Renowned for its wild west genre and host city to the Calgary Stampede, Calgary is also the gateway city to the Canadian Rockies, home to some of Canada's best ski resorts in both BC and Alberta.  Luring visitors to stick around the city before heading to the mountains, Tourism Calgary has shared six must see winter experiences to enjoy before heading out of town.

1. Before hitting the slopes of the Canadian Rockies, get in some warm-up runs without even having to leave the city at WinSport, home of the 1988 Winter Olympics offering skiing, snowboarding and even a tube park. A photo in the yellow and green striped bobsled is a must-do – the bobsled is the original from the 1993 Disney movie Cool Runnings, which was filmed at Winsport and is based on the Jamaican bobsleigh team at the '88 Winter Olympics.

2. Book a night at Calgary's newest boutique hotel, The Dorian – Calgary's newest boutique hotel The Dorian is inspired by Oscar Wilde, and nods to the celebrated author are peppered throughout the hotel. Each whimsically decorated room contains a copy of the famed novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, as well as a bottle of signature Earl Grey Gin in the room bar carts, made specially for the hotel by certified local farm distillery Eau Claire Distillery.

3. With countless award-winning restaurants in Calgary, getting properly fueled before an active mountain vacation is easy try out

• River Café celebrating over 30 years of success and sustainability, and still lands on the most prestigious awards lists – in 2023 they landed on the World's Best Restaurants list and for several years they were included on Canada's 100 Best Restaurants.
• Major Tom located 40 floors above ground, has received top accolades as Canada's Best Cocktail of the Year (EnRoute, 2022), and Best New Restaurant (Canada's 100 Best, 2022). After dinner, visitors can take a seat on Cold Garden or Dandy Brewing Co's outdoor patios, where local craft beers and domes or wood-burning fire pits guarantee warmth and coziness amidst a winter wonderland of snow.

4. Get culturally connected with Calgary's Indigenous snowshoe program with Painted Warriors – a ranch that reconnects guests to the land through wilderness education, hands-on training, Aboriginal traditions, and stories.

5. Enjoy a tranquil escape within the city at SKA Thermal Spa, which opened in 2023 in downtown Calgary, a unique boutique spa with hot/cold/rest circuit

6. Finally enjoy no provincial sales tax in the province of Alberta, and get all your shopping interests met in Calgary at a variety of specialty centres and malls including Cross Iron Mills, and downtown on Stephen Avenue

For more information see www.visitcalgary.com

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