Lake Louise

There is no beach vacation here. The colour of Lake Louise and Moraine Lake comes from glacial silt, and the water stays around 4°C even in August. A few people jump in for a quick photo and get out again. There is no swimming season and no beach life of any kind.

If you want a summer swim, the shallow, sheltered lakes near Banff warm up enough on hot days and are about 45 minutes' drive away. Otherwise it means a hotel pool.

Lake Louise is a hamlet, and almost all of its eating happens in hotels and mountain lodges. There are a few formal dining rooms with mountain views and Alberta beef and game on the menu, hotel cafés, and a bakery and deli in the small village mall that serves hikers. Prices are high, choice is narrow and bookings are needed in summer.

The nicest food experience is up a trail. Historic teahouses at Lake Agnes and the Plain of Six Glaciers serve tea, soup and baking to walkers. If you care about eating well, plan your dinners around Banff, about 45 minutes away, which has far more choice.

There is very little to see in the way of sights. The grand Chateau Lake Louise, the railway hotel that grew from a log chalet built in the 1890s, is the one landmark, and the old log railway station in the village is a reminder that the Canadian Pacific line brought the first tourists. Beyond that there are no museums or historic quarters. Here the landscape is the attraction, and anyone looking for galleries and heritage will find them in Banff or further away.

Evenings are quiet. A hotel lounge, a lodge pub with a fireplace and après-ski drinks in winter are about all there is, and most visitors are in bed early to catch the sunrise at the lakes or the first lift. For bars and a late night, people drive to Banff.

This is one of the great mountain landscapes in the world, and you walk straight into it. Lake Louise sits under the Victoria Glacier, and Moraine Lake lies below the Valley of the Ten Peaks a short drive away. Trails climb from the shore to Lake Agnes, the Plain of Six Glaciers, the Beehives and Larch Valley, which turns gold in late September. You can canoe on both lakes in summer, and grizzlies are often seen on the slopes above the gondola.

The Icefields Parkway runs north past glaciers and lakes to the Columbia Icefield, and Yoho's waterfalls and Lake O'Hara are just over the Continental Divide. In winter the Lake Louise ski area is among the largest in Canada. The frozen lake becomes a skating rink, and cross-country and snowshoe trails run through the forest. The high trails clear of snow only in summer.

Most outings from here are into the landscape rather than to other places. The main town trip is Banff, about 45 minutes away, with its main street, museums, the Banff Springs hotel and the historic hot springs and Cave and Basin site. Further on, Canmore is a relaxed mountain town. Over the pass to the west, the railway village of Field and the town of Golden make modest stops.

Calgary is about two hours away and is the only city within reach. Days out here are mostly about scenery, and there is no line of historic towns or wine country to work through.

Lake Louise suits families who like being outdoors and not much else. Older children enjoy canoeing on the lake, the gondola with its wildlife viewing, the walk to the Lake Agnes teahouse and ski lessons in winter. Toddlers can manage the flat lakeshore path. It is safe and calm, and the mountain lodges welcome children.

There are no zoos, museums or play attractions, though, and the summer crowds at the lakes, cold weather on the high trails and long drives between stops make it work best with children who walk willingly. Rainy days are hard to fill.

The village itself is a few minutes' walk end to end, but it is not where the sights are. The lake and the Chateau are a steep 4km uphill, Moraine Lake is further along a winding road, and the ski area is across the valley. In summer, parking at the lakes fills very early, and most visitors use the park shuttles, the regional bus from Banff or tour coaches rather than drive themselves.

For anything further, such as the Icefields Parkway, Yoho or Banff, a car is the practical choice. Winter roads need proper tyres and care.

Shopping amounts to a small cluster of shops in the village mall, with outdoor gear, maps and books, groceries and souvenirs, plus a few boutiques in the Chateau. That covers what you forgot to pack, not much more. Banff has a longer main street of clothing and gift shops.

Lake Louise is a very expensive place to stay. There are only a few places to sleep, and in summer the lakeside and village hotels charge some of the highest room rates in the country. Meals are resort-priced because there is almost no competition. A park pass, gondola tickets and lift passes add to the bill.

The ways to spend less are a hostel, the campground or a room in Banff or Canmore with day trips up the valley. Hiking, the main reason to come, costs nothing once you are here. Late spring and autumn are noticeably cheaper than high summer.

There is essentially no performing arts scene. At most you may find a pianist or folk singer in a hotel lounge. Concerts, theatre and festivals in the area take place in Banff, where an arts centre runs a summer programme.

The calm comes from the mountains rather than a bathing culture. The large lakeside hotels have spas with pools and treatment rooms, and out of season the place is very quiet, with snow, silent forest and early nights. The nearest hot springs are the historic pools on Sulphur Mountain in Banff, about 45 minutes' drive away.

In July and August the lakeshores are crowded with coaches and day visitors from early morning, so for peace you need to stay away from the main viewpoints at midday or come in winter or the shoulder seasons.