Edmonton’s cityscape sits along the River Valley horizon. The contrast of historical buildings, modern steel and glass structures, and the river parkland below reflects the broad mix of experiences Edmonton offers. Visit and learn about the capital city’s rich history, celebrate winter through festival fun, or explore the forest within the city.
Historical CityScape
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Alberta Legislation building
http://www.assembly.ab.ca/visitor/index.html
Sitting alongside the North Saskatchewan River, this building features a grand sandstone exterior and luxurious marble interior. The grounds offer wading pools, water fountains, gardens, and large park areas perfect for playing games. Inside, free tours take place year round starting at the large fountain in the rotunda. Visit and learn all about Alberta’s rich political history.
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Street Car
http://www.edmonton-radial-railway.ab.ca/highlevelbridge/
Enjoy riding across the High Level Bridge over the River Valley in a restored streetcar. The route connects historical Old Strathcona to Edmonton’s Downtown near the Alberta Legislature building. It is run throughout the summer and fall by passionate volunteers. Along the journey, hear about Edmonton’s streetcar history. This experience offers beautiful views down the river and across the city.
Taste and Touch
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Hansen Distillery
Taste some of Edmonton’s best locally made spirits on a tour of the Hansen Distillery. You will get to learn about their over half a century of moonshine crafting history. The tour will take you in the back where the distilling magic happens and finishes with a taste of their gin, rye, vodka, and moonshine. They only use natural ingredients in their spirits. After the tour, you can order more drinks in their cozy lounge.
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Cat Cafe
https://www.catcafeonwhyte.com/
Join the cute kitties at the Cat Café on Whyte for some cozy cuddles. The visit starts with ordering up your choice of cat themed lattes, like a Meowcchiato. Then head over to the lounge and visit with the many adoptable cats. Your entry includes unlimited drinks for the full hour of feline friendship.
Embrace Nature
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River Valley
https://www.edmonton.ca/activities_parks_recreation/parks_rivervalley/river-valley-parks.aspx
The River Valley park system runs along each side of the North Saskatchewan River. With 160 KM of trails, it is Canada’s largest urban park. Visitors can go hiking, running, biking, and use the available picnic tables with fire pits. Each season brings its own natural beauty to the parks landscape.
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Elk Island
http://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/ab/elkisland
Located just east of Edmonton, this National Park is home to herds of wild Bison. As visitors drive into the park, the bison can be spotted throughout the fields. The park has 11 hiking trails through the forest and around many of the lakes, with resting and picnic spots along the way. As part of the Beaver Hills Dark Sky Preserve, it is a fantastic place to gaze at the stars or catch the northern lights.
Summer Festival Fun
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Folk Fest
This four-day music festival performs on Gallagher Park hill in Edmonton’s River Valley. Each year over 2000 volunteers help the event go smoothly with multiple stages, food vendors, beer tents and patron’s experiences. Since 1980, the festival has brought musicians from all over the world to celebrate folk music together in Edmonton.
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Fringe
Each summer for 10 days, performers and buskers take over the historical Old Strathcona neighbourhood. This festival hosts an average of 200 shows, ranging from silly to serious with the artists receiving 100% of the ticket sales. Go and catch a show, wander around the food vendors, then laugh along with a busker performance.
Winter City
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Ice castle
http://icecastles.com/edmonton/
This castle takes shape as soon as winter starts. Constructed only with ice, the entire framework is made from icicles. The castle includes slides, a throne room, and a maze. At night, LED lights shine through the ice creating a sense of wonder and winter magic.
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Ice on Whyte
Getting to watch international competitors chip away at their sculptures up close is exhilarating. At Ice on Whyte, the main event is just that. Visitors get to watch as the blocks of ice are carved into pieces of art. If guests want to try chiseling mini sculptures for themselves they can join the L’il & Big Chipper program during the festival.
This city warmly embraces all the seasons! Be sure to take in a festival, try a new dish, or taste some local moonshine history. With so much to do, every visit to the city will be a new adventure to savour.
Written by:
Originally from the East Coast, Lea St John currently resides in Edmonton, Alberta. She lives for local & international traveling adventures, great food, and is always thinking about where to go next. Visit her website www.lapetitewatson.com for more travel tips about local and international destinations.
