Plus appréciés Attractions à Boston

Although it has often been criticized as an architectural nightmare, the area around Boston's City Hall has quite a bit to offer to visitors. There are stores and restaurants along Cambridge Street. In warmer months, free outdoor concerts by big names in jazz, rock and pop are held here. This is also the site of rallies and gatherings for Boston's professional sports teams.

One of the United States' oldest cities, Boston was established in 1630 on the Shawmut Peninsula by Puritans from England. It was the staging ground for several pivotal events through the course of the American Revolution like the Boston Tea Party, the Battle of Bunker Hill, and the Siege of Boston, and continues to be defined as one of the country's most forward-thinking cities. Home to several prestigious colleges and universities, Boston is also a world leader in the fields of education, entrepreneurship and innovation. But to understand the city today, it is important to recognize its past. The Freedom Trail winds its way through the city, linking 16 historic sites including the legendary Faneuil Hall. Today, the city is known for its passion for sports, its thriving arts scene and varied culinary realm. Home to the Patriots, Red Sox, Celtics and Bruins, not to mention several varsity teams, it's common to see people animatedly debate the merits of their favored sportsmen and it's hard not to get swept up. When it comes to food, seafood is king - from oysters on the half shell and clam chowder, to cod and steamed lobster, the best can be had at the Seaport District. For traditional Italian, few can beat the North End while Chinatown is the place to sample pan-Asian cuisine. For the more artistically inclined, a visit to the Fine Arts Museum, the Boston Opera House, the Boston Ballet and the Symphony Hall will not disappoint.

Home to a myriad of pleasures and delights, Downtown Boston lies at the epicenter of the city's rich and vibrant cultural scene. The neighborhood is so much more than just the city's largest commercial district, with a little something to appeal to the varied tastes of the many who call this city home. Trendy boutiques and department stores are interspersed in between restaurants that offer a full spectrum of gourmet delights, alongside fast food joints and old school eateries that serve up delicious comfort food. Live concerts, Broadway musicals, theater and dance are all par course, while the nightlife scene is just as varied with everything from laid-back bars and glitzy nightclubs to choose from. Downtown Boston is also home to a number of the city's most popular attractions including Fenway Park, the Common, Boston Public Garden, and historic buildings such as the Old State House. A walk along the Freedom Trail is a must for history buffs, particularly those with an interest in American history. With so much and more to capture your imagination, a trip to Downtown Boston promises to be one that you will cherish for a long time to come.

There are more than 100 places to eat, shop and drink at Faneuil Hall Marketplace, which includes the North Market, Quincy Market and the South Market. French merchant Peter Faneuil gave the hall that precedes the marketplace to his adopted home of Boston in 1742. It has been called "the Cradle of Liberty" because of the number of revolutionaries and abolitionists who delivered important speeches here. The hall is now a tourist center and a popular shopping spot, but public meeting facilities are still available.

Quite possibly the city's most exclusive library, you'll find one of the most valuable book collections in the world, in this architecturally stunning building. Established in 1907 by the Boston Anthology Society, this is one of the oldest libraries. Exhibitions, concerts, seminars are regularly organized at the Boston Athenaeum. Though it is open only to members, on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons at 3p reserved tours for non-members are available for part of the library. The collections located here gave rise to the Boston Museum of Fine Art.