complement the natural attractions.
The town of Banff is situated inside the spectacular and unspoilt Banff National Park, Canadas first national park and most popular tourist attraction, about an hour and a halfs drive west of Calgary. The surrounding national park offers 2,564 square miles of unparalleled mountain scenery in the heart of the Canadian Rockies, including glaciers, ice fields, jagged peaks, crystal clear lakes and raging rivers.
The town and nearby village of Lake Louise draws millions of visitors every year, offering as it does a wide variety of comfortable accommodation and entertainment for those wanting a base to explore the mountain wilderness. It is recommended that visitors stay at least four days to make the most of sightseeing excursions in the park. Attractions in the town itself include the Banff Park Museum, on Buffalo Street, which is the oldest natural history museum in western Canada and features a fantastic assortment of wildlife specimens, minerals and other artefacts.
A short way away is the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies dedicated to the rich cultural history of the area, with four art galleries, a heritage gallery and a research library. The Cave and Basin National Historic Site, in Cave Avenue, tells the story of the discovery of the hot springs that led to the establishment of Canadas first national reserve in 1885. Visitors can also take a gondola ride to the top of Sulphur Mountain to enjoy the spectacular views from the observation deck at the top, or soak in hot mineral waters at the Upper Hot Springs in Mountain Avenue.
Winter is low season in Banff National Park, but skiers and snowboarders who brave the low temperatures are delighted with what they find. The slopes have something for everyone, from steep couloirs to gentle cruising and the snow is some of the coldest, driest and most reliable youll find anywhere in the world, and theres a lot of it, particularly at Sunshine Village. Europeans are also impressed by the staggering scenery and mountain wildlife, as well as the welcoming locals and excellent value.
