Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Lake Louise


Form by the Canadian Pacific Railway in the late nineteenth century, this fantastic hotel on the shore of Lake Louise is just on two hours drive west of Calgary in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. The place is also famous among the locals as the Diamond in the Wilderness. This pioneering hotel started as a humble log cabin in 1890, providing accommodation for fifty clients.

Some 120 years later the emerald-green waters of Lake Louise and the majestic Victoria Glacier have no changed much, but the log cabin now has 552 spacious guest rooms and seven restaurants, all styled with past contemporary taste. Carved timbers and exquisite detailing echo the Arts and Crafts style, and historic photographs, antique chandeliers, and documents hark back to the days when British royalty treated it as a second home.

The Louise Lakeshore Trail, one of the most popular hikes in the Rockies, begins in front of the chateau and winds its way up the western shoreline of the lake. There are also kayaks available to sail Lake Louse’s languid waters and affording view back across the lake to this iconic Canadian landmark. All breathtaking views of the lake and surrounding nature come with a room at Fairmont Cheatue.
How to get there: From Calgary International Airport (about 2 hour 30 minutes), take the only exit road leaving the Airport, then this road will become Barlow Trail, take Barlow Trail South to 16th Avenue, go west (right) onto 16th Avenue, 16th Avenue becomes TransCanada Highway 1, which takes you straight through to Banff National Park(45-60 minute drive), once you arrive at the Banff National Park gates you will be required to pay a fee. After that the trip will take about 2.5 hours from Calgary, weather dependant. Calgary is 183 km from Lake Louise.