With the only major airport in the region, Castlegar, British Columbia, makes an excellent base for exploring the Kootenay recreation area, as well as the towns of Rossland and Nelson in the southern part of the province 385 mi/620 km east of Vancouver.
Russian immigrants who were members of the Doukhobor religious sect settled in the area in the early 1900s, and evidence of their heritage fills the place. You can learn more about them at the Doukhobor Discovery Center, a reconstruction of a 19th-century village they founded. A large population of artisans resides in the Kootenays these days.
Outdoor activities in the region include fishing, horseback riding, golfing, sailing and boating, biking, hiking and swimming.
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