Pennsylvania

The Declaration of Independence was adopted in Philadelphia in 1776, and the U.S. Constitution in 1787 – hardly any other state is so closely tied to the birth of the country as Pennsylvania. But a vacation in Pennsylvania offers more than history: Amish horse-drawn buggies, forested Appalachian ridges, and a former steel city that has reinvented itself.

Landscape Between the Delaware and the Ohio

The name means "Penn's Woods," and more than half of the state is in fact forested. The Appalachians run diagonally through the state in long ridges, with fertile valleys in between. In the northeast, the Pocono Mountains draw visitors with lakes, waterfalls, and ski areas, and in the north lies Pine Creek Gorge, known as the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon. In the east, the Delaware River forms the border with New Jersey, while in the west the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers join to form the Ohio in Pittsburgh. In the far northwest, Pennsylvania has a short stretch of shoreline on Lake Erie, with the Presque Isle peninsula.

Philadelphia and Pittsburgh

Philadelphia preserves Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell in Independence National Historical Park. Nearby are Elfreth's Alley, one of the oldest continuously inhabited streets in the U.S., and Reading Terminal Market. The Philadelphia Museum of Art is famous for its steps, which Sylvester Stallone ran up in the movie "Rocky," and the Barnes Foundation for its collection of Renoir, Cézanne, and Matisse. Just past the city limits lies the affluent suburb of Lower Merion. Pittsburgh, once the center of the American steel industry, is now a university and medical hub with more than 400 bridges. The inclines up Mount Washington offer the best view of the confluence of the rivers, and the Andy Warhol Museum honors the city's most famous son.

Sights in Pennsylvania

The Gettysburg battlefield, where the turning point of the Civil War came in 1863 and Lincoln gave his famous address, is a moving place of remembrance. At Valley Forge, Washington's army endured a harsh winter in 1777/78. Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater, built over a waterfall in the Laurel Highlands, is considered a masterpiece of modern architecture. Hershey, the chocolate town with an amusement park and street lamps shaped like Kisses, is among the most popular Pennsylvania destinations for families. Around Lancaster lives one of the largest Amish communities in the U.S.; farmers markets, covered wooden bridges, and buggies on country roads shape the scene.

History and Culture

William Penn founded the colony in 1681 as a refuge for Quakers and other religious minorities. Many immigrants came from the Palatinate and southwestern Germany; their dialect, "Pennsylvania Dutch," is still spoken by the Amish and Mennonites today. In the Lehigh Valley, Moravian brethren founded Bethlehem in 1741, and its historic core is a UNESCO World Heritage Site; neighboring Allentown is now the state's third-largest city. Coal from the Scranton area and steel from Pittsburgh made the state an industrial powerhouse in the 19th century. Harrisburg on the Susquehanna has been the capital since 1812; its Capitol with the green dome is among the most magnificent government buildings in the country. Scranton in the northeast, once a coal-mining region, recalls the age of steam locomotives at the Steamtown museum.

Food and Drink

The Philly cheesesteak, thinly sliced beef with melted cheese on a roll, is Philadelphia's culinary calling card, along with soft pretzels. In Amish Country, you'll find shoofly pie made with molasses, whoopie pies, and apple butter. Pittsburgh is proud of pierogi, brought by Polish immigrants, and of sandwiches with the fries right inside. The Yuengling brewery in Pottsville is considered the oldest brewery still in operation in the U.S.

Getting There and Best Time to Visit

Philadelphia (PHL) has direct flights from Europe, while Pittsburgh (PIT) is served mainly by domestic connections. Amtrak links Philadelphia with New York and Washington in a little over an hour; the Pennsylvanian runs via Lancaster and Harrisburg to Pittsburgh. The best time to visit is between May and October. Fall is especially beautiful, when the forests of the Appalachians and the Poconos turn red and gold. In winter, the Pocono ski areas are a popular getaway for big-city residents.