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Alberta

British Columbia & the Canadian Rockies Travel Guide

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Rocky Mountaineer passing through Banff National Park.

Pete Seaward

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Overview

Alberta does lakes and mountains like Rome does cathedrals and chapels, but without the penance. For proof head west to Jasper and Banff, two of the world’s oldest national parks; despite their wild and rugged terrain, they remain untrammeled and easily accessible. They're majestic, breathtaking, awesome. No one should leave without first laying eyes on Peyto Lake and the Columbia Icefield, nor before traveling east to the fossil-encrusted badlands around Drumheller, south to the Crypt Lake trail in Waterton Lakes National Park, and north to spot bison in the vast, empty northern parklands.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • A woman hiking above a vibrant turquoise lake in Banff National Park.

    Banff National Park

    Banff & Jasper National Parks

    Of all Canada’s top sights, Banff National Park justifiably ranks as many people’s number one. As much a piece of history as a natural wonder, Canada’s…

  • Lake Louise; Canada

    Lake Louise

    Lake Louise

    Considered by many to be the crown jewel of Banff National Park, Lake Louise is nearly impossible to describe without resorting to clichés. This…

  • Moraine Lake.

    Moraine Lake

    Lake Louise

    The spectacular, deep teal waters of Moraine Lake are one of Banff National Park’s most iconic sights. The lake’s rugged and remote setting…

  • Fort Edmonton Park

    Fort Edmonton Park

    Edmonton

    The riverside reconstruction of Hudson's Bay Company's log fort gives you a glimpse into life in a trading post in the 1840s, right down to the smell of…

  • Art gallery of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

    Art Gallery of Alberta

    Edmonton

    With the opening of this maverick art gallery in 2010, Edmonton at last gained a modern signature building to counter the ubiquitous boxy skyscrapers with…

  • A 360 degree panorama of the Columbia Icefields and Athabasca Glacier in Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada, just before the

    Jasper National Park

    Banff & Jasper National Parks

    Encompassing 11,228 sq km of Rocky Mountains wilderness, including jagged peaks, vast forests, glacial lakes and the magnificent Columbia Icefield, Jasper…

  • June 7, 2015: The red-white snowcoatch bus carrying tourists to Athabasca Glacier.

    Athabasca Glacier

    Jasper National Park

    The tongue of the Athabasca Glacier runs from the Columbia Icefield to within walking distance of the road opposite the Icefield Centre. It can be visited…

  • The altar inside the Ukrainian Eastern Orthodox Church in Alberta's Ukrainian Village.  695475025 alberta, art, building, canada, church, culture, eastern orthodox, heritage, history, jesus, religion, ukrainian culture, virgin mary

    Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village

    Alberta

    Walking into this open-air museum experience is quite literally like stepping back to the turn of the century. Staff aren't just in costume, they perform…

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