Between the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia to the west and sweeping Canadian prairies to the east, the city of Lethbridge is surrounded by natural beauty and just an hour from the United States border. Trains crossing the soaring steel High Level Bridge over the Oldman River are a familiar sight here. The structure is a carryover from the city’s early reliance on coal mining and is still the highest and longest bridge of its kind, more than a century after its original construction. The bridge overlooks the Helen Schuler Nature Centre, where you can learn about the local ecosystem with views across the river valley.

Lethbridge is a popular base for exploring the dramatic landscape of Waterton Lakes National Park, where thriving birdlife, rare reptiles, and more than 60 mammal species roam among soaring peaks, wildflower meadows, and mist-cloaked waterfalls. In and around town, you can explore 200 kilometres of scenic trails, dive into the city’s history at the Galt Museum & Archives, and admire contemporary pieces by local and international artists at the Southern Alberta Art Gallery. By day, Lethbridge’s independent cafes beckon with warming lattes and homemade cakes, while local tap houses are buzzing after the sun goes down.

The closest airport to Lethbridge is Calgary International Airport (YYC), which is about a two-hour drive north of the city. You can rent a car at the airport for the drive or take a bus to Lethbridge, although service is infrequent and the journey takes almost four hours. The scenic route from Calgary to Lethbridge will take you through small prairie towns.

The Rocky Mountaineer rail service passes through Alberta and can get you to Calgary, where you will need to rent a vehicle to travel the rest of the way to Lethbridge. Although public transit is an option for touring the city, you’ll need a car to visit the surrounding areas.

The best time to book Lethbridge vacation rentals is in the summer, when the weather is warm and the days are long. July is the warmest month of the year and sees the most sunshine. Many of the city’s signature festivals take place in the summer, including the Street Machine Weekend, which attracts custom car lovers to the city on the second weekend of July, and the Whoop-Up Days parade and exhibition on the third weekend of August.

Temperatures begin to drop in September, but Lethbridge’s proximity to the Rocky Mountains means that winters are milder here than in other prairie towns, with most snow falling in March. From late November to late February, when days are at their chilliest and darkest, the Winter Light Festival illuminates the Japanese garden in the centre of town.

Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden

In 1967, this authentic Japanese garden was built beside Henderson Lake in the middle of the city to celebrate Japan and Canada’s friendship just in time for Canada’s centennial birthday. You can meander through these beautifully manicured landscapes while listening to the sound of rushing water, take part in a traditional tea ceremony, or attend a yoga or meditation class to unwind.

Fort Whoop-Up

Located to the west of town on the banks of the Oldman River, Fort Whoop-Up is a replica of a 19th-century trading fort that was a hub of commerce between the Blackfoot Nation and American traders, who traded buffalo pelts and illegal whiskey, among other things. Walk through the fort’s kitchen and blacksmith’s shop as you browse the provisions meant to sustain the traders throughout the winter.

Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park

This spectacular, otherworldly landscape is just over an hour’s drive from Lethbridge. Explore wide expanses of prairie, towering hoodoo formations, and the largest concentration of First Nations petroglyphs and pictographs in North America’s Great Plains on its sandstone cliffs. The park is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its spiritual and cultural connections to the Blackfoot First Nation.