Sitka

Sitka was different than our other Alaskan ports of call. Sitka is less visited than either Juneau or Ketchikan. The day that we were there, ours was the only cruise ship anchored off the shore.

Sitka isn’t a city of facades either, the way that much of Juneau and Ketchikan are. While the people of Sitka depend on tourism for a good portion of their economy, the city wasn’t totally oriented toward tourism. Case in point, we bought a lot of our souvenirs at the local Ben Franklin store on the main street of town.

Sitka was the hub of the Russian empire in America in the early 1800’s, and several remnants from this period live on.

The most noticeable of these remnants is the reconstructed Russian Orthodox Cathedral near the center of the city. There is an admission charged to enter, but it is worth having a look inside. It is very small for a cathedral, but it has some interesting artifacts and icons inside. Periodically through the day the Reader (a type of an unordained priest) will give a small lecture about Orthodox theology, the church itself, and some of the symbolism contained inside. You are free to ask him any questions that you would like.

Also in Sitka is the what remains of a Russian fort, and a few other buildings dating back to the Russian period.

Overall I enjoyed my stay in Sitka. The experience was vastly different than the one that I had in the other two Alaskan cities which we visited, but I can’t help but think that the actual experience in Sitka was more genuine.

Touristy, but not too bad—most of the stores and restaurants are owned by locals, rather than the cruise lines. There’s a lot to do in Stika as a tourist. They have a rich history, and you can visit several sites that are important to their Tligit and Russian heritage.

Went biking, then hiking to a gorgeous place called Beaver Lake. One of the most beautiful places Ive ever been. Loved Alaska.

My aunt and uncle live here, and a few cousins.. I’ve been to other parts of AK, but never Sitka. it would be nice to see them.

Love the sandwiches at the Galley, loved the books at Old Harbor. Got some of my best photos here just before sunset.

My roomate in college was from here. So, one summer, I headed out to hang out with her in Sitka. Beautiful, Amazing litte island where the bears outpopulate people. I caught ugly fish, drank local coffee, climbed Harbor Mtn, and enjoyed the sunny summer weather. So worth it.

my grandma lives in sitka, and it is where my dad was born and raised so ive been there multiple times. it is painfully small (only one stop light) but it is really pretty. i would reccommend going to see the lake where the city’s water is taken from. also the water is amazing right from the tap. theres so many eagles there too, which is cool if you arent used to seeing them on a regular basis.

. . . I was 11, so I don’t remember much of the place, other than thinking the Russian church that seemed to be plotzed more or less in the middle of a road. Hopefully if I ever get back, I’ll actually be able to remember more of it. . . .

A nice, relaxing place to visit. With the pioneer’s home and the boarding school, many people are likely to pass through here. Check out the museum, eat a specially-licious pie, remember Russian days gone by…Sitka.

And I would love to move back. Unfortunately there aren’t a ton of jobs and housing can be difficult to find. It’s the place I want to end up eventually. The most beautiful place I’ve ever been, and the place I consider myself to be “from”