The best place to get a grasp of Sitka’s Russian past is diminutive Castle Hill. It’s a two-minute stroll to St Michael’s Orthodox Cathedral, a typically Russian church completed in 1848 and rebuilt after a disastrous fire in 1966. Nearby is the large, mustard-coloured 1842 Russian Bishop’s House. Guided tours take in the restored chapel, schoolroom and living quarters. Four blocks east at 104 College Drive, the Sheldon Jackson Museum houses a compact but extensive display of Native artefacts accumulated by missionary and educationalist Sheldon Jackson.
Nearby, the site of a decisive battle between the Tlingit and the Russians is now the Sitka National Historic Park with its evocative collection of vividly painted totem poles, copies of nineteenth-century originals. A visitor centre features good displays plus working craftspeople.
Sitka’s trail system ranges from coastal strolls to harder climbs up Gavan Hill and steep Mount Verstovia: for more information visit the Forest Service office, 204 Siganaka Way (907 747 6671).