Calgary is a cosmopolitan metropolis of just over 1.3 million people situated in the western Canadian province of Alberta. It’s Canada’s third largest city and is famous for its namesake ‘stampede’ – a ten-day Western-style extravaganza dubbed the ‘Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth’ which holds the title of being the country’s largest and most famous festival. The city also offers a whole host of great food, plenty of green spaces and a lively nightlife scene.
For a bird’s eye view of the city, make sure you head up to the top of the Calgary Tower – at 190-metres-tall, it offers magnificent views over the downtown skyline. Other sites of interest include the Glenbow Museum which focuses on Western Canadian history and culture – including from Indigenous perspectives – and Fort Calgary which offers informative exhibits on the city's history. If you’re travelling with kids, the Calgary Zoo and Calaway Amusement Park are both well worth a visit.
Canada is famous for its scenery and picturesque countryside, and Calgary is no exception. Downtown lies Prince’s Island Park – an urban park located on an island connected by three bridges to the city, offering scenic hiking trails, picnic areas and seasonal events such as Shakespeare productions and more. Further out places include the Fish Creek Provincial Park – a sprawling reserve with over 100 kilometres of paved and unpaved trails which are ideal for both hiking and biking – as well as Nose Hill Park which offers sweeping cityscape views and the chance to see coyotes, deer, porcupines and more.