?Calgary: Two Fascinating UNESCO World Heritage Sites

 
Out of the16 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Canada, four are located within short driving distance of Calgary, making the city the perfect base for some history-hunting day-trips. Here are two of our favourites…
 
1. Head-Smashed-in-Buffalo-Jump
Designated by UNESCO: 1981
Located in the Porcupine Hills just minutes south of Calgary, Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Interpretative Centre that will take you back in time some 6,000 years ago.
 
This archeological marvel, where an 18-metre cliff meets the grassland plains in the shadow of the Rockies, is recognized as one of the oldest, largest and best preserved buffalo jumps in the world. Early aboriginal hunters to drive herds of bison over the edge and, in doing so, establish important communal systems of hunting, sharing resources and organizing as groups.
 
Highlight: The Interpretive Centre is open year round with additional public events and special programs to watch for such as tipi camps and drumming demonstrations in the summer.
 
2. Dinosaur Provincial Park
Designated by UNESCO: 1979
Just a two-hour drive northeast of Calgary, Dinosaur Provincial Park is recognized as one of Alberta’s most identifiable geological formations.
 
The striped and almost alien looking “hoodoos” were carved out by water, wind and frost during the Cretaceous Period more than 70 million years ago. Today, they are simply known as “the badlands.”
 
The badlands are one of the richest dinosaur repositories in the world. Some 40 dinosaur species have been discovered in the area and more than 500 specimens have been excavated and exhibited in museums across the globe.
 
And don’t forget to grab your poncho and cigar, because the badlands made cinematic appearances as backdrops to such films as Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven.
 
Highlight: Over 500,000 visitors a year now flock to the world renowned Royal Tyrrel Museum, a mecca of fossil history with impressive reconstructions of dinosaurs at their most magnificent.
 
Conveniently located just 20 minutes from the Calgary International Airport and 15 minutes from the downtown district, Days Inn Calgary Airport features 76 beautifully appointed rooms and suites designed to satisfy your unique travel needs. From Classic Rooms to kitchenette suites, business class suites and deluxe suites with a jetted bath tub and fireplace, you are sure to find the perfect fit there.

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