Discover Calgary, An Immersive Canadian City

We’ve created a little guide to the top highlights of Calgary which we hope will inspire you to visit…

Calgary is a diverse Canadian city located in the foothills of the iconic Canadian Rockies. It’s the largest city in Alberta home to plenty of charming neighbourhoods, excellent dining and nightlife options, art galleries galore, trendy shopping streets and so much more. Read on to find out more about the gems of Calgary…

Beautiful Green Spaces

Calgary boasts over 800 hectares of parkland and around 800km of pathways, so there’s lots of pretty parks and gardens to retreat to with some great leisure opportunities. Prince’s Island Park is among the best green spaces in the city which is set beside the Bow River, as is the Canada Olympic park which offers a host of outdoor adventures throughout the year. Calgary is also home to North America’s largest urban bike path which runs through the streets, neighbourhoods and parks of the city, offering prime conditions for a scenic bike ride.

 

Captivating Cultural Centres

Calgary is an excellent cultural hub with a whole host of galleries, museums and other interesting institutions. The Heritage Park Historical Village is worth noting; this living museum is home to a remodelled village which introduces visitors to the cultural heritage of Western Canada with original homes and recreations of other historic structures, plus 50,000 artefacts and a traditional steam railway which runs through the park. Another notable cultural centre in Calgary is the Glenbow Museum, which showcases a collection of local artefacts and artworks dating from the 19th century to present and hosts cultural events throughout the year.

The Calgary Stampede

The Calgary Stampede deserves its own little piece in this blog because it’s just so iconic. It’s held in July each year and is ten days long, dedicated to the city’s traditional Western cowboy cultures. Experience this epic event for yourself and expect rodeo rides, delicious cuisines, western tunes, agricultural shows, street parades and wagon races and see locals going about in their western attire. We can get you to Calgary in style for the Calgary Stampede with our great value Air Canada flights. This is definitely one for the bucket list! 

Great Shopping

Calgary isn’t renowned for its shopping but there are some great spots for retail therapy here, including trendy shopping streets, department stores, quaint shops, malls and boutiques. For antique shopping you should visit the city’s quirky Inglewood district and for clothes shopping head to 17th Avenue, a renowned leisure hub with shops and restaurants galore. For the ultimate shopping spree, visit the Chinook Centre which has over 250 shops to browse. Calgary is also home to some charming local farmers markets serving fresh produce, handicrafts and other unique local items - the Calgary Farmer’s Market is a highlight.  

The Awesome Location

Calgary is considered as the gateway to the Rockies, which is one of the world’s most breath-taking natural wonders with a series of snow-capped mountains, stunning turquoise-hued lakes and other alpine wonders. Banff National Park is easily reached from the city; it’s around an hour’s drive away with lots of amazing wildlife and thrilling outdoor adventures. If you don’t drive then why not reach here via the panoramic Rocky Mountaineer train? This famous voyage is sure to impress! You could also visit the mountainous town of Canmore, just over an hour’s drive away from Calgary with some incredible mountain peaks.

Colourful & Quirky Street Murals

Calgary is a city of many murals which are displayed throughout its streets and created by local artists, bringing the city to life and highlighting its vibrant cultural identity. Calgary is an Instagram hotspot with so many awesome backdrop photo opportunities. The East Village Riverwalk is a popular place for exploring murals, as are the back alleys of the Sunnyside community. The best part about exploring Calgary’s street art is that it’s completely free to admire and there are no opening or closing times. Other impressive forms of public art can be admired in Calgary, including the Peace Bridge, the Chinook arc and the Rundle LRT Station benches.  

Make it your goal to visit Calgary in 2020; you won’t regret it.

If Calgary sounds like your kind of city, then why not check out our flight deals to this Canadian hotspot which you can pair with one of our Calgary hotels.