Edmonton Travel Guide

Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta. The city is located on the North Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province, an area with some of the most fertile farmland on the prairies. It is the second largest city in Alberta after Calgary, with a population of 730,372 (2006), and is the hub of Canada's sixth largest census metropolitan area, with a metropolitan population of 1,034,945, making it the northernmost North American city with a metropolitan population over one million. Edmonton is the major economic centre for northern and central Alberta and a major centre for the oil and gas industry.
Edmonton's river valley constitutes the longest stretch of connected urban parkland in North America, and Edmonton has the highest per capita area of parkland of any Canadian city. The river valley is 22 times larger than New York City's Central Park.

Edmonton plays host to several large festivals each year, hence its local nickname as "The Festival City". There are also over seventy museums in Edmonton of ranging sizes. The largest is the Royal Alberta Museum, which houses over 10 million objects in its collection.

Visitors interested in shopping, find everything they need and more at the West Edmonton Mall, which holds several after hour establishments in addition to its many stores and attractions. Bourbon Street has numerous eating establishments and clubs and casinos can also be found within the complex. Scotiabank Theatre, at the west end of the mall, is a theater which features twelve screens and an IMAX.