On Maryland’s east coast, Baltimore is a cool, cosmopolitan city with a proud seafaring past. Famed for its friendliness, Baltimore is brilliant for a lively city break with friends and family, or as a couple in search of intriguing history, fabulous food and a buzzing evening scene. Accommodation options are wide-ranging, with everything from charming B&Bs to hip luxury hotels. Most of the best places to stay are either downtown or set on the historic waterfront — both excellent spots to start your explorations.
Head to the harbour for a sense of Baltimore’s maritime roots. Stroll the cobbled streets of historic Fells Point, a regenerated waterfront neighbourhood which once marked the centre of the city’s ship-building industry. Now brimming with excellent boutiques, low-key bars and trendy eateries, this is a great place for an evening out. Pop into the Baltimore Maritime Museum, take the kids to the glass-pyramid-topped National Aquarium, and admire the Fort McHenry National Monument. The star-shaped fort is the stuff of legend, having inspired America's national anthem, 'The Star-Spangled Banner.’
Amble through the more commercial Inner Harbor district, and make time to wander around desirable Mount Vernon, Baltimore’s oldest neighbourhood. Studded with 19th-century buildings, this centrally-located district is also home to the striking George Peabody Library, which contains 300,000 volumes. Other sites of interest in the city centre include the Maryland Historical Society, the Walters Art Museum and the 178-foot-tall Washington Monument — perfect for breath-taking city views. Don’t miss the home of poet and writer Edgar Allan Poe, or the American Visionary Art Museum, which is close to the waterfront.
Round off days of history and culture with laid-back boat trips, big Ravens or Orioles game nights and farm-to-table dinners at buzzing eateries. Many of the best places to stay in Baltimore are within easy reach of great evening spots — and some boast top-notch bars and restaurants of their own.