Petersburg is both geographically and culturally far removed from the rest of the towns and villages that dot the Inside Passage. In a region with centuries-old ties to Russian and native cultures, this remote fishing port at the northern tip of Mitkof Island proudly celebrates its rich Norwegian heritage. Founded at the end of the 19th century by Norwegian businessman Peter Buschmann, Petersburg soon attracted other Norwegian immigrants who felt at home amid the snowy mountains and deep fjords of the area. Set in the heart of the Tongass National Forest, Mitkof Island features a landscape dominated not by shady forests and craggy peaks but by muskeg bogs, dense brush, and rolling hills. The best time to visit is around May 17, when the town holds its annual “Little Norway Festival” to coincide with Norway’s Constitution Day. Visitors can enjoy traditional Norwegian music, dancing, and food, view the works of local artists, and even get their pictures taken with “real” Vikings and Valkyries.