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BanffCity/Region: Canadian Rocky Mountains
The town of Banff is situated inside the spectacular and unspoilt Banff National Park, Canada's first national park and most popular tourist attraction, about an hour and a half's drive west of Calgary. The surrounding national park offers 2,564 square miles (6,641 sq km) of unparalleled mountain scenery in the heart of the Canadian Rockies, including glaciers, ice fields, jagged peaks, crystal clear lakes and raging rivers. 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 artifacts. 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 Canada's 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 you'll find anywhere in the world, and there's a lot of it, particularly in the Sunshine Village ski area. Visitors are also impressed by the staggering scenery and mountain wildlife, as well as the welcoming locals and excellent value. Lake Louise is the most extensive and best known ski resort in the Banff region - see our separate Lake Louise ski resort guide.
Lake LouiseCity/Region: Canadian Rocky Mountains
Canada's largest ski area covers the slopes of four mountain faces that surround the village of Lake Louise, in the heart of the magnificent Banff National Park, right on the Trans-Canada Highway 35 miles (57km) west of Banff itself. With plentiful natural snow and an extensive snowmaking system, skiing is guaranteed at Lake Louise from mid-November to mid-May, and it has the reputation of offering the best powder skiing in the world. The pretty village nestling in the Rockies provides every amenity required by visitors, and a wide choice of cosy accommodation and dining options. Shuttle buses and an efficient system of interconnecting lifts provide easy access to the slopes. Put all this together with the spectacular scenery and pristine terrain, and it is not surprising that Lake Louise has been dubbed the 'diamond in the wilderness'.
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