1.Float the Bow
Put in at Baker Park or Shouldice and drift past downtown to Prince's Island. Raft rentals cluster near the put-ins all summer.
At a glance Summer · Half day
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Southern Alberta
Things to do in Calgary
A river city with a cowboy streak. The Bow runs cold and green through downtown, the pathway system never seems to end, and every July the whole place puts on the Stampede.
Photo: Calgary skyline from Prince's Island Park, Wikimedia Commons
["Calgary surprises people who only know it as an oil town. The Bow River bends around a downtown full of serious architecture, Prince's Island sits in the middle of it like a front lawn, and the Rockies fill the western horizon on clear days.", 'The river is the way in: float it, ride beside it, or picnic on its islands. Then go find the music centre, the zoo and the neighbourhoods along the pathways.']
["Calgary surprises people who only know it as an oil town. The Bow River bends around a downtown full of serious architecture, Prince's Island sits in the middle of it like a front lawn, and the Rockies fill the western horizon on clear days.", 'The river is the way in: float it, ride beside it, or picnic on its islands. Then go find the music centre, the zoo and the neighbourhoods along the pathways.']
2.Prince's Island and the Peace Bridge
Cross Calatrava's red helix bridge, loop the island, and end with coffee in Eau Claire.
At a glance Walk · Free
3.Studio Bell
The National Music Centre in the East Village: five floors of Canadian music, hands-on instruments and the Rolling Stones' mobile studio.
At a glance Museum
4.Wilder Institute / Calgary Zoo
Canadian Wilds are the heart of it: grizzlies, whooping cranes and a strong conservation story. Book the penguin walk in winter.
At a glance Family
5.Fish Creek Provincial Park
One of the largest urban parks in Canada, threaded through the city's south end. Sikome Lake in summer, fat bikes in winter.
At a glance Park · Trails
6.Inglewood on 9th Avenue
Calgary's oldest neighbourhood: record shops, breweries and the Music Mile. The anti-mall.
At a glance Neighbourhood
Prefer it booked for you? Tours, tickets and day trips around Calgary in one place, with reviews from people who actually went.
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