Edmonton is a fun place to visit and there is so much to do. You’ll want to consider it for your next holiday. It’s a vibrant city offering a blend of small-town friendliness and cosmopolitan sophistication located in the geographic centre of Alberta.  

Edmonton, Alberta is located astride the banks of the North Saskatchewan River, in an area blessed with some of the most fertile farmland on the prairies. The provincial capital is Canada's 6th largest city and is often referred to as "Gateway to the North". Edmonton also holds the title "Canada's Festival City" as it celebrates a wide range of culture, music, theatre, visual arts and sports throughout the year.

Also deemed "The Oil Capital of Canada," Edmonton offers visitors an abundant choice of exciting indoor and outdoor sporting activities year round. Edmonton has hosted prestigious international events such as the 1996 World Figure Skating Championships, the 1999 Labatt Brier and the 2001 IAAF World Championship in Athletics.
Sport Fans will be delighted to see a home game of the Edmonton Oilers at Northlands Coliseum during ice-hockey season (October to April). The Commonwealth Stadium is home to the Edmonton Eskimos, who play Canadian Football League football from July to October.

If you are more into baseball, try a game of the Edmonton Trappers (Pacific Coast Baseball League) at Telus Park (April to August). If you are a cycling or hiking enthusiasts you will be thrilled by the city's vast network of park trails; when wintertime hits, these same trails are ideal for cross-country skiing.

The art and culturally minded tourist also can find a lot of things to do, as Edmonton's entertainment scene offers theatre companies, ballet, folk and modern dance, symphony and opera ensembles. Art lovers can enjoy the city's more than 70 art galleries and dealers.

The Arts District, located in Edmonton's downtown area, features the Edmonton Art Gallery with a superb collection of historical and contemporary artwork, the Citadel Theatre that houses five theatres, and The Francis Winspear Centre for Music, which is home of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra.

History is alive in this city, as Edmonton is home to the Provincial Museum of Alberta that attracts more than 300,000 visitors each year with exhibitions and activities for every age level and interest. Fort Edmonton Park is Canada's largest living history park and lets you travel through 4 time periods in Edmonton's history.

You will find some of the best dining experiences when you visit here. It’s no doubt, considering there are nearly 2,000 restaurants offering over 30 different types of cuisine. Make sure you experience some of the regional specialties such as:

• Alberta beef and bison
• Italian
• French
• Asian
• Chinese
• Japanese
• Greek

Even the most discriminating taste buds will be satisfied by the city's dining selection. Don't miss tasting world-famous Alberta beef while visiting Edmonton!

The Guinness Book of Records states the West Edmonton Mall with its 800 shops and services as the world's largest shopping and entertainment center. The West Edmonton Mall covers 5.3 million square feet on two levels. Edmonton is world renowned for its great shopping opportunities including the Old Strathcona area with pubs, cafés, restaurants and more than 300 stores offering a unique selection.

Edmonton is well known for its gorgeous sky, scenic river valley and northern lights. Northern Lights (aurora borealis) are a spectacle that is worth seeing. They are caused primarily by energized electrons, which are accelerated towards the ionosphere from a region 5000-20,000 km above the Earth's surface. Lucky people can catch a glimpse of this natural spectacle that has haunted the imagination of spectators for centuries by night.