Susanne In our last article we provided with some background on the history of Pittsburgh and its transformation from polluted steel city to one of the most livable cities in the United States. Naturally, this also makes Pittsburgh a great travel destination.
A unique feature of Pittsburgh is its topography; it is located at the confluence of the Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers which come together to form the Ohio River. Altogether, Pittsburgh has a total of 446 bridges, more than Venice. This has given it the nickname “City of Bridges”. Pittsburgh’s waterways can be explored in various cruises. The city’s hilly terrain divides the city into many distinct neighbourhood that have different ethnic flavours. Over the last 150 years, Pittsburgh has been settled by many different immigrant groups that all impart their unique flavours to their neighbourhoods. With its steep hills, Pittsburgh also has two funiculars: The Duquesne and the Monongahela Incline. During the late 1800 and early 1900s, Pittsburg had 23 inclines that shuttled workers and cargo up and down the mountains. Today, only two are left, but they have become a major tourist attraction.
A unique feature of Pittsburgh is its topography; it is located at the confluence of the Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers which come together to form the Ohio River. Altogether, Pittsburgh has a total of 446 bridges, more than Venice. This has given it the nickname “City of Bridges”. The city’s waterways can be explored in various cruises. Its hilly terrain divides the city into many distinct neighbourhood that have different ethnic flavours. Over the last 150 years, Pittsburgh has been settled by many different immigrant groups that all impart their unique flavours to their neighbourhoods. With its steep hills, Pittsburgh also has two funiculars: The Duquesne and the Monongahela Incline. During the late 1800 and early 1900s, Pittsburgh had 23 inclines that shuttled workers and cargo up and down the mountains. Today, only two are left, but they have become a major tourist attraction.
Museum lovers will love Pittsburgh for its wide variety of museums. Some of the big names include the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, the Carnegie Museum of Art, the Frick Art and Historical Center, and the Senator John Heinz History Center. The Andy Warhol Museum celebrates one of Pittsburgh’s most famous native sons and is the largest museum in the United States dedicated to one artist. The Carnegie Science Center and the Children’s Museum Pittsburgh are great family destinations while the Mattress Factory will enchant modern art lovers with its conceptual art installations.
The Cultural District is home to the symphony, the ballet theater and the opera. Smaller theatres include the Quantum Theatre, Attack Theater and the Pittsburgh Playhouse. For outdoor lovers, the city also has great parks, such as Frick Park, Highland Park, Schenley Park, Riverview Park, the Allegheny Observatory and Point State Park right down downtown. Of course, if you prefer to be a spectator Pittsburgh is an awesome sports city. The locals are absolutely devoted to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Pirates and the Penguins and their enthusiasm is contagious. And after a win, you can celebrate in one of the many bars as Pittsburgh has the most bars per capita in the United States.
Over the last 20 years or so, Pittsburgh has accomplished an awesome transformation from depressed steel city to one of the lifestyle leaders in the country. And tourism is rapidly becoming its next hallmark.
