Alberta/Saskatchewan

Alberta is well known to travelers – here are the world-famous Banff and Jasper National Parks in the middle of the Rocky Mountains. But what on earth do you want in Saskatchewan as a tourist? You will be surprised, the province is definitely worth a visit.

After a first night in Calgary we start our round trip in Banff. We take the cable car up Sulphur Mountain and climb Tunnel Mountain in the afternoon. Coffee is served at the Fairmont Banff Springs – one of the luxury hotels still missing so far in our collection. On the beautiful Bow Valley Parkway we finally reach Lake Louise, the touristic heart of the Canadian Rockies.

Hiking from Lake Louise up to the Lake Agnes Tea House is a must, as well as a visit to the noble Fairmont Château Lake Louise. The following drive on the Icefields Parkway (about 230 km) is certainly one of the highlights of this tour; this time we experience the deep blue lakes, the incredible mountains and the glaciers in bright sunshine. Jasper, at the end of the panoramic road, is the northern gateway to the parks.

We turn east and follow the Yellowhead Highway through a lonely landscape to Edmonton; two days are quite adequate for Alberta’s capital. After a trip to Elk Island National Park (with a large herd of bison), we continue to Vegreville, a most interesting small town with Ukrainian roots. In Lloydminster – the city lies exactly on the provincial border – we finally reach the province of Saskatchewan, a new territory for us.