52 Weeks of Fun

Not Just Destination Finders, But Destination Storytellers


Visit Sitka

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Local Attractions

Tlingit, Russian and American settlers have all called Sitka home and cultural influences from all three groups remain. From viewing traditional dancing to hiking a totem-lined trail, visitors still experience the cultural richness that inspired Sitka’s 19th-century nickname, the “Paris of the Pacific.”

Sitka is the first and oldest city in Alaska and is first and foremost, Lingít Aaní: Tlingit land. The Tlingit people have lived here continuously for over 10,000 years, and long before it was called Sitka, it was Sheetʼká. Prior to the sale of Alaska to the United States in 1867, Sitka was a major Russian port for 63 years and was the capital of Russian America. One can still find Russian influence in town by visiting places like the Russian Bishop’s House or St. Michael’s Cathedral, the first Orthodox cathedral in the New World.

Surrounded by rainforest, Sitka shares its home with brown bears, bald eagles, and all five species of Pacific salmon. It is deeply connected to the natural world around it, which informs its culture and inspires its art. Ancient volcanoes, mountain ridgelines, and untouched fishing holes can all be explored minutes from town. Hike, kayak, and fly on a seaplane to explore the true wilderness of volcanoes, mountain forests, islands, and glaciers. Sitka feeds the soul and heightens the senses.



A 52 Weeks of Fun Fascinating Fact about Sitka

With a population of just 9,000 people, the City and Borough of Sitka encompass 4,710 square miles, making it the largest city (in area) in the United States!

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Sitka features an abundance of wildlife, including humpback whales.

Fishing is a both a recreational activity and a source of livelihood in Sitka. Many charters dock their boats on Japonski Island, linked to Sitka by a bridge.

The 10,000-year history of the Tlingit people is told by the Naa Kahidi Dancers.

St. Michael’s is the oldest Russian Orthodox church in North America, built in 1848.

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