Perhaps one of the most overlooked places to visit in Canada is Alberta. While most international tr...

1. Top-Ten Places to Visit in Alberta
Perhaps one of the most overlooked places to visit in Canada is Alberta. While most international
travelers come to enjoy the night life of Toronto and Montreal or the beaches of B.C.'s West coast,
Alberta has remained a relatively quiet province.
Alberta is named after Princess Louise Caroline Alberta (1848-1939), who was the fourth daughter
of Queen Victoria. Princess Louise was also the wife of the Marquess of Lorne, Governor General of
Canada from 1878 to 1883. Lake Louise and Mount Alberta were also named in honour of the late
Princess.
10. Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump
Near Fort Macleod is an obscure museum called Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump. As a UNESCO
World Heritage Site this place is a must see for anyone wanting to explore Native American culture.
The museum is built into the side of a cliff that was used by the plains Indians for thousands of years
as a Buffalo trap. Large herds of Buffalo were lured and stampeded to jump over the side of the cliff
every season. The meat was so plentiful for the tribes that they were able to support large
communities year round. After seeing the exhibits, you will leave with a renewed respect for the first
North Americans.
9. Writing-on-Stone National Park
Near the Alberta/Montana border and just 44 km east of the small town of Milk River is Writing-o-
-Stone Provincial Park. Canada recently nominated the park to UNESCO for World Heritage status.
The park boasts having over 50 petroglyphs (stone-carved images) created by the Blackfoot Native
Americans, which date as far back as 7000 B.C. Some of the petroglyphs have been damaged so it is
hard to discern many of the images.
8. Jasper Provincial Park
Jasper Provincial Park is another one of Alberta's UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The town lies deep
in the Canadian Rocky Mountains and is easily accessible by train, bus or car. The town is full of
wildlife and outdoor life. Near the town is the ice field tours where you can take a specialized bus
tour of the thousand year old glaciers.
7. Dinosaur Provincial Park

2. Another UNESCO World Heritage site in Alberta is the Dinosaur Provincial Park. Heaven for
paleontologists, the park boasts one of the largest dinosaur finds in the world. A distance away from
civilization it is easy to feel isolated in the park. Albertans love to visit for the great campgrounds
and outdoor life.
6. Lethbridge Japanese Gardens
Lethbridge might seem like an odd place to have a world famous Japanese Garden, though it attracts
visitors from all over the world. During World War II Canada gathered thousands of Japanese
Canadians into concentration camps near Lethbridge. When the war ended many decided to stay in
the surrounding area. To make the vast prairie land feel more like home they built a Japanes Garden
near the center of the town and it has been a highlight for many tourists since.
The garden is not open year round so make sure to plan you r trip to Lethbridge during the gardens
open seasons.
5. Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital city of Alberta and houses some of the provinces best museums, universities,
cultural centers and entertainment sectors. Though second to Calgary in population, Edmonton
takes up an area larger than the city of Chicago. This makes Edmonton one of the least dense city in
North America. So if you plan on getting around to visit the sights you may want to consider renting
a car. However, from personal experience Edmonton is not a place to be touring around if you are
not a confident driver.
Because Edmonton is so spread out they have large parks and recreation areas. One of the biggest
known sites for fun and a number one destination spot for tourists is the West Edmonton Mall. When
the mall was built in 1981 (and until 2004) it was the largest mall in the world! However, after larger
malls were built in the Middle East, West Ed. still retains the title of largest in North America and
only fifth in the world.
4. Drumheller
About one hours drive North-East of Calgary is the town of Drumheller located in the Alberta
Badlands. Thousands of years of glacier erosion caused the river valleys to open up into these
Canadian Grand Canyons. Interestingly enough, the depletion of the surface soil allowed
paleontologists to discover million year old dinosaur bones littering the entire are. These valleys
hold so much bones, most have yet to be discovered.
3. Calgary
Calgary is Alberta's largest city and gateway to the Rockies. Originally a Fort for the Royal Canadian
Mounted Police (RCMP), it was an important location to help secure the sovernty of the Canadian
west. After the Trans-Canadian railway was built Calgary, with its vast prairie ranches became the
bread basket and cattle trade capital for the rest of Canada.
Ranching is still an important part of Calgary life as the whole city busts out their western attire
during the two weeks of Stampede. The world famous Calgary Stampede take place during the first
two weeks of July. The Stampede Park opens its doors to visitors from all around the world who
come to see the various exhibits, art, and shows. During the day you can enjoy chuck-wagon races,
rodeos, etc... and at night the stage opens up for Canada's most famous musicians, singers and

3. bands of all genres.
You can also visit the Calgary Tower that stands at 627 feet. The tower was built in 1968 as part of a
downtown revitalizing program. Built to be the tallest structure in the world at the time it was
designed to be an observation deck for tourists to see and enjoy the view of the nearby Rocky
Mountains. During the 1988 Winter Olympic Games it was retrofitted with a torch on the top. During
the games (and now only for special occasions) a large flame can be seen bursting from the tower.
The highest point of Calgary is the top of the ski jump at Canada Olympic Park (COP). The two large
jumps can be seen from far away in the N.W. area. The park is a great place for year round
recreation. In the winter you can enjoy skiing, ski-jumping, luge, bobsled, etc... in the summer they
open the hill for mountain bikers who can take theski lift to the top of the hill and just bike down to
the bottom. They also have a zip-line at the top of the ski jump for the truly adventurous.
2. Banff Springs
The Fairmont Banff Springs is a five-star hotel nestled in the Canadian Rocky Mountains near
natural hot springs. The hotel is open year round and has 770 rooms. Guest can stay in rooms as
small as 184sq ft to the Presidential Suit that is 1000sq ft. The hotel caters to many different events
including world summits, golf tournaments, conferences and weddings.
1. Lake Louise
This picture of Lake Louise says it all. Deep in the Canadian Rockies a large turquoise lake trickles
from the multi-thousand year old glacier in the distance. The Fairmont Hotel that houses visitors to
the lake is world class and books visitors months in advance. But don't let this deter you from

4. visiting, there are many camp-grounds that make visiting fun and affordable for any budget.
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