Mountains, Old Mines and Boutique Shops in Bavarian Kimberley, B.C. - BC Living Magazine

After two days exploring Cranbrook, my partner and I continued on with our East Kootenays road trip, setting off to the mountain town of Kimberley.

Dubbed the “Bavarian City of the Rockies” in the 1970s, Kimberley instantly charmed me. The town is bordered by the Purcell and Rocky Mountains and is renowned for its outdoor adventures, alpine-inspired buildings and boutique shops. There’s a great energy here. The town has attracted many young entrepreneurs who are making their mark.

The Kimberley Platzl: A Bavarian-Inspired Shopping District

We took a walk through the pedestrian-only shopping district, the Platzl. Here, it’s clear how the town embraces its German roots. It’s lined with independent shops, boutiques, cafes and restaurants. I picked up a six-pack of beeswax lip balm from Moody Bee, made from the store’s own beehive. This brand is so popular, it’s now carried in a few Fairmont hotels.

In the Platzl, we had lunch at Stonefire Pizzaria. This warm and welcoming eatery embodies the culinary tradition of Naples, crafting pizza rooted in old traditions, using a finely milled Italian-style flour prized for its soft texture and delicate strength, and then baking each pie for 90 seconds in a wood-fired Stefano Ferrara masonry oven hand-built in Naples.

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