Introduction In comparison to Banff, Jasper is smaller and much more quiet. It is situated in the middle of the Jasper National Park at the end of the Icefield Parkway. A lot of wildlive lives in the area around Jasper. One of the attractions in the area surrounding Jasper is the Jasper Tramway. A gondola takes 7 minutes to reach almost the top of Whistlers Mountain. Other trips are to Miette Springs, where you can bathe in the wonderfully warm water, or to the beautiful Maligne Lake. However, the biggest attraction is the Columbia Icefield. Here you can walk over the Athabasca glacier accompanied by a guide.

History The first inhabitants in this area had a nomadic way of life. In 1811 trapper David Thompson of the North West Company crossed the Athabasca Pass. In 1813 Jasper Hawes built for the same company, the Jasper House, a trade post for furs at the Brûlé Lake. The present Jasper was founded only in 1911. It served as a base for railway workers who were busy with the construction of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railroad. This railway line had a terminus at Prince Rupert for a connection with the Pacific Ocean. The little railway town expanded rapidly with hotels, restaurants and a visitors centre.