The spectacular wilderness of the Canadian Rockies is filled with glacial lakes, silent forests and the occasional grizzly bear. Unlike the Rocky Mountains, which rise from a plateau some 5,000ft-8,000ft high, Alberta's Front Range shoot up from something much closer to sea level. The mountains rear straight up to the sky from the flat brown ocean of the prairie, overwhelmingly huge and majestic. The effect is startling.

FAIRMONT BANFF SPRINGS
Box 960, 405 Spray Avenue, Banff, Alberta (00 1 403 265 4500; fax: 762 4447; www.banffsprings.com). Built high on a cliff above a rushing river, Fairmont Banff Springs is designed like a French château. The service can be somewhat complacent. ££

BANFF BOUNDARY LODGE
1000 Harvie Heights Road, Harvie Heights, Alberta (00 1 403 678 9555; fax: 678 2851; www.banffboundarylodge.com). A little hotel 15 minutes' drive from the centre of Banff near the modest town of Canmore. Offers self-contained suites. £

JASPER INN MOTEL
98 Geikie Street, PO Box 879, Jasper, Alberta (00 1 780 4461; fax: 852 5916; www.jasperinn.com ). Located in Jasper National Park, the Jasper Inn has a number of self-contained suites. £

KUSKANAX LODGE
Broadway, Nakusp, Broadway, Nakusp, British Columbia (00 1 250 265 3618; fax: 265 447). Fifty-room hotel in the little lakeside town of Nakusp. £

HERITAGE INN
442 Vernon Street, Nelson, British Columbia (00 1 250 352 5331; fax: 352 5214; www.heritageinn.org). In the picture-perfect Victorian college town of Nelson, on the shores of Kootenay Lake, the Heritage is a restored turn-of-the-century set piece complete with swirling carved oak ceilings, deep leather armchairs and beds so deep and comfortable you could disappear into them. £

CHALET EUROPE
Box 456, Radium Hot Springs, British Columbia (00 1 250 347 9305; fax: 347 9306; www.chaleteurope.com). The chalet offers spectacular views and is within walking distance of the hot springs. £

NATIONAL PARKS
Banff, Jasper, Yoho and Kootenay National Parks comprise a contiguous UNESCO World Heritage site. Golden and Mount Revelstoke sit just west of Yoho, protecting a vital rainforest-dry forest wildlife corridor. Passes that allow access to Banff, Jasper, Yoho and Kootenay can be obtained at park gates. For further information visit www.worldweb.com.

AIRPORT
Fly to Calgary International Airport in Alberta.

AIRLINES FROM THE UK
Air Canada (08705 247 226; www.aircanada.ca) flies several times daily from Heathrow to Calgary (10 hours).

Hire a car to get around. There are a number of hire car companies at the airport including Avis, Alamo and Hertz.

Spring and autumn are the best times to visit. Mid-summer can be pleasant on the coast, but viciously hot in the interior.

Visit www.worldweb.com for information on Alberta and its National Parks.

Always consult the Foreign Office before travelling.