Alberta

Information and Tourism

Mention that you are headed to Alberta for your holidays and you will more than likely be greeted by a long list of suggestions for things to see and do. You will probably wonder how on earth you are going to fit them all in. The answer is, of course, that you won't. Alberta does, after all, attract more superlatives than any other province in Canada. It understandably takes time to see it all.

You could start by escaping to the country. Alberta has an abundance of mountains. Within those mountains are awe-inspiring glaciers, picture postcard lakes and high peaks that take your breath away. Towns like Lake Louise, Banff and Jasper are tourist havens. So too is the Banff National Park, which manages to combine its role as protector of the province's wildlife, with its grizzly and black bears, and provider of recreational activities to the tourists who come to ski and hike here.

When it is time to head back to the city, you will find that Edmonton isn't just Alberta's provincial capital, it also happens to be home to one of the world's largest shopping malls. The city has become quite the place to be in recent years, with its Old Strathcona district topping the urban popularity charts. In the south of Alberta, Calgary has transformed itself from a town brim full of cowboys to one of the fastest growing cities in Canada. Stetsons are still very much on show, but these days they tend to be sported by Albertans working in the burgeoning local oil industry.

Alberta's links with dinosaurs might seem tenuous, but a trip to the city of Drumheller at the heart of the Canadian Badlands soon puts you in the picture. Whilst the dinosaur theme of this self-styled 'Dinosaur Capital of the World' might be taken a bit too far for some visitors, it is definitely the place to head if you want to find out all there is to know about these Jurassic beasts.

Alberta Information and Fast Facts

• Country: Canada
• Main administrative town or city: Edmonton
• Biggest city: Calgary
• Biggest urban area: Calgary Region
• Population: approximately 3.7 million
• Language: English
• Area: 255,550 square miles / 661,870 square kilometers
• Length from north to south: 750 miles / 1,207 kilometers

	WORLD GUIDES TO ALBERTA
	World Guide to Banff, AB, Canada The Banff townsite may be fairly small, but its tourist appeal is huge. Known as the capital of the Canadian Rockies, the town is part of the enormous Banff National Park, a World Heritage Site offering a host of recreational activities.
	World Guide to Calgary, AB, Canada One of the largest and youngest cities in the country, Calgary is close to the Canadian Rockies, in Alberta. The city's downtown area contains many impressive high-rise skyscrapers, together with walkways high over the busy streets.
	World Guide to Edmonton, AB, Canada Edmonton is one of the country's most northern cities and is spread around the North Saskatchewan River, which snakes through the center. The downtown area has been greatly redeveloped and features many notable buildings.
	World Guide to Jasper, AB, Canada The Jasper townsite stands at the confluence of the Athabasca and Miette rivers. Located in the center of Alberta's Jasper National Park, a World Heritage Site, the town offers plenty of hiking trails and stunning mountain views.
	World Guide to Lake Louise, AB, Canada Lake Louise is amongst the most-visited destination within the Banff National Park and enjoys a spectacular backdrop provided by the Canadian Rockies. The resort of Lake Louise Village is just minutes away from the shoreline of the lake itself.

Map of Alberta