Calgary (Winter)

Between December and March, Calgary, Alberta’s largest city, is a winter wonderland. Although the focus for many is on the ski resorts of nearby Banff National Park, there is a wide range of activities to keep you busy in the city. In 1988, Calgary hosted the Winter Olympic Games (remembered by many for the Jamaican bobsledders and the antics of English plumber/ski-jumper "Eddie the Eagle"). Today, facilities at Canada Olympic Park are open to the public, including downhill skiing, snowboarding, and cross-country skiing trails. The facility is also home to North America’s largest Olympic museum. West of the city is Kananaskis Country, with ...

Between December and March, Calgary, Alberta’s largest city, is a winter wonderland. Although the focus for many is on the ski resorts of nearby Banff National Park, there is a wide range of activities to keep you busy in the city. In 1988, Calgary hosted the Winter Olympic Games (remembered by many for the Jamaican bobsledders and the antics of English plumber/ski-jumper "Eddie the Eagle"). Today, facilities at Canada Olympic Park are open to the public, including downhill skiing, snowboarding, and cross-country skiing trails. The facility is also home to North America’s largest Olympic museum. West of the city is Kananaskis Country, with more demanding cross-country skiing and snowshoeing trails. Two of Calgary’s major summer attractions, Calgary Zoo and Heritage Park, are also open in the winter, with the latter hosting a number of pre-Christmas events. When the sun goes down, there's no better way to spend a winter's night in Calgary than by attending a home game of the Calgary Flames, at the Saddledome.

About the Expert

Over the last 20 years, Andrew Hempstead has authored and updated more than 60 guidebooks for Avalon Travel, Frommer’s, Michelin, Odyssey, Dorling Kindersley, Michelin, and Sasquatch Books, including many books on Canada.