l fell in love with Lake Louise

The view from every window in Lake Louise is worthy of being captured, framed and hung as a masterpiece.

It is not possible to walk the streets and not be humbled by the splendour of the snow covered terrain and quaint timber lodgings.

Lake Louise is famous for its iconic glacier-fed lake that glisten bright hues of blue in the summer but in winter the secluded paradise has much more to offer for all types of travellers.

Nestled between the rugged peaks of the Rocky Mountains, the journey to Lake Louise is an experience in itself. Just a short distance out of Calgary down the trans-Canada Highway you will find yourself surrounded by the snow-capped forests of Banff National Park, Canada’s first national park, and the seemingly never ending rolling Canadian Rockies.

The humble village has a market, rental store, visitor’s centre, café, bar and bakery for its population of 1000. The main road winds uphill to finish at the pinnacle of this tourist attraction, Lake Louise, a pure winter wonderland complete with ice castle and possibly the most scenic ice rink in the world.

The surrounding area offers endless activities from ice skating and hockey, cross country skiing, sleigh rides, tobogganing and hiking, a simple walk across the lake brings you to towering waterfalls frozen in time.

The nearby Moraine, Bow, Hector and Peyto lakes are the lesser known glacier lakes in Banff National Parks but debatably just as spectacular and beautiful with their own hiking trails and viewing platforms from the mighty mountain peaks.

The best way to see the lakes and hike the trails in winter is by snowshoe, easily rented from Wilson’s Mountain Sports in the village for $10.

For easier trekking rent some shoe cleats for about the same price and head to Johnston Canyon, a 30 minute drive from Lake Louise along the scenic A1 highway.

Johnston Canyon was formed by thousands of years of erosion as the Johnston Creek carved its way through the limestone to reach the Bow River, leaving sheer canyon walls, waterfalls, tunnels, and pools.

It is a mild 1km hike to the lower falls and 2km to the upper falls. Watch out for ice climbers who can be found daringly clinging to the ice on most days.

By far the most popular attraction would be the Lake Louise Ski Resort, voted Canada’s Best Ski Resort for three years running and attracting athletics from around the world for the annual Lake Louise Alpine World Cup in November.

The ski hill is not just for snowboarders and skiers, a trip on the sightseeing gondola costs between $17 and $30 and offers some of the best views of Victoria Glacier.

Another way to get to the top is by a snowshoe tour or start at the base of the hill and spend the day tubing down Sunny Tube Park, suitable for the whole family. Banff National Park also offers two more ski hills, Sunshine Village and Norquay a short distance away.

Australians are surprised to discover the summer months, from July to August are the Park’s peak visiting times which means in winter, November through April, visitors can enjoy the white oasis without fighting hordes of tourists.

Banff and Lake Louise Tourism spokesperson Lukas Prochazka said advertising had helped bring an increasing number of Australians to the far north.

“Our statistics have shown visitor numbers from Australia have grown five to seven per cent year on year,” he said.

“90 per cent of visitors come in the summer months and most of the bookings come from the big players such as APT, Scenic or Evergreen tours, Rocky Mountaineer and Alaska Cruises.”

With most tourists visiting in the warmer months Mr Prochazka said Lake Louise became a “hidden gem” in the winter.

“There are a few reasons why people come to Lake Louise, firstly the skiing and snowboarding is incredible, the views from the top of chairlift have remained unchanged for a hundred years,” he said.

“Skiing in a national park is a rarity and it is very unique Banff National Park has three different resorts all with very different characteristics.”

Mr Prochazka said those of a slower pace are not left out in Lake Louise with dog sledding, snow shoeing, ice walking, cross country skiing and ice skating and endless terrain to explore it all.

Now is a great time to plan for the 2016/17 winter season in Canada as the Australian dollar is buying almost dollar for dollar Canadian.

No matter your travelling preference, be it adventurous or casual explorer there really is something for everybody in Lake Louise.

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