Alberta has a lot to offer visitors. It is a surprisingly diverse province in many ways, from the beauty of the Rockies to the serene flatness of prairie to the wilderness of the northern forests. The two largest cities, Calgary and Edmonton offer the amenties that most cities in North America have, and also have some unique attractions of their own.

Regions

• Rocky Mountains
• Prairies
• Woodlands

Major Cities

• Calgary
• Edmonton
• Red Deer
• Lethbridge
• Medicine Hat
• Grande Prairie
• Fort McMurray

Other destinations

• Drumheller, site of the Royal Tyrell Museum, the largest paleontology museum in Canada.
• Kananaskis, major natural recreation area in southern Alberta at the foot of the Rockies south of Calgary.
• Banff, the largest town in Banff National Park.
• Lake Louise, major ski resort and village just to the north of Banff.
• Jasper, Banff's northern sister in the heart of Jasper National Park.
• Waterton Lakes National Park, A true natural gem in the Rockies in Alberta's extreme southwest.

Understand

Alberta was formed as a province in 1905. Its capital is Edmonton, located roughly in the middle of the province, while most business headquarters are located to the south in Calgary. Most of the population of Alberta lives along the "Highway 2 Corridor" between Edmonton and Calgary, although Lethbridge to the south, Grande Prairie to the northwest, and Fort McMurray to the northeast are also major centres.

Talk

English is the main language spoken by most people in Alberta and French, Canada's second official language is hard to find, except where government services are concerned. Yet Ukrainian, German and Mandarin can be heard on the street. There is a French-language university in Edmonton - the Faculté Saint-Jean, now a part of the University of Alberta, which offers undergraduate degrees in several disciplines with instruction completely in French.

There are also many First Nations communities across the province whose original languages are spoken, including Cree, Déné, Blackfoot, and others.

By Air

Edmonton International Airport and Calgary International Airport both have flights with Air Canada and other international airlines to and from various cities across North America and Europe. There's also a flight from Calgary to Delhi, India, flying only a stone's throw away from the North Pole. Both airports act as collection points, Calgary for the prairie provinces, and Edmonton for regions in the Canadian North like Grande Prairie and Yellowknife.

Get around

By Car

Like most of Canada's provinces, Alberta is large, so a car or any other road vehicle is probably the most convenient way to get around outside the major cities.

By Bus

Greyhound Canada offers service between almost all centres, large and small. Be aware that Greyhound does the so-called "milk runs" stopping at almost every location, usually to drop off or pickup passengers and cargo. There are other bus lines offering service between major centres, such as Red Arrow between Edmonton, Calgary, Fort McMurray, Jasper and Banff.

By Rail

VIA Rail is the only passenger rail service into Alberta, and it goes into Edmonton from Vancouver, British Columbia and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. There is no passenger rail service into Calgary.

See

Driving west out of Calgary towards British Columbia, the Rockies rise dramatically and quickly. The drive through Banff, Jasper or Glacier National Park can be quite spectacular. The Icefields Parkway between the towns of Banff and Jasper is definitely not to be missed.

In Edmonton, West Edmonton Mall is one of the province's larger attractions. With over 800 retail shops and the world's largest indoor entertainment centre, it's entertaining even for the non-shoppers.

Calgary offers the Stampede, the wild west-themed festival held every July complete with rodeos and fairs. And one should check out the Calgary Zoo and get a view from the top of the Calgary Tower.

Itineraries

• Icefields Parkway

Do

The ski resorts of Marmot Basin in Jasper National Park, Sunshine Village, Lake Louise and Norquay, all in Banff National Park dish up almost every kind of terrain for the hardcore skier, yet allow novice skiers to have fun through green runs and long cruisng runs. If the crowds bother you, there are a number of other ski areas in the province.

Great hiking can be had in the Rockies, and there are a few lakes that allow one to do boating, jetskiing or most other watersports despite Alberta's landlocked nature.

Eat

There is a surprising array of restaurants to choose from, especially in the major cities. Tastes range from simple burger joints to haute cuisine in the finest restaurants. Alberta has some of the best beef anywhere in Canada.

Drink

The drinking age is 18 - younger than most other provinces in Canada. Alcohol is available from the many private liquor stores and beer/wine stores throughout the province. Unlike other provinces, liquor retail is privatized; however, unlike most American states, you cannot buy alcohol in grocery stores.