Canada

Visiting a world renown ski resort in the summer could be seen as an anti climax yet Banff was very surprising and still very beautiful in the summer months when we visited.
We stayed at the Banff Springs Hotel and the hotel was opened in 1888 by the Canadian Pacific Railway, as one of the earliest of Canada's grand railway hotels. The original 1888 five-storey wooden hotel was designed by Bruce Price and was able to accommodate 280 guests. As the hotel grew, the original structure became the North Wing, which was eventually destroyed by fire in April 1926.

The present hotel property is made up of several buildings, of which the main hotel consists of a 1914 eleven-storey center tower designed by Walter S. Painter, and a 1927 North Wing and a 1928 South Wing designed by John Orrock which were built on either side of the Center Tower. On 24 June 1988, the hotel buildings were designated as a National Historic Site of Canada. The hotel property is presently managed by Fairmont Hotels and Resorts.

The Canadian Pacific Railway was instrumental in Banff's early years, building the Banff Springs Hotel and Chateau Lake Louise, and attracting tourists through extensive advertising. In the early 20th century, roads were built in Banff, at times by war internees from World War I, and through Great Depression-era public works projects. The Icefields Parkway extends from Lake Louise, connecting to Jasper National Park in the north.

Banff was the first municipality to incorporate within a Canadian national park. The town is a member of the Calgary Regional Partnership.

Banff is a resort town and one of Canada's most popular tourist destinations. Known for its mountainous surroundings and hot springs, it is a destination for outdoor sports and hiking, biking, scrambling and skiing. Sunshine Village, Ski Norquay and Lake Louise Ski Resort are nearby ski resorts within the national park.Read more