Les meilleurs hôtels à Banff

The jewel of the Canadian Rockies, Banff started out as a small 10-square-mile enclave around a hot springs. Today, it’s one of Canada’s largest parks and the country’s number 1 tourist destination, with some of the world’s most beloved beauty spots. Jade-green Lake Louise glistens beneath glacier-covered peaks, and the town of Banff is a totally unexpected bastion of sophistication in the midst of wilderness -- particularly the Banff Springs Hotel, rising like a baronial Scottish castle beside primordial fin-like peaks. Then there’s the road north, the Icefields Parkway, which climbs past alpine vistas to the Columbia Icefield, the largest non-polar ice cap in the world.
Stunning vistas and world-class skiing make Banff, Alberta, a favorite for wintertime crowds. It's incredibly romantic: gondola rides and hot springs and cozy mountain lodges, with shimmering Lake Louise and beautiful Rocky Mountain backdrops. Heli-skiing is a favorite activity for adrenaline-seekers. Other signature experiences include wildlife viewing (bighorn sheep, grizzly bears, deer, etc.) and ice walks in the canyons. Snowshoe or take a sleigh or dogsled ride in winter.In the summer, when the majority of crowds flock to this World Heritage-listed scenic stunner, brave a cave tour or whitewater raft the Kicking Horse River. The outdoor opportunities throughout surrounding Banff National Park are almost limitless, with spectacular glacial lakes, wildlife, and endless views over soaring Rocky Mountains peaks. Lake Louise and the Icefields Parkway are two nearby day-trip highlights.
Banff began life in 1883 as a tiny community beside the newly built Canadian Pacific Railway line and some nearby hot springs. Later the Canadian government protected the area as the Rocky Mountain Park Reserve, a designation which in 1930 became Banff National Park. Canada's first national park. It was popular with tourists then, and it's just as popular today. Banff swarms year-round with visitors who come to marvel at the stupendous mountain beauty that surrounds the townsite, and signs in stores are just as likely to be written in Japanese as in English. Several local resorts are as good as skiers will find anywhere, and the massive stone-hewn Banff Springs Hotel is a Canadian travel icon. The Banff Centre for the Arts is an international focal point for writers, artists and actors. Lake Louise, 30 minutes west up a busy highway, is another picturesque destination favored by skiers, hikers, climbers and less adventurous travellers in tour buses and motor homes. While Banff is a bustling town with services normally found in much bigger places, Lake Louise cultivates a much quieter village lifestyle.