 Nelson Travel Guide
On the shores of the giant Kootenay Lake, Nelson is one of the most beautiful towns in British Columbia, in one of the most attractive settings. Life in Nelson is easygoing, and people still smile and greet visitors.
Over 350 lovingly restored turn-of-the-century heritage buildings and facades, breathtaking views and personable citizens make this city a little oasis of authentic civility. Incorporated in 1897 as a mining town, Nelson has bloomed into a exceptional community with a thriving tourist trade.
The downtown Nelson area is full of good restaurants, cafes, coffee houses, local shops, small art galleries, and impromptu theatre venues. The main industry in Nelson is tourism, and the city is about forty-five minutes away from the site of the annual Shambhala Music Festival, an internationally recognized artistic music festival held in August at the Salmo River Ranch. Nelson is also home to Whitewater Ski Resort and the Nelson Brewing Company, a local microbrewery, and the restored Capitol Theatre, a regional heart for the performing arts.
As with many communities in British Columbia, Nelson has encountered a real estate boom. Over the last couple of years, real estate prices have soared, putting ownership out of reach for less prosperous residents.
Residents of Nelson are proud of their community's distinctive, small town feel, which has remained relatively free of the chain stores, franchises and strip-mall developments that are common in other towns of similar size.
Nelson is also a famous alternative lifestyles hot spot. Hemp clothing and cannabis-related products are sold in local stores, and in July 2006, an owner of one of these stores was detained on charge of trafficking in marijuana.
Also see Activities in Nelson
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