This Pennsylvania City is Like a Mini-Europe
Traveling to Europe is an exciting experience, but it’s not for everyone. If you don’t want to head overseas, one Pennsylvania city is being called a sort of mini-Europe. Maybe you don’t like flying, or maybe you don’t have the funds right now to plan a big European getaway. Whatever your reason for skipping the big trip to Europe, here are some other travel options that don’t require a passport.
Pennsylvania City Offers a Mini-Europe
The experts at Travel and Leisure have put together a roster of some cities that give you that European travel experience but are in America. “Whether you’re bound by time or have only budgeted for a domestic trip, there are plenty of domestic options that will make you feel like you’re abroad,” they state. “The most European towns and cities in America evoke the ambience of countries like Italy, France, Germany, and Spain through architecture, topography and culture.” In total, they highlighted 14 cities in the feature, and one of them is a Pennsylvania staple.
Before we get to our state, I want to point out that another American city they feature as a Europe-like spot is Washington, D.C. Travel and Leisure points out that a Frenchman, Pierre Charles L’Enfant, was the main person who designed the capital of the U.S., so it has that Paris-like quality, offering “grand, tree-lined boulevards and plentiful gardens and monuments.” The city’s design really hasn’t changed much since L’Enfant’s initial design, so it has a great Paris vibe. Washington, D.C. offers streets that are very walkable, a low skyline and lots of greenery. I also think the most beautiful time of year in Washington, D.C. is in the spring, when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. Travel and Leisure also highlights San Francisco, California, as a great mini-Europe because of the Bay Area’s Mediterranean influence. Of course, a real landmark of San Francisco is the marvelous Golden Gate Bridge, which is a must-see if you go.
So, which Pennsylvania city is being called a mini-Europe? Travel and Leisure highlights Philadelphia as a spot that reminds them of France. One reason Philly is on the tally is because it has the oldest continuously inhabited residential street in the U.S., Elfreth’s Alley. “There’s more than just British colonial history, though: the magnificent City Hall is a French Second Empire masterpiece, the Philadelphia Museum of Art resembles a Greek temple, and a heavy Italian presence has given us a little something called the Philly cheesesteak,” Travel and Leisure notes. Sixt.com also has Philly in their tally of towns that feel like Europe. I think it’s great to see this spot that’s in our backyard considered one of America’s more Europe-like places.
