In 1795, the Hudson's Bay Company established Fort Edmonton, a trading post where the Cree and the Blackfoot brought their much-coveted furs for barter. Over the course of some 200 years, Edmonton has evolved from this desolate outpost into a proud provincial capital. Thanks to the Klondike Gold Rush in the late 1800s, the building of the Alaska Highway in the 1940s, and the discovery, also in the 1940s, of phenomenal amounts of crude oil within a 40-kilometer (25-mile) radius of the city, it has earned a status as a transportation hub, supply center and industrial capital. But, beneath this business façade, there is much more to this small city, dubbed the "Gateway to the North."

The City's Playground The North Saskatchewan River snakes its way through Edmonton, from southwest to northeast, cutting the city in half. The river valley parkland - the largest stretch of urban parkland in North America - is a playground for all seasons. More than 100 kilometers (62 miles) of multi-use trails, which accommodate walking, jogging, in-line skating, cycling, and cross-country skiing wind through a green corridor of park after park. Nestled in the valley along with some quaint residential neighborhoods are golf courses, campgrounds, skating ponds, tobogganing hills, and downhill ski areas.

Downtown Edmonton sits high on the north bank of the river, bordered on the west by the domed, granite and sandstone Legislative Building, and on the east by the castle-like Hotel MacDonald. The main downtown drag—a popular "cruising" route with young people—is Jasper Avenue, also known as 101 Avenue. The block-long, cobblestone, pedestrian strip, Rice Howard Way, with its pubs and trendy cafes, is a favorite hangout of the office crowd and weekend fun seekers. Churchill Square, a park in the core of downtown, plays host to many of the city's festivals, and is bordered by some of Edmonton's most important buildings: the glass pyramid-topped City Hall, the main branch of the Edmonton Public Library, the Francis Winspear Centre for Music and the Art Gallery of Alberta.

Enclosed pedestrian walkways called "pedways," both underground and overhead, connect most of the downtown buildings. They make getting around during Edmonton's "eight months of winter," as the locals ruefully joke, a bit more bearable. Edmonton Tourism provides pedway maps.

Chinatown is a few blocks east of downtown. Lining 97th Street, and on its adjacent avenues, are inexpensive Chinese restaurants, grocery stores, where tofu is sold in tubs at a fraction of the cost of the pre-packaged stuff, gift shops and clothing stores, and "pharmacies" staffed by Chinese herbalists who can offer something for just about any ailment.

Memories of a Prairie Town Across the river from downtown is Old Strathcona, a neighborhood with many turn-of-the-19th-century buildings and homes. Each Saturday, Edmontonians flock to the popular Farmer's Market held in the old bus barns. Several of the storefronts along Whyte Avenue have been restored and evoke the feel of a small prairie town. One-of-a-kind shops, cafes, and coffeehouses make this part of the city a popular hangout for young and old.

At the west end of Whyte Avenue lies the University of Alberta, one of Canada's most respected universities, and one of the largest research institutions in the country. More than 30,000 students in 15 faculties study in a tasteful mix of historic and modern buildings, many of which overlook the river.

The West End, as Edmontonians refer to it, is almost a city within a city. Residential neighborhoods, mega grocery and hardware stores, an abundance of hotels and restaurants, and the presence of every kind of service imaginable make this one of the most congested areas in the city. The West End's landmark, West Edmonton Mall, is reputed to be the largest shopping mall in the world, with 800+ shops, services, and attractions.

Edmonton's most fashionable neighborhoods line the banks of the North Saskatchewan. They are, for the most part, residential, with the most spectacular homes facing the river, visible only from a boat or canoe.

Easy Goings The grid design and the numbering system of Edmonton's streets and avenues make getting around in the older parts of the city easy. Streets run north to south, starting with zero in the east. Avenues run east to west, starting with zero in the south. In some of the newer residential neighborhoods, a map is essential, as the boulevards, lanes, greens and crescents are named. There are a few remaining traffic circles, and knowing the rules that govern them is a must. Get a friendly Edmontonian to explain, or give the local police or Alberta Automobile Association a call. Apart from those cautions, driving around this city of just over 600,000 people is relatively easy. Although native Edmontonians complain about "rush hour," newer residents and visitors hardly notice the few extra minutes it adds to travel time. Edmonton Transit System (ETS) buses cover the whole of the city, and an efficient telephone service called BusLink helps riders plan the best route to wherever they are going. The LRT, ETS's Light Rail Transit, runs partly underground and partly above. It services the downtown core along Jasper Avenue, crosses the river to the university in the south, and runs north about 20 blocks to Northlands Park, the largest exhibition facility in Western Canada.

New buildings are always under construction; new neighborhoods are continually being tacked on to the outskirts. Edmonton has the feel of a young, vibrant, yet not-too-cosmopolitan city, and its beauty and simplicity often surprise visitors.