Minami is one of Sapporo’s 10 wards. It stretches from the edge of downtown into an area of picturesque and verdant mountainsides. Tour eclectic museums and visit peaceful shrines. Carve tracks on powdery slopes, embark on scenic hikes and soothe your body at an onsen.

Start your day in Makomanai, a laid-back neighborhood. Makomanai Park was a venue for the 1972 Winter Olympics. Go ice-skating at Makomanai Sekisui Heim Ice Arena and learn about salmon conservation at the Sapporo Salmon Museum. Sapporo Art Park has an art museum, sculpture garden and art and handicraft workshops. Relax along the riverside in Monami Park and marvel at Easter Island Moai heads at Makomanai Takino Cemetery.

The Ainu people were the first to inhabit Sapporo. Delve into their history and customs at Pirka Kotan cultural center. See the evolution of the city’s public transportation system at Sapporo City Transportation Museum. North Safari Sapporo has wildlife encounters while Ishiyama Green Space is a former quarry turned into an art garden.

In the Jozankei Onsen district, resorts such as Hōheikyō Hot Spring attract visitors with outdoor hot spring baths. Observe Shinto rituals at the peaceful Jozankei Shrine. Enjoy superb views of Sapporo Lake during a walk across Jozankei Dam. Pick seasonal fruit, go fishing and make jam at Jozankei Farm.

Put on comfortable walking shoes and hike on trails around active volcanoes and caldera lakes in Shikotsu-Toya National Park. Head to the slopes of Fu’s Snow Area or Kokusai Ski Resort in winter. Appreciate city views from Mount Moiwa and participate in family-friendly snow sports at Sapporo Moiwayama Ski Area. Go biking in summer and tubing and skiing in winter at Takino Suzuran Hillside National Park.

Use the Sapporo subway, public buses or rental car to travel to Minami. The Sapporo Mount Moiwa Ropeway provides quick access to Mount Moiwa from Chou Ward.