Located about two hours from Denver, Breckenridge is a former mining town that sits 9,600 ft/2,976 m above sea level. Once a ghost town, Breck, as anyone who has ever been there seems to call it, was brought back to life by the ski business.
The booming ski business provided the motivation for renovating the town's vintage Victorian buildings. There are lots of newly built Victorian-style structures, as well, that house shops, restaurants, bed-and-breakfasts and cafes. An attractive river walk follows the Blue River through town. It's possibly the most charming of the ski-area municipalities.
As good as the skiing is in Breckenridge, the town itself, which is more than 150 years old, boasts a rich mining history and is worth exploring on its own merits.
The town has a year-round population of about 5,000. During peak ski season, the town swells to about 20,000, which supports a healthy apres-ski nightlife and fills the town's 80 bars and restaurants.
By day, visitors wander through the plethora of ski and snowboard gear stores, art galleries and souvenir shops, and warm up in one of several cozy cafes.
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