Nearing Banff

We rented a car on Saturday and went exploring the mountains that we can see from our bedroom window. This past Monday was a Family Day in Alberta, so we had a long weekend and could spend Saturday shopping – yes still lots of stuff missing from the flat and also go on the tour to the Rockies.

Sunday morning when we left Calgary, the sun was shining and it was quite warm, by the time we got to the mountains it was first raining and the further on we went, the colder it got. We decided to drop into Banff at first to see what this famous town and ski-resort is like.

We had been warned that Banff will be full of people and so it was. The streets were full since the weather was not conducive to skiing. I found Banff very charming with its stylised windows and signs, lots of activities going on and pubs and restaurants on every corner.

We looked for a parking space for a while. When you drive into the National park you have to pay a fee of almost 20

Stylised shop signs in Banff

dollars for 2 people, but the parking in Banff is for free. Once we found it we wandered around and took a few pictures, then went to have pizza at a Bear street in a pub that advertised that they have ridiculously good pizza – they did indeed. I had one with bison meat and my husband had with turkey and goat cheese and both were very tasty – with thin crust, not oily and right balance of the ingredients. The bar staff was very lively and in a good mood. The bartender said that an Estonian girl used to work there and the first thing he associated with Estonia was beautiful girls 🙂

When we finished the lunch and our beer, the snowfall had intensified and we decided to spend some time at the Whyte museum about the history of the Rockies. We learned that really the area has been developed after the Pacific Railway was built and some railway workers found some hot springs near Sulphur Mountain – in 1880-ies. For me it was interesting to be in a place where still the grandchildren of the founders might live.

Banff Springs hotel

We also went for a short walk along the river in Banff and came across a huge hotel – Fairmont Banff Springs hotel that can be seen from afar nestled in the mountains.

As you can see from the pictures the weather was not very sunny, but it was still nice to walk – there was no wind and it was not cold. There are plenty of trails for walking and biking, so even if you are not into skiing, you’ll find some exercise to do. Well, I assume the aprés-ski cannot be too bad either.

The scenery was fantastic – everywhere we looked there were mountains and lots of forest and snow – it was a winter wonderland come to life.

We did not stay in Banff for longer than a few hours, but we totally understand why it is so famous as it is and this without actually going skiing there. We will come back and do it another time. It will also be interesting to go and see this humongous hotel and see what the hot springs are like.

View from our walk in Banff