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Add PlaceTRAVEL LIKE A LOCAL | Top 10,000 Places to Visit in Canada
The page created by Rylan Ewen | Anmoldeep Sekhon | Dylan Gow | Manpreet Kaur | Kupaw Wah | Red River College 
| Photo by Madereugeneandrew, Wikimedia Commons
In the heart of Banff National Park, in the Canadian Rockies, the luxury Fairmont Banff Springs hotel has provided legendary hospitality for over 130 years.
The hotel opened in 1888 by the Canadian Pacific Railway. The building was designated as a National Historic Site of Canada in 1988.
Photo: Dylannother, Wikimedia Commons
Banff Sunshine Village’s unique location will make you feel miles away from civilization, even though you’re only a 15-minute drive from the town of Banff.
We are located 7,200 feet high on the Continental Divide, in the heart of the Canadian Rockies. Our three mountains offer vast terrain, and will wow you with 360 degrees of uninterrupted mountain views. Banff Sunshine provides terrain suitable for skiers and snowboarders of all ability levels. You can even ski two provinces (Alberta and British Columbia) in one run!
Skiers and snowboarders love Sunshine for our snow and our extra long winter. Our seven month ski season stretches from early November until late May, making us the longest non-glacial ski season in Canada.
The town of Banff is a spirited place, alive with adventure and wonder. In all directions, you’re surrounded by strikingly beautiful and rugged mountains that seem to burst straight out of the ground.
You might see a herd of deer wandering down the main street during your early morning jog. The lively streets of downtown are lined with top-class restaurants, bars, and shops, as well as a vibrant range of art galleries and museums. The locals are warm, open, and genuinely connected to the inspiring environment in which they live.
The Town of Banff was the first municipality in Canada to be incorporated inside a national park.
Photo: Jonboy, Wikimedia Commons
Timeless Rocky Mountain views.
Experience a world of adventure and beauty at the summit of Banff’s Sulphur Mountain.
Indoors, the experience is equal parts of excitement and exploration, with an interpretive centre and theatre to captivate the child in all of us.
Outside, the epic views are truly endless from the rooftop deck or with a stroll along the mountain boardwalk. Top it off with seasonal programs and exciting events for the ultimate mountaintop adventure.
Photo: https://northandsouthnomads.com/banff-gondola/
Built in 1903 and dignified with heritage status for being the oldest park facility in the Canadian National Park system, the Banff Park Museum is also the oldest natural history museum in western Canada.
Located on Banff Avenue in the heart of the town of Banff, the Museum – a.k.a. the “University of the Hills” – houses more than 5,000 historic botanical and zoological specimens. Explore the Victorian-era collection, while admiring the stately 1903 museum, a log masterpiece and the oldest surviving federal building in any Canadian national park.
Photo: Acroterion, Wikimedia Commons
Visit the Cave and Basin National Historic Site to experience the birthplace of Canada’s national parks and learn about the natural and cultural history of the mountains. Discover the hot water that seeps from the rocks, smell the minerals and explore the trails.
Cave and Basin has been a special place for Indigenous peoples for over ten thousand years and continues to be so to this day. In 1883, three railway workers found the thermal springs, sparking a series of events that led to the creation of Canada’s first national park.
Photo: https://www.wowabouts.com/explore/post-cave-and-basin-national-historic-site-banff
Not like your typical waterfalls, the Bow Falls is wide and short. You might feel some mist from the waterfalls during the mid-summer due to the high water levels.
You can also see the valley that was eroded by glacier activity and the Bow River over the years.
Across the bridge from the town turn left onto Spray Avenue, then take a left on Bow Falls drive.
Photo: Vigorous action, Wikimedia Commons
After the coal mines closed and the town of Bankhead was deserted, many buildings were moved to nearby towns.
The Bankhead Railway Station is now located at the HI Banff Alpine Hostel on Tunnel Mountain Road. This hostel has outstanding views of the Rocky Mountains, a café, a bar, a full-service restaurant, equipment rentals and discounted travel activity packages. You can also find a map of Bankhead at the front door!
Named after Maude and Forrest Kidney, this three-story Victorian-style home was the kind of residence a coal mine manager resided in at Bankhead.
Kidney Residence was moved to Banff in 1927. As of 2022, there have been talks of demolition to erect a residential development in its place.
Photo: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/71/Kidney_House.JPG
Established in 1890, Old Banff Cemetery is now the resting place for over two thousand souls. This cemetery also served the nearby community of Bankhead and is home to the Bankhead Miners Memorial, which honours the fifteen miners killed during its operations. At the time, mourners would travel nine kilometres by foot to the cemetery from Bankhead and were often led by the Bankhead Mine Band.
The cemetery is home to many historical figures, along with the 189 victims of the Hillcrest Mine Disaster.
Old Banff Cemetery is the second cemetery in Alberta to be declared a historic municipal resource.
St. Mary’s of The Assumption is a Catholic church surrounded by beautiful scenery, including towering mountains, beautiful green forests, and angelic white snow in the winter.
The church is not very tall, and the inside is warm and comforting. The altar is relatively simplistic yet stunning nonetheless with artificial light making the altar the center of the church in every aspect.
Photos: https://www.travelalberta.com/listings/st-marys-parish-11152/; https://www.stmarysparishbanff.ca
St. Paul’s Presbyterian is a church located in Banff, Alberta which perfectly fits in with the picturesque resort town. The tall and intricately detailed spire is unique and nicely complements the white snow-topped mountains behind the church.
The interior of the church is nothing remarkable, yet one would still feel connected to the church.
Photos: Google Maps, Jacky Iml; Google Street View
