USA, Pennsylvania – Trips Around Philadelphia

First we go to the Longwood Gardens, which were established at the end of the 19th century and today show more than 400 hectares of horticultural art. The park consists of several gardens, indoor and outdoor, where you will see representatives of local flora, but also exotic trees, water gardens, greenhouses, pavilions and an arboretum. Probably the best thing about the whole visit is the Italian water garden, designed by Pierre du Pont to create a place similar to the Italian villa Gamberaia near Florence.

About two hours drive west of Philadelphia is Gettysburg. It is the most famous battlefield of the American Civil War. The battle, which took place in 1863, at the height of the conflict, lasted three days and killed more than 50,000 soldiers. It was this battle that marked the turning point in the whole war, because until then militarily successful Confederate troops had to withdraw to Virginia. Half a year after the battle itself, President Abraham Lincoln gave a speech and a military cemetery and memorial were established there. To get to know the battlefield better, you can take a guided tour. More than a thousand monuments and statues are scattered around the former battlefield. The local museum shows various objects associated with the war, the battle and also the post-war period.

A little closer to Philadelphia, but also to the west, you will find Lancaster Country. The area is known for its numerous communities of Amish, Mennonites and other groups. It is covered with farms, mainly Amish, which you can easily recognize by high windmills and also by the increased incidence of horse-drawn carriages. In some villages you will even come across shops offering handmade Amish embroidery, straw hats or various goodies to bite into. At Amish Village in Strasbourg, you can experience firsthand how the Amish live. You can get to know a farm built in the middle of the 19th century, a local one-class building or you can get on a train pulled by a steam locomotive and go on a sightseeing tour of the area.

And while you're in Strasbourg, don't miss the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, which focuses on railroad history. The highlight of his collection is one hundred locomotives and wagons. Those of you who like to cook will appreciate the opportunity to learn how to knit large pretzels at the Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery in Lilitz. Once in the area, try the Central Market in Lancaster. By the way, this is the longest continuously running farmers' market in the USA. If you are interested in the local farming way of life, then one of the other great places to get to know it is the Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum. An alternative is a full day Amish Country Tour.

GPS: Longwood Gardens 39°52'18.5"N 75°40'24.4"W

Text: Maxim Kucer

Photos: Wikipedia.org: Robert Swanson, Apollo 900, ThingyThings14, Smallbones, Chris_Doig, ilamont.com