Banff quite literally wouldn’t be Banff if it weren’t for its hot springs, which gush out from 2.5km (1.5 miles) beneath Sulphur Mountain at a constant temperature of between 32°C (90°F) and 46°C (116°F). It was the hot springs that drew the first tourists to Banff, and you can still sample the soothing mineral waters at the Upper Hot Springs Pool, near the Banff Gondola.
Several hotels once occupied the site where the present-day Upper Hot Springs Pool stands – Dr RG Brett’s Grand View Villa, built in 1886, was joined by the Hydro Hotel in 1890, but both establishments burnt down and were replaced in the 1930s by a new bathhouse in the fashionable art-deco style.
Renovations have since masked some of the bathhouse’s period elegance, but the hot springs still rank as one of those not-to-be-missed Banff experiences – there aren’t many places in the world where you can take a hot bath with a mountain view as spectacular as this.
The pools get busy in season, so aim for a late dip if you prefer to have the water to yourself (alternatively, you can hire the whole place for C$270 per hour). Towels, lockers and swimsuits are available for hire, and the Pleiades Spa offers treatments such as shiatsu, hot-stone massage and reiki.
