Few towns in the world boast as beautiful a setting as Banff. The mighty Bow River courses right through town, while massive mountain blocks rear up on Banff's outskirts. Mount Rundle, a finlike mountain that somehow got tipped over on its side, parades off to the south. Mount Cascade rises up immediately north of downtown. In every direction, still more craggy peaks fill the sky.

This is a stunning, totally unlikely place for a town, and Banff has been trading on its beauty for more than a century. The Banff Springs Hotel was built in 1888 as a destination resort by the Canadian Pacific Railroad. As outdoor-recreation enthusiasts began to frequent the area for its scenery, hot springs, and access to fishing, hunting, climbing, and other activities, the little town of Banff grew up to service their needs.

While the setting hasn't changed since the early days of the park, the town certainly has. Today, the streets of Banff are lined with exclusive boutiques; trendy cafes spill out onto the sidewalks; and bus after bus filled with tourists choke the streets. Japanese, English, French, and German visitors are very much in evidence. There's a vital and cosmopolitan feel to the town; just don't come here expecting a bucolic Alpine village -- Banff in summer is a very busy place.

Getting There -- If you're flying into Calgary and heading straight to Banff, call and reserve a seat on the Banff Airporter (tel. 403/762-3330; www.banffairporter.com). Vans depart from Calgary Airport roughly every 2 hours; a one-way ticket costs C$40 (US$29).

The closest VIA Rail train service is at Jasper, 287km (178 miles) north. Brewster Transport (tel. 403/762-6767) offers an express bus between the two park centers five times weekly for C$59 (US$42) one-way.

Greyhound (tel. 800/661-8747 or 403/260-0877; www.greyhound.ca) operates buses that pass through Banff on the way from Calgary to Vancouver. One-way fare between Banff and Calgary is C$23 (US$17). The depot is at 100 Gopher St. (tel. 403/762-6767).

If you're driving, the Trans-Canada Highway takes you right to Banff's main street; the town is 129km (80 miles) west of Calgary.

Visitor Information -- The Banff Information Centre, at 224 Banff Ave., houses both the Banff Tourism Bureau and a national-park information center. Contact the office at P.O. Box 1298, Banff, AB T0L 0C0 (tel. 403/762-0270; fax 403/762-8545; www.banfflakelouise.com). The center is open daily June 15 to October 15 from 9am to 9pm and the rest of the year from 9am to 5pm. Be sure to ask for the Official Visitors Guide, which is packed with information about local businesses and recreation. For information on the park, go to www.pc.gc.ca.

Orientation -- Getting your bearings is easy. The Greyhound and Brewster Bus Depot is located at the corner of Gopher and Lynx streets (tel. 403/762-2286). The main street -- Banff Avenue -- starts at the southern end of town at the Bow River and runs north until it's swallowed by the Trans-Canada Highway. Along this broad, bright, and bustling thoroughfare, you'll find most of Banff's hotels, restaurants, stores, office buildings, and nightspots.

Just beyond the river stands the park administration building amid a beautifully landscaped garden. Here the road splits: Banff Springs Hotel and the Banff Gondola are to the left; to the right are the Cave and Basin Hot Springs, Banff National Park's original site. At the northwestern edge of town is the old railroad station, and a little farther northwest the road branches off to Lake Louise and Jasper. In the opposite direction, northeast, is the highway going to Calgary.

Getting Around -- Banff offers local bus service along two routes designed to pass through downtown and by most hotels. Service on the Banff Bus (tel. 403/760-8294) is pretty informal, but there's generally a bus every half-hour. One route runs from the Banff Springs Hotel down Banff Avenue to the northern end of town; the other runs between the train station and the Banff Hostel on Tunnel Mountain; the fare is C$1 (US72¢). The bus operates in summer only.

For a taxi, call Banff Taxi and Limousine at tel. 403/762-4444.

For a rental car, contact National, at Caribou and Lynx streets (tel. 403/762-2688), or Banff Rent A Car, 204 Lynx St. (tel. 403/762-3352) for a less expensive but reliable vehicle. Avis, Budget, and Hertz also have offices in Banff. Reserve well in advance as cars are frequently sold out.

Special Events--The Banff Centre, St. Julien Road (tel. 800/413-8368 or 403/762-6300; www.banffcentre.ca), is devoted to the arts in the widest sense. From June to August, it hosts the Banff Arts Festival [ST], offering a stimulating mixture of drama, opera, jazz, ballet, classical and pop music, and the visual arts. Highlights include the International String Quartet Competition, with 10 world-class quartets vying for a cash prize and a national tour, and the Digital Playgrounds series, which brings performance artists to the stage. Tickets for some of the events cost from pay-what-you-can to C$25 (US$18); a great many are absolutely free. In November, the center is home to the Festival of Mountain Films. Find out what's currently on by getting the program at the visitor center or by checking out the center's website.

Shopping--The degree to which you like the town of Banff will depend largely upon your taste for shopping. Banff Avenue is increasingly an open-air boutique mall, with throngs of shoppers milling around. Of course, you would expect to find excellent outdoor-gear and sporting-goods stores here, as well as the usual T-shirt and gift emporiums. What's more surprising are the boutiques devoted to Paris and New York designers, the upscale jewelry stores, and the high-end galleries. What's most surprising of all is that many visitors seem to actually prefer to while away their time in this masterpiece of nature called Banff by shopping for English soaps or Italian shoes. There are no secrets to shopping here: Arcade after arcade opens onto Banff Avenue, where you'll find everything you need. Quality and prices are both quite high.

Banff After Dark--Most of Banff's larger hotels and restaurants offer some form of nightly entertainment. However, for a more lively selection, head to downtown's Banff Avenue.

One of the best spots is the legendary Wild Bill's Saloon, 203 Banff Ave. (tel. 403/762-0333), where you can watch tourists in cowboy hats learning to line dance. Alt-rock bands dominate on Monday and Tuesday evenings; Wednesday to Saturday, it's all country rock, all the time. The venerable Rose and Crown Pub, 202 Banff Ave. (tel. 403/762-2121), used to be the only place to hear live music in Banff. It's still one of the best. Bands range from Celtic to folk to rock. In summer, sit on the rooftop bar and watch the stars. Popular with foreign tourists, The Barbary Coast, 119 Banff Ave. (tel. 403/762-4616), is a California-style bar and restaurant that features live music among the potted plants. Bands range from '80s cover bands to light jazz.

It took the ultracool cocktail lounge format a while to reach Banff, but here it is: Aurora, 110 Banff Ave. (tel. 403/760-5300). Dance nightly to DJ-spun rock while sipping something delicious in a martini glass. Banff's most popular dance club, Outabounds, 137 Banff Ave. (tel. 403/762-8434), is in the basement of the old King Eddy Hotel. DJs spin the tunes while young white-water guides chat and dance with impressionable young tourists. Thursday night is ladies night.