CALGARY
Area: Alberta
Country: Canada


Location:
In S region of self-governing province (state) of Alberta in W Canada. 80 mls SE of Banff. 116 mls SE of Lake Louise. 8 mls S of international airport.

Telephone code from UK:
1 403

Website:
http://www.tourismcalgary.com

Position:
Spreading either side of Bow River and surrounded by expansive flat prairie. Bounded to W by Canadian Rocky Mountains.

Description:
A sprawling, low-rise metropolis with a high-rise downtown hub, this modern, cosmopolitan city is also the centre of Alberta's burgeoning oil industry. Downtown Calgary (which measures roughly 1 ml by 1 ml) has concentrated clusters of mirrored skyscrapers, and streets and avenues laid out in the familiar American grid fashion; its lively feel and the distinctly Western blend of cattlemen and oil lend the city an almost Texan flavour. An extensive network of covered overhead walkways connects many hotels and major sights, enabling you to walk most of it while avoiding heavy weekday traffic. Venture away from the city's central core, however, and you'll soon find the characterless business districts typical of any other major city. Calgary hosted the 1988 Winter Olympics, which is understandable, given the proximity of the mountains, frigid wintertime temperatures and the inhabitants' preoccupation with winter sports.

Suitability:
Largely business orientated. Most foreign visitors, in middle- to upmarket bracket, use it as an interesting stopover for winter playgrounds of Banff and Lake Louise.

Accommodation:
About a dozen high-rise hotels in downtown itself, providing middle- to upmarket business-orientated facilities; most have their own conference/exhibition space, indoor pools and leisure facilities. Budget choices farther out in sprawling low-rise suburbs and around airport.

Shopping:
Selection of large, enclosed malls packed with fashionable boutiques, department stores, bars and restaurants, with main action happening on 8th Avenue. In N downtown, traditional market stalls of Eau Claire Market offer anything from fresh produce to Western (cowboy-style) clothing. Stephen Avenue Walk, an Edwardian-themed pedestrianised street lined with cast-iron street lamps and period-shop frontages, is a popular place to browse in milder weather.

Entertainments:
Daytime: Olympic Park, several miles NW of downtown, has giant ski-jump towers, man-made practice slopes, bobsleighing and world's largest Olympic Hall of Fame; host of art galleries and museums, including Glenbow (opposite Calgary Tower and Science Centre), which is geared more towards children; Devonian Gardens (2»-acre botanical garden). In summer, Heritage Park Village (66-acre working environment giving an insight into early 20th-century pioneer life); Calgary Zoo, Botanical Garden & Prehistoric Park; golf; trout fishing; windsurfing on city's principal reservoir; annual Calgary Stampede rodeo competition in July. Nightlife: wide variety, as with any major city. Regular concerts and cultural events at Centre of Performing Arts; Imax cinema inside Eau Claire Market; various nightclubs and bars. Most popular spectator sport is NHL ice hockey (Calgary Flames is the national team).

Eating:
Anything and everything, usually in oversized portions and keenly priced by European standards. Supplementing the ubiquitous burger and pizza chains, downtown hotels offer wide choice of international and ethnic fare, including Japanese, Mexican, Italian, Thai, Greek and Indian. Calgary's sizeable Chinese community maintains plethora of authentic restaurants in and around Chinatown and various shopping malls. Calgary Tower's revolving restaurant provides panoramic views of downtown and Rocky Mountains.

Public-transport:
Fast, efficient Light Rail Transit (LRT), known locally as the C-Train, runs E to W along length of downtown's central axis of traffic-free 7th Avenue. Low single fare in any one direction in and out of town, but you can hop on and off for free along 7th Avenue. Umpteen bus services for downtown and beyond, including airport shuttle that stops outside most major hotels, Calgary Tower and convention centre at regular, scheduled times.

Local-excursions:
TransCanada Highway provides good access for bus tours into Rockies and Banff National Park in all but the severest winter periods. Private vehicles require permit, purchased on entrance (about $35); your hotel or tourist office can call ahead in winter to check out road conditions.