Commercial and cultural centre and offers visitors and inhabitants all the trappings of urban life along with the pleasure of enjoying the dramatic countryside that surrounds the city. Splendid national parks that flourish on its doorstep, act as a magnet for hikers, fishermen and lovers of the great outdoors. The city, sited on the Trans-Canada highway, is also the gateway to the Rocky Mountain resorts, which in winter attract skiers from all over the continent.The downtown area of Calgary not only serves as a shopping, entertainment, cultural and recreation centre for locals, but it is also a tourist centre for more than four million visitors a year. The city boasts dozens of tourist attractions and annual festivals, wonderful parks and open spaces and a selection of excellent shops, restaurants, cafes and bistros. The city is probably best known for the Calgary Stampede, a world-class cowboy carnival and rodeo that draws more than a million people every year.