After spending the first day visiting the neighbourhoods of Kensington and Inglewood in Calgary, I was keen to spend the second day in the Downtown core. Since I was limited with time I only visited three different areas.
Eau Claire Market
Heading towards the river from downtown I found myself at Eau Claire Market. While most of downtown Calgary are large skyscrapers, Eau Claire Plaza had such a contrasting feel. There are restaurants around the plaza, a wading pool (obviously closed at this time of year) and a playground for kids. It also gives out to the waterfront and the bridge that brings you to Prince’s Island park. I think this makes the perfect destination for drinks on the terrace while doing some people watching. The Plaza has events throughout the year so it is worthwhile to check the schedule and see if you can coordinate your visit with an ongoing festival.
Prince’s Island Park
Just across from Eau Claire is Prince’s Island Park and I instantly fell in love. The park is immense, therefore even if it gets busy you can still find a quiet spot under the shade of tree to lie down or better yet, have a picnic. It was so nice to see everyone outside enjoying the natural landscape. Prince’s park is actually not named after royalty but Peter Anthony Prince. He was originally from Quebec but moved to Calgary in 1886. A lumberman, he created the Eau Claire Lumber Mill, which also is where Eau Claire Market gets it’s name!
Stephen’s Avenue (8th Avenue)
On my way back from Prince’s Island park, I walked down to Stephen’s Avenue, a pedestrian street mall. When I visited, I found the white metal structure at the entrance of the road (between 2nd and 3rd street) so intriguing and beautiful. It turns out that these structures are referred to as Galleria Trees and while they have an aesthetic component, they also serve a functional purpose. Apparently they are designed to reduce gusty winds that might blow through the area. How cool is that? You can do some shopping along Stephen’s Avenue or you can head to the CORE for luxury retailers like Holt Renfrew. At this point, I had run out of time and had to return back to my Air BnB. But happy to have made the visit.
More time in Calgary?
My recommendation if you have two full days is to definitely take a half day to check out a museum or two. Studio Bell is great if you love music or you could also head to the Telus Spark Science museum for some hands on exhibits that are family friendly. If you have a third day, definitely drive out to Drumheller. The Royal Tyrell Museum is so impressive with multiple dinosaur fossils. The badlands are also an amazing place to go hiking.
