| No matter how tall Calgary’s mirrored-glass skyscrapers are built or how dense the modern city centre becomes, the snow-capped, jagged Rocky Mountains in the distance always seem to steal Calgary’s thunder. Situated at the confluence of the Bow and Elbow rivers, Calgary strikes the visitor as a place of natural beauty with the mountains to the west and rolling fields of wheat to the east. Calgary’s most identifiable man-made attraction is the Calgary Tower, a space-age sightseeing structure built in 1968 and located at the heart of the city centre. Across the street is the Glenbow Museum, three floors of galleries celebrating the Canadian West, including an excellent exhibition on Native Canadians. A short distance northwest, Eau Claire Market is a refreshing mall with cafés, bars, an IMAX theatre and craft market. Connecting these attractions, as well as shops, offices and entertainment venues, is a series of enclosed elevated walkways – known as plus-15s, for their height of 4.5m (15ft) above street level – which shelter Calgarians from the worst of the winter chill and provide one of the city’s most unique features. Also linked to the system are the Devonian Gardens, where 20,000 plants grace indoor garden that is one hectare (2.5 acres) on the fourth floor of the TD Square complex. |