Ice Sculpture Exhibit at Lake Louise Ice Magic Festival
In Canada, we experience winter wonderland for many months of the year, and our intrepid citizens for the most part cherish the winter season and the opportunities it brings for outdoor recreation. Some folks, and I am one of these, view our natural “winter gardens” as being every bit as beautiful as our summer ones.
What a pleasure it was to view the outdoor ice sculpture garden at the Lake Louise Ice Magic Festival in Banff National Park in December 2015. Fortunately, our climate lets us keep these on display for extended periods during the winter.
Lake Louise Ice Magic Festival
I am delighted to pay tribute by sharing photographs of the artists’ creations, along with photographs from our time enjoying the surrounding area. You will see images of ski trails, dog sleds, open streams and mountain vistas, the pond hockey rink, skating rink ice castle, the gorgeous Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, horses and sled, and the ice sculptures exhibit at the Ice Magic Festival. Where available, there are photographs with information about the artists and their creations.
Banff National Park, a UNESCO world heritage site, is treasured within Canada’s outstanding national park system for its spectacular natural beauty, but also for its cultural and historical significance. Banff and Lake Louise, along with Jasper National Park further north, are known internationally, attracting millions of visitors to and also from within Canada each year.
My husband and I spent some of our time cross-country skiing along the groomed trails at Lake Louise, trekking the well-maintained trails skirting the Chateau, and enjoying a light lunch in this lovely hotel.
If you are a visitor to Canada, I hope you will feel the pull to visit our legendary Canadian Rockies. Perhaps you can time your visit to view an Ice Magic Festival or similar exhibit at some future point.
Copyright photographs and text: Nadine Kampen/cookiebuxton
Photo location: Banff National Park (2015 December)
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