Fairmont Banff Springs

The Fairmont Banff Springs is defined by its massive, rugged limestone walls and steeply pitched roofs that mimic a French chateau. Often called the Castle in the Rockies, this hotel stands at the confluence of the Bow and Spray rivers. It was commissioned by William Cornelius Van Horne, the general manager of the Canadian Pacific Railway, who hoped to draw wealthy travelers to the mineral hot springs discovered by his employees in eighteen eighty-three.