Alberta and Saskatchewan – Through the Rocky Mountains and the Prairie
Alberta is well known to travelers – world-famous Banff and Jasper national parks are located here in the middle of the Rocky Mountains. But what on earth do you want as a tourist in Saskatchewan? Prepare to be surprised, the province is definitely worth a trip.
After a first night in Calgary we begin our tour 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 reach Lake Louise, the tourist heart of the Canadian Rockies.
The hike 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 along 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. At the end of the scenic road is Jasper, the northern gateway to the parks.
We turn east and drive on the Yellowhead Highway through a lonely landscape to Edmonton; two days are quite reasonable 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 of Ukrainian origin. In Lloydminster we reach the province of Saskatchewan, which is still unknown to us; the city lies exactly on the provincial border.
![Waves](https://www.peter-auf-tour.de/wp-content/uploads/Waves.jpg)
Cities, Nature, Art – Have a look…
![Waves](https://www.peter-auf-tour.de/wp-content/uploads/Waves.jpg)
Behind North Battleford begins Canada’s breadbasket with its historic grain elevators, the “cathedrals of the prairies”. A little later we reach Prince Albert National Park – we have never been that far north in North America. Next destination is the largest city in the province, Saskatoon. We are pleasantly surprised by the beautiful city on the South Saskatchewan River, which is also called “Paris of the Prairies”. The Wanuskewin Heritage Park, the Meewasin Trail along the river or a range of public artworks are just some of the destinations worth a visit.
And already the next provincial capital is waiting for us. Wascana Lake forms the heart of Regina; almost all of the city’s important buildings are located on its banks. From now on we head west again on the Trans-Canada Highway; Moose Jaw, Swift Current and Medicine Hat are the names of the few larger towns that break the loneliness of the huge grain fields about every 200 km. Short detours take us to Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park and Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park.
Once again we leave the TCH and drive deep into southern Alberta; Waterton Lakes National Park is located right on the border to the United States. Via the World Heritage Site of Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump we finally return to Calgary, where we spend the last two days of round trip.
![Waves](https://www.peter-auf-tour.de/wp-content/uploads/Waves.jpg)
Route Description
Tag/Day | Von/From | Nach/To | Route |
---|---|---|---|
01 | Calgary Airport (YYC) | Calgary | 000 km |
02 | Calgary | Lake Louise | 210 km |
03 | Lake Louise | Lake Louise | 040 km |
04 | Lake Louise | Jasper | 240 km |
05 | Jasper | Jasper | 040 km |
06 | Jasper | Edmonton | 400 km |
07 | Edmonton | Edmonton | 000 km |
08 | Edmonton | Elk Island NP | 120 km |
09 | Edmonton | North Battleford | 410 km |
10 | North Battleford | Prince Albert | 230 km |
11 | Prince Albert | Prince Albert NP | 200 km |
12 | Prince Albert | Saskatoon | 200 km |
13 | Saskatoon | Saskatoon | 000 km |
14 | Saskatoon | Regina | 380 km |
15 | Regina | Regina | 000 km |
16 | Regina | Swift Current | 370 km |
17 | Swift Current | Medicine Hat | 320 km |
18 | Medicine Hat | Waterton Park | 310 km |
19 | Waterton Park | Calgary | 290 km |
20 | Calgary | Calgary Airport (YYC) | 000 km |
Total | 3.760 km |