Best Photo Spots & Scenic Views inCalgary

A brilliantly bold, bright red pedestrian crossing designed by renowned Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. Unlike traditional suspension bridges, it is an intricate, tubular steel helix that stretches entirely across the wide river without a single supporting pier in the water. The glass roof protects pedestrians and cyclists from the harsh winter elements while allowing light to cast mesmerising geometric shadows inside. It has rapidly become one of the most photographed and beloved architectural icons in the city.

A magnificent, massive wire-mesh sculpture of a young girl's head situated on the plaza directly in front of the sweeping Bow skyscraper. Designed by Spanish artist Jaume Plensa, it is ingeniously constructed with entryways that allow you to actually walk inside the head. Photographing the piece from the inside looking out, or capturing its intricate wire grid against the sleek glass of the tower behind it, produces incredibly striking and surreal images.

A steep, grassy escarpment that separates the northern residential communities from the river valley below. Climbing the long set of wooden stairs provides a phenomenal, elevated perspective of the entire downtown core. The view here is slightly more intimate than other major lookouts, perfectly framing the towering skyscrapers behind a foreground of dense, green riverbank trees. It is absolutely breathtaking during the golden hours of sunrise and sunset.

The isolated, crumbling sandstone remains of an early 20th-century hospital located quietly within Victoria Park. The heavily textured, weathered archways and solitary walls stand in sharp, highly photogenic contrast to the sleek, modern glass towers rising in the background. It is an incredibly atmospheric spot that offers a moody, historical texture perfect for dramatic portraits or structural photography.

Ten massive, metallic tree-like sculptures that form an incredible futuristic canopy over a section of the historic pedestrian mall. Standing up to ten storeys high, they were originally designed to reduce the harsh wind tunnelling effects between the office towers. Photographing the stark, white structural branches from directly below creates mesmerising geometric patterns, particularly when illuminated by programmable LED lights at night.