There’s more to Calgary than oil, cowboys and beef. The southern Alberta city, nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, has grown from pioneer settlement to cosmopolitan city in the space of 120 years. Visitors stepping off Calgary flights will find that the city has a thriving music scene – traditional and modern – and Canada's third-largest Chinatown. There are more shopping opportunities downtown than at the West Edmonton Mall and an added bonus is the absence of a provincial sales tax.
Calgary hasn’t grown too far from its roots however. The world-famous Calgary Stampede celebrates its heritage. Fort Calgary, the 1880s North West Mounted Police post in Inglewood, encompasses a historic park, and even the Pengrowth Saddledome, home of NHL's Calgary Flames, the WHL's Calgary Hitmen and the NLL's Calgary Roughnecks, which is shaped like a saddle.
Calgary’s real story is the great outdoors. Fish Creek Park, in south Calgary, is Canada's largest urban park, three times bigger than Stanley Park in Vancouver. Within a couple of hours’ drive is Banff National Park and Lake Louise, Canada's first national park, a mecca for winter sports and nature enthusiasts.
Search and compare: cheap flights to Calgary