travel alberta visitor center

Alberta Tourism Information

Why visit alberta.

Alberta , the largest of Canada’s three  prairie provinces , contains a large portion of the Rocky Mountains and most tourism to the province centers around visiting the beautiful parks that surround them. The province’s two main cities, Calgary and Edmonton , are Canada’s largest outside the Toronto-Montreal-Vancouver axis, though they’re much less popular as tourist destinations. The larger city, Calgary, is generally acknowledged to contain more to see and do, though Edmonton contains a few famous attractions, as well.

Orientation

Most Albertans live in either Calgary or Edmonton and the cities are about three hours apart, with Calgary in the south and Edmonton in the north. The Rocky Mountain region is on the province’s far west, along the border with British Columbia . Everywhere else is largely rural, home to small farm towns and oil fields.

Lake Louise in Banff National Park. kavram/Shutterstock

The rocky mountain parks.

The most iconic tourist destination in Alberta — and possibly the entire country — is the beautiful Banff National Park and its emerald-green Lake Louise . Containing over 6,000 square kilometers of unspoiled Rocky Mountain scenery, Canada’s most popular outdoor resort is home to virtually every activity you could imagine, with over 1,000 km of hiking trails, a dozen campgrounds, numerous ski hills, a 27-hole golf course , three hot springs, and a wild river (the Kicking Horse ) that’s ideal for white water rafting . There are no shortages of shops, hotels, and restaurants in the village of Banff Town , which is usually packed with tourists.

Three hours north of Banff is Jasper National Park , which is broadly similar to Banff in terms of natural beauty, but is harder to get to, has fewer activities and is thus slightly less popular. Some prefer its more laid-back vibe. Even more laid-back are the smaller-still mountain communities of Canmore Kananaskis , which is near Banff, and Waterton Lakes National Park which is in Alberta’s most south-west corner. All of the Rocky Mountain parks are a couple hours from the two big cities. Banff, Canmore, and Waterton are closer to Calgary while Jasper is closer to Edmonton.

Calgary's Peace Bridge, over the Bow River that divides the city. Its eccentric design, though controversial at first, has now become an icon of the city.

Calgary Tourism

The largest city in Alberta.

Calgary is split in half by the Bow River , which has a pleasant coastline for walking and in the summer is popular for “floating” — what locals call riding in inner tubes. The river is crossed by multiple bridges, with the recently-completed Peace Bridge the most architecturally interesting.

The 160 meter tall  Calgary Tower is the city’s most famous landmark, and like most buildings of its sort, it contains a rotating restaurant and observation deck at the top. It’s no longer the tallest building in Calgary, however — that honor goes to the uniquely curved Bow Building , recognizable from afar with its criss-cross design. Equally iconic is the sloping roof of the Scotiabank Saddledome , home of the city’s NHL team, as well as other sports events and concerts.

Within walking distance of downtown is the massive Calgary Zoo which encompasses over 159 hectares and houses a vast assortment of Canadian and foreign animals, as well as exhibits on Alberta’s dinosaur-filled past.

Calgary postcards often feature pictures of the Ski Jump Towers , a relic of the 1988 Olympics found on the edge of the city limits. The surrounding  Olympic Park  is now run by a company named WinSport that offers a variety of public activities, including a Zipline and bobsled.

• Official Website, Tourism Calgary
• The Top 10 Things to Do in Calgary, TripAdviso r

" Wonderland ," a sculpture by famed Spanish artist Jaume Plensaat (b. 1955) at the base of downtown Calgary's Bow Building.

Museums and Galleries

The Glenbow Museum is Alberta’s largest museum, featuring an extensive history of the province from aboriginal times to the present, as well as contemporary artwork and traveling exhibits from around the world.

Spanning over 127 acres, Heritage Park Historical Village is a vast village of antique buildings containing re-creations of Canadian life from the Victorian era to the 1950s, complete with costumed actors.

Shopping and Restaurants

8th Ave SE, better known as Stephen Ave (Calgary streets often have two names) is the primary shopping district. Closed to car traffic in the summer and weekends, it contains a vast array of shops, restaurants, and vendors, many of which are housed in iconic Victorian-era sandstone buildings. An enormous shopping mall known as the CORE runs parallel to a portion of 8th, and contains most major retail chains, as well as a large indoor park, the Devonian Gardens , on the top floor.

Many blocks away, 17th Ave SW, also known as the Red Mile , is the other trendy shopping area, but is better known for its bars and restaurants. A 15 minute drive from the downtown core is the city’s largest mall, the Chinook Centre , which has everything the CORE doesn’t.

The Red Mile is Calgary’s iconic drinking and party zone, named after the color of Calgary’s hockey team, the Flames, which appears in considerable abundance on game nights. The Mile is home to many of the city’s oldest and most iconic bars and lounges.

Chuckwagon races at the 2016 Stampede. Bill Marsh/Calgary Stampede

A T-Rex skeleton display at the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller.

The Calgary Stampede is Canada’s biggest party, and takes over much of the city for 10 days every July. Though the 100-year-old festival is officially supposed to revolve around watching traditional cowboy sports like bronco riding and steer wrestling, the modern-day Stampede has grown to offer something for everyone, including live concerts, carnival rides, shopping, and plenty of hot, greasy food.

Spectator Spots

Calgary has an NHL team, the Calgary Flames who play in the Scotiabank Saddledome  and a CFL team, the Calgary Stampeders , who play in the  McMahon Stadium .

Outside Calgary

An hour and a half from Calgary, the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller houses a vast collection of exhibits on life in prehistoric Canada, including an array of dinosaur skeletons uncovered from the Alberta badlands. The bizarre landscape of the  badlands themselves, which surround the museum, are fun to explore as well.

The skyline of Edmonton on the base of the Saskatchewan River .

Edmonton Tourism

Alberta’s second-biggest city and provincial capital.

Edmonton is split in half by the North Saskatchewan River and ample parklands surround the coasts. The downtown area is located on the north side.

The city’s most iconic building is the enormous sandstone structure that houses the Legislative Assembly of Alberta and four glass pyramids on the south side of the river that house the Muttart Conservatory , a massive indoor garden and museum. An equally grand glass pyramid can be found on the roof of the distinctive City Hall building. Surrounding city hall is Sir Winston Churchill Square , a large public plaza.

The gigantic Hotel Macdonald is Edmonton’s fanciest hotel, and the city’s most prominent example of Victorian-era architecture. Outside of downtown, the neighborhood of Old Strathcona contains most other historic buildings of note.

• Official Website, Tourism Edmonton
• The Top 10 Things to Do in Edmonton, TripAdvisor

The World Waterpark at the West Edmonton Mall. Jeff Whyte/Shutterstock

Edmonton City Hall and the Friendship Tower clock.

Most of Edmonton’s shops and restaurants are concentrated around the long Jasper Ave. (also known as 101st Ave) which runs through the downtown core, and the Old Strathcona neighborhood, centered around Whyte Ave (also known as 82nd Ave), which has a more bohemian character.

More than anything else, however, shopping in Edmonton is synonymous with the enormous West Edmonton Mall , which was at one time the largest mall in the world. Though the 1980s-era building is hardly state-of-the-art by today’s standards, its size remains awe-inspiring. It contains over 800 shops and countless other gimmicky attractions, including a roller coaster, a waterpark, a petting zoo, mini-golf, and a re-created 16th Spanish galleon. It’s about a half-hour drive from downtown.

The Art Gallery of Alberta is a wild-looking building containing the province’s largest collection of historic and contemporary art from both Canadian and international artists, with constantly changing exhibits.

Fort Edmonton Park  is an outdoor “living history” museum offering recreated streets and buildings from Edmonton’s past. It’s popular with schoolchildren on field trips.

Spectator sports

Edmonton has an NHL team, the Edmonton Oilers , who play in Rogers Place . Edmonton’s CFL team, the Edmonton Eskimos , play at  the Brick Field  in  Commonwealth Stadium .

Edmonton is unexpectedly home to the world’s third-largest fringe festival , run by a local outfit called  Fringe Theatre Adventures . Held in August, Edmonton Fringe is an 11-day celebration of independent plays, story slams, comedy, magic, busking, and all other forms of public performance. A global assortment of talent stage shows all over town. Ticket prices are quite cheap.

Fan of more conventional performances can check out a play at the  Citadel Theater , or a concert by the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra at the beautiful Winspear Centre .

Outside Edmonton

As Edmonton is not exactly a major tourist destination unto itself, the surrounding area offers limited appeal for visitors. Parks and campgrounds are the main attractions, primarily Jasper National Park (see above), and to a lesser extent  Elk Island National Park , which, though beautiful, has the dubious distinction of being Alberta’s only national park not recognized as a World Heritage Site by the U.N.

Alberta Tourism Resources

• Alberta Tourism Official Website
• Alberta, Lonely Planet
• Alberta Travel Guide, Fodor's

Travel Alberta Canmore Visitor Information Centre

Located on Highway 1A, immediately off the Trans Canada Highway exit between the Banff National Park Gates and Canmore, Alberta, this Visitor Information Centre (VIC) is a great place to stop and get information for Canmore, Banff National Park, as well as great information on all of Alberta. Located next to the Legacy Trail trailhead, there is parking available for you to ride the trail. Very helpful and knowledgeable VIC staff can help with quick questions and trip planning information. There is a Sani-Dump Station (May Long weekend to October 1), long parking stalls for RV's, cars, buses and no Overnight parking. Along with our free WI-FI lounge, we have picnic tables, an on-leash green place area and washrooms open 7:00 am - 10:00 pm and the Main Visitor Information Centre is open 9:00 am - 5:00pm.

If you have any questions, please e-mail us at [email protected] .

Toll Free: 1-800-252-3782

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Alberta’s at the Windmill, Brighton: ‘My private obsessions poured onto a menu’ – review

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Tim Hayward

Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.

About a year ago, my friend Mike asked me to follow someone on Instagram. He’s a chef, he said, a childhood mate from Scotland. He’s starting at this place in Brighton. So I did, and in the following months, every now and again, a menu would flash up. And almost immediately, it drew me in.

I’m never sure about Brighton. Every time I drive in, I’m wonder-struck at its increasingly festering tawdriness. Whenever I leave, I find myself suspicious that everyone there is nonetheless having a better time than I am. But Alistair Munro’s menu kept calling.

The Windmill is a rackety, seedy Regency boozer up the hill, out of range of your average visitor. It’s always been a place for locals. I’m sure you can still get a pint at the bar and flirt with someone’s dog, but Munro’s reputation has spread and, now, from Wednesday to Sunday, every table is booked with happy people eating.

I think there’s something we need to identify here. The Windmill, like many food-led pubs I’ve reviewed recently, is not a “gastropub” in the now traditional sense; an informal restaurant in an old pub building, a single enterprise. Instead, it’s a quasi-formal collaboration between the licensed premises and a food provider — Alberta’s, in this case (named after Munro’s grandmother).

This might be a chef, a favourite local food wagon, a start-up catering operation, or maybe even some happy amateurs finding their path. Not as solid as a gastropub, but more formal than a residency. Longer-term than a pop-up. With a kind of ramshackle “collective” spirit in place of an aggressive business plan and, most importantly, running on determination and enthusiasm rather than a “concept” defined by head office. These collaborative operations seem able to innovate when more established places are retrenching. They are inexpensive, independent, local, un-hyped and run on an intoxicating blend of joy, soul and buzz.

The menu’s beyond eclectic and definitely too eccentric for an old-school gastropub. It has big nods to the American South, some Italian influences, tacos, some killer fried chicken and then a slew of huge deli sandwiches and a Hainanese poached chicken. It’s almost impossible to categorise and yet, for me, the appeal was instant and obvious. This is the precise list of things that a well-informed food nerd has been obsessing about these past few years. The trends, the fashions, the memes. It’s not a theme, a strategy, a vibe, a gimmick or even vaguely coherent. It’s just all bloody lovely, and cooked by someone as enthusiastic about it as I am. It was like someone had taken my private obsessions and poured them on to a menu.

Tarama and crisps, a rather sophisticated starter/snack, was the weak spot of the evening. The crisps were house-made (why?), and the smoked roe had been ferociously blitzed in something like a Nutribullet or a Thermomix. These overpowered Nasa-grade blenders have the fatal ability to render simple, rustic pastes into homogeneity, texturally akin to a topical anti-fungal treatment. But then there was a sea-bass tiradito, and I’d have forgiven them anything. Yes, I know tiradito is the flavour of the month, which is probably why I’ve eaten so many average takes on it and am feeling biblically judgmental. Chefs obviously get confused by tiradito. They think it’s about raw fish, and raw fish tastes like raw fish. Instead, it should be based on raw fish, meaning the flavourings take the lead. Munro’s tiradito is exceptional because it tastes like passion fruit, aji amarillo and Valencian kumquat. Seriously. Which would you prefer?

Buffalo chicken is named after an American city. The cooking method, deep frying, then sauce dipping and refrying, might be Korean, Japanese or even African, via enslaved people in the American South. A “buffalo scampi taco”, therefore, does not merely blend culinary traditions, but metaphorically forces them through the mincer a couple of times, then feeds them back through that damn Nutribullet. The result is as sublime as it is unclassifiable. I know there are some excellent crustacea in there somewhere, but with that much going on in crust and sauce, the matter is moot.

I’m still staring at the menu as I bury my face in the main. They’ve got freshly shucked oysters here, it says. There’s a cheeky little line informing me I can have an extra jug of black pepper and white chicken gravy to go with my southern fries and there’s a chicken adobo sandwich with smashed cucumber in it. It’s crazy, but inspired. I order one of the sandwiches in a handmade Japanese milk bread roll. I have the Meat Grinder with cold cuts, Fontina cheese and an authentic-tasting Russian dressing, which theoretically makes it kind of New Orleans deli-style, but then I realise that the next “sando” on the list contains ham, egg and chips and another comes with “peanut, mint, aubergine, coconut and lime pickle”. Reaching, like a man in a maelstrom, for some familiar branch, some recognisable handhold, I have the fried chicken on the side (exemplary) with a comprehensive diversity of dips, but my eyes cut, lasciviously, to an authentic-looking Hainanese chicken rice at the next table.

I’ve formulated a belief about food and hospitality. It’s kind of contradictory, but it goes like this. A: I instinctively dislike people who take it too seriously, but B: I can’t trust people who don’t get that nothing is more important than food. So though I’m almost lost reading Munro’s menu and I’m blown away by his elan and technical prowess, I’m mainly thinking: damn, yes! I like and trust this guy and, better still, I love his food.

Alberta’s at the Windmill

69 Upper North Street, Brighton BN1 3FL

Starters and snacks: £3-£8

Sandos: £10-£14

Fried chicken: £13-18

Mains: £9-£18

Follow Tim @TimHayward and email him at [email protected]

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