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photo: Courtesy Banff Lake Louise Tourism

Insider’s Luxury Guide to Banff: The Park

Banff National Park stretches up the Bow River Valley along the Trans-Canada Highway, through mountains so recently formed that gravity and erosion seem to have taken little toll. From Calgary International Airport it takes less than two hours to reach the town of Banff (five miles past the entrance to the park proper), the park’s center of activity, with restaurants and bars, hotels in all price ranges, shopping, and even some cultural diversions. Banff also provides easy access to the ski resorts of Sunshine Village and Mt. Norquay. Another 40 minutes up the highway are Lake Louise Village and the nearby Lake Louise Mountain Resort.

All offer superb skiing — still largely undiscovered by Americans — a surprisingly Continental atmosphere, memorable ski hotels, and, perhaps most impressive of all, exquisite and unforgettable beauty.