Things To Do in Sitka

The Sitka Tribe of Alaska's Community House is a good starting point, where you can watch Tlingits dance performances , join walking or bus tours, or sign up for kayaking or other outdoor activities, including trail hikes. A 2-hour walking tour includes the town and national historic park. The house is at 200 Katlian St. (tel. 888/270-8687 or 907/747-7290; www.sitkatours.com). Sitka Tours (tel. 907/747-8443) also offers tours, taking more of the Russian perspective. Prices for each choice of tour range from about $20 for a brief downtown tour to $66 for a longer town tour that includes most of the attractions and dancing; the type of dancing -- Native or Russian -- depends on which firm you go with. Russian folk dance is performed by the women of the New Archangel Dancers (tel. 907/747-5516; www.newarchangeldancers.com) in the Harrigan Centennial Hall, 330 Harbor Dr., next to Crescent Harbor. Performances are scheduled when cruise ships are in town, and most of the audience comes from Sitka Tours, but walk-ins are welcome; check the website or call the number above for a recorded message with showtimes. Tickets, which cost $10, go on sale a half-hour before the performance.

Walking Downtown -- The grassy park at Lincoln and Katlian was the site of the Russians' barracks and parade ground. Just north on Marine Street is a replica of a Russian Blockhouse; across Lincoln Street to the south and up the stairs is Castle Hill, a site of historic significance for the ancient Tlingits, for the Russians, and for contemporary Alaskans. The first American flag raised in Alaska was hoisted here in 1867. There are historic markers and cannons. As you walk east past the cathedral and Crescent Harbor, several quaint historic buildings are on the left. My favorite is St. Peter's by-the-Sea Episcopal Church, a lovely stone-and-timber chapel with a pipe organ, consecrated in 1899. At the east end of the harbor, there is a nice public playground.