Calgary Live Cam

There's plenty to do in downtown Calgary – shopping, dining, museums, and spas for starters. Spend a morning or afternoon exploring, or head down for an entire day.

From the airport, travel south on Deerfoot Trail to Memorial Drive, and follow the "City Centre" signs downtown. From other areas of the city, Calgary's transit system will take you to the city centre, via bus or C-Train (Calgary's light rail transit). Once you're downtown, everything is within walking distance. The C-Train is free if you stay in the downtown core.

If you want to start your day out with breakfast, you have plenty of choices – historic Stephen Avenue Walk (8 Ave. S.W.) is lined with restaurants and coffee shops. For something a little different, head over to the patisserie in Art Central (205 – 100 7 Ave. S.W.) – afterwards, you can check out the galleries and boutiques, filled with work by local artisans.

Just a few blocks over, on Macleod Trail and 7 Ave S.E., visit the Old City Hall, a historic sandstone building that has been restored to its original beauty.

Cross the street and check out Olympic Plaza (222 8 Ave. S.E.), a popular gathering place for people of all ages. In warmer weather, you'll find a wading pool; in the winter, you can go for a skate.

Work your way down Stephen Avenue (8 Ave. S.), and stop in at the numerous art galleries and boutiques in the pedestrian mall's historic sandstone buildings. You'll see buskers and other types of live performances along the way. If it's patio season, stop for a bite and some great people watching.

If you love to shop, you'll find plenty of that, too. Head inside to Banker's Hall, Calgary Eaton Centre, TD Square and Scotia Centre.

Spend the afternoon in the Glenbow Museum (130 9 Ave. S.E.), exploring the latest traveling exhibit or delving into the permanent installations, which include a look back at the colourful personalities who shaped Alberta's history.

Head up to the Calgary Tower (101 9 Ave. S.W.) to rest your feet and feast your eyes. Western Canada's tallest observation point gives you a fantastic view of the city and the mountains. If you're feeling brave, you can step out into space, on the glass floor of the observation deck, and look waaaay down – 525 feet, to be exact! Stay for dinner at the rotating dining room, or stop for a drink and a light bite.

Back on the ground and in the mood for dinner? Try our famous Alberta Beef at one of the local restaurants in the downtown core.

If you happen to be downtown on the first Thursday of the month, join the Cultural District's "First Thursday" – a monthly celebration of food, art, and theatre.

To navigate Calgary roadways, this is what you need to know: the city uses a numbered street system laid out on a grid. Numbered streets run north-south while avenues run east-west.

Once you've got the hang of the city, you often need only know the address and the quadrant (N.W., N.E., S.W. or S.E.) and you can leave your map in the glove box, point the car, and drive. (But beware in the suburbs where an array of winding boulevards and trails, crescents and closes will have you cracking open that map after all.)

Yes, the trains run on time: Mountain Standard Time. Though regular passenger train service to Calgary passed into the history books some time ago, these luxury train tours are a great way to experience the expansive majesty of Western Canada.

There's just no way to be modest about this: For hunters and fishers, the Calgary region has it all. Fly fishers and anglers flock to the Bow River for its mature stocks of brown trout and rainbow trout who, famously, are equal parts feisty and tasty. Alberta's wetlands are rife with wildfowl. It's a good idea to obtain licenses and know the local regulations before your visit. Use the following the links to get started.