After my first visit in June 2017, I prepared for you an article presenting my six favourite photo spots in Calgary. As I had the opportunity to visit this amazing city again in September 2018, I had a chance to explore its new hidden gems. Therefore, I’ve decided to update my original list and show you 9 top places to visit in Calgary. If you prefer enjoying the sightseeing to being in a hurry, allocate three days for your trip. It will give you enough time to see the whole city, meet local people, have a coffee and relax to save some energy for the rest of your Canadian Rockies trip. 😉

Calgary tower was open to public in June 1968. With its 190 meters, it was the tallest building in the city. Except for enjoying the spectacular 360° panoramic view of the whole city as well as the magnificent Rocky Mountains in the back, you can learn something more about the tower itself. As it was celebrating its 50th birthday last year, they opened little theatre. Brief documentary film of how the tower was built starts every 30 minutes. For those who dare, there is a glass floor offering birds-eye view of the city life below 😉 I personally love that! I also recommend visiting the tower after sunset. 

Peace bridge is traditionally my most favorite photo spot. Last year I crossed the bridge countless times, visited it in the morning, during the night, in the snow, during sunny day. If you are an enthusiastic photographer, make sure you visit Peace bridge. It offers many angles for your perfect and unique photo 😉 It is right behind the corner from Prince’s Island Park and connects downtown with residential areas. In December 2012, it ranked 3rd place among the 10 top architectural projects according to Azure Magazine.

The Wonderland Sculpture is another popular design work you can find in Calgary. It represents a head of a young girl and it is 12-meter tall. You can view it from different angles, even go inside. With the Bow Tower in the back, it offers perfect object for your photography. Apart from taking photos, you can grab a coffee at Tim Horton’s located inside the Bow Tower. 😉

For me as a hockey fan, even the Scotiabank Saddledome is something to be admired. 🙂 During the off-season you can book an arena tour and get a look inside. If you’re visiting already during the hockey season, you can either ask the stuff to give you a short private tour or buy a ticket to the actual NHL game! Except for the hockey arena, I believe you will enjoy a short walk to the Scotsman’s Hill. The view of the Scotiabank Saddledome and downtown in the background is outstanding. No matter what time of the day or season of the year, you will fall in love with this popular spot.

If you started planning your trip to Calgary, you might have heard about the Rundle Ruins already. However, do you know what these ruins are from? It used to be Calgary’s second general hospital at the turn of the nineteenth century. It was modern back in that time, it had electric amenities, telephones and a signal bell system.

Prince’s Island Park has a perfect location on an island on the Bow River, close to the downtown Calgary. It offers many activities to its visitors, depending on the season of your visit. You can take a stroll, bike, roller blade along its pathways or enjoy a picnic and relax. During the summer months, canoeing on the Bow river is very popular. Last fall, I was very lucky to walk across the park during a heavy snowfall, it looked like Christmas! Throughout the year you can attend various events. 

We used the snowy weather to our advantage and decided to hide in Fort Calgary for an hour. In 1875, a fort was built at the confluence of the Bow and Elbow Rivers by the North West Mounted Police. This place now marks the birthplace of the city of Calgary. The Interpretive Centre consists of the reconstructed 1888 Barracks, various interactive museum exhibits showing the history of Calgary, a Learning Centre for school programs and group experiences, plus the 100-seat Burnswest Theatre.

If you’re visiting during summer months, make sure you allocate more time. There are many expositions outside, so you will need approx. two hours to explore it all. Admission fee is 12 CAD per person. Before your visit, check the opening hours and possible events & exhibitions at the official Fort Calgary website.

When I saw these statues for the first time, I wondered what they represent. And I found out! There is an interesting story (history) connected to them. Created by Spanish artist Mario Armengol, statues were originally meant for the British Pavilion for the Montreal Expo taking place back in 1967. One year later, this installation found its home in Calgary near the old Calgary Board of Education building. At the Expo, every statue was standing alone, with no connection to each other. When they arrived to Calgary, the city had no idea how to arrange them and that is how they ended up in a circle. Since then people think they are somehow related and there is an interesting story behind. 🙂 If you wander around the downtown, stop by to see these statues and make up your own story. 🙂

Olympic Plaza is a perfect spot for gatherings, outdoor events, concerts and festivals. It was built as the venue for the medal ceremonies at the 1988 Winter Olympics. It gets even more popular during the colder months of the year. You can enjoy winter ice skating from mid November to mid March. It’s free of charge and you can find there a skate rental if you need. 

Love & happy travels,
RLT

P.S.: If you have any questions, different experience or suggestion, please share it in a comment below.