Banff apres ski information, where to eat, facilities and shopping information from alpharooms.com

There are more than 100 restaurants and eateries to choose from in and around Banff. Here you can try 'Rocky Mountain Cuisine', which although promoted as a "new regional cuisine" has been around for a century. Consisting of ingredients originally from the wilderness, put together with innovative thinking and an appreciation for what is truly Ca...

More info

There are more than 100 restaurants and eateries to choose from in and around Banff. Here you can try 'Rocky Mountain Cuisine', which although promoted as a "new regional cuisine" has been around for a century. Consisting of ingredients originally from the wilderness, put together with innovative thinking and an appreciation for what is truly Canadian. Early mountain guides from Switzerland, Austria and Germany learned from the Native people how to identify and cook local foods. They learned how to cure and smoke game and fish so they could survive the long winters. They found out about tasty vegetables, fruits and flavourings from the forest which could be pickled for the winter. But, wilderness ingredients were seldom seen of fashionable restaurant menus. Thanks to classically trained chefs who appreciate the creative and nutritional approaches to food, today's Mountain menus are a meeting ground of culinary creativity. Popular eateries in the town include the Magpie and Stump, Georgio's, the Paris Restaurant and Waldhaus.

Hide info

In common with other ski towns, Banff has great shopping, with more than 200 speciality stoes to choose from. For local artwork and crafts Canada House retails Inuit, Native, wildlife, landscape art and jewellery. Additionally The Gallery at the Springs sells mountain art by Canadian artists, with an emphasis on works by artists living and workin...

More info

In common with other ski towns, Banff has great shopping, with more than 200 speciality stoes to choose from. For local artwork and crafts Canada House retails Inuit, Native, wildlife, landscape art and jewellery. Additionally The Gallery at the Springs sells mountain art by Canadian artists, with an emphasis on works by artists living and working in the Bow Valley. The Quest is another place to purchase Canadian crafts and art in a variety of media whilst The Banff Indian Trading Post provides an outlet for the Stoney Indians of Morley to sell their handicrafts as it has for over a century. Today, the selection has been expanded to include true native artworks from tribes across Canada. The Sedna Art Gallery features Inuit sculptures and Native paintings.

Hide info

There's a huge choice of activities apart from skiing in Banff during the winter. You can enjoy, heli-sightseeing, bowling, canyon icewalks, hot springs, carriage rides, ice fishing, ice skating, curling and ice hockey, mountaineering, sleigh rides, fitness facilities, snowmobiling, snowshoeing and tobogganing. Mountain Mushers Dog Sled Tours o...

More info

There's a huge choice of activities apart from skiing in Banff during the winter. You can enjoy, heli-sightseeing, bowling, canyon icewalks, hot springs, carriage rides, ice fishing, ice skating, curling and ice hockey, mountaineering, sleigh rides, fitness facilities, snowmobiling, snowshoeing and tobogganing. Mountain Mushers Dog Sled Tours offer multi-day dog sled adventures whereby you can trek by sled into the wilderness of the Rocky Mountains to authentic trappers cabins. These tours range from overnight to full weeklong excursions. Travel as the trappers did during the early days of Banff National Park. There are several museums, galleries and similar facilities in Banff. An interesting way to discover these buildings is by taking the self-guiding "Banff Historical Walking Tour", which takes you to some of those silent witnesses of our past. The Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies houses four art galleries, exhibiting works of contemporary and historic art, often incorporating a mountain theme, a heritage collection of artifacts, archives, museum shop and six heritage homes on its grounds. Secondly The Walter Phillips Gallery presents the latest in contemporary art, with exhibitions by national and international artists investigating the issues and ideas of our time. The gallery maintains a permanent collection and organises nine shows of art, video screenings, lectures and performances every year. Banff Park Museum National Historic Site is Western Canada's oldest natural history museum, circa 1903, housing wildlife specimens dating back to the 1860's. Learn how animals were studied in the Victorian Era at this, the "University of the Hills", and find out how the animals are now studied in National Parks. The Natural History Museum traces the geological evolution of the Rockies. There are displays of rocks and minerals, fossils and dinosaur bones, flowers and plants, a film on the eruption of Mt. St Helens, and a life sized model of "Big Foot," the legendary giant ape said to live in remote mountain regions. For those interested in Banff before skiing, trains or Europeans at all, the Buffalo Nations Luxton Museum offers an experience of the rich culture of the Natives of the Northern Plains and Canadian Rockies. Life sized scenes featuring ornamental costumes, teepee, travois and other artifacts depict Native arts and daily life. A visit at the Upper Hot Springs is a must at the end of your day. Bathe in the "Sacred waters of the mountains" and discover a power over mind and body that is centuries old. Unwind in a spectacular mountain setting and soak in waters that have travelled deep into the earth returning to the surface hot and loaded with natural minerals. Indulge yourself with a massage, or let the cleansing power of aromatherapy or the deep penetrating heat of a mineral plunge bath restore body and soul.

Hide info

Banff Apres Ski

Dining out

Shopping

Facilities