Fernie

At about 1,010 metres in the Elk Valley, it is ringed by the Rocky Mountains, and its historic downtown of brick buildings was rebuilt after the fires of 1904 and 1908. The Elk River runs through town and Fernie Alpine Resort climbs the Lizard Range close by, so the mountains set the rhythm of the year more than the calendar does. For a retiree that can mean an unhurried walk, a view you never tire of and a front-row seat for the ski season. It also means that snow, distance and a resort next door belong in the decision from the start, not in the footnotes.

Begin in the historic downtown, where the brick buildings rebuilt after the fires of 1904 and 1908 give the streets their character, and look up: the Three Sisters and Mount Proctor frame the town. The Elk River gives the valley a second landmark to plan a slow afternoon around. You do not have to ski to benefit from Fernie Alpine Resort, but it is worth seeing how the resort season changes the town’s pace before you choose a neighbourhood. Your own week can be modest: a river walk, a coffee downtown and a good window.