Welcome to Baltimore!

Once a city in decided decline, the port city of Baltimore, on the Patapso River about 150 miles from Chesapeake Bay, has transformed itself into a gleaming center of activity, commerce and tourism. Baltimore’s Inner Harbor has become a hub of shopping and entertainment extending well beyond into charming distinctive neighborhoods.

Culturally, Baltimore’s tolerant traditions date to 1649 and the passage of the Toleration Act, permitting practice of all religions in the colony of Maryland. Subsequent years attracted an influx of Polish, German, Irish, Italian, Greek and other immigrants. Their neighborhoods, many within walking distance of each other, surround the Inner Harbor, offering stylized character, history and cuisine. Little Italy is a pasta lover's paradise, while Fells Point, the oldest section of Baltimore, retains the feel of an old English neighborhood with cobblestone streets, and plentiful pubs and restaurants. The best view of the city is from the top of Federal Hill on the south side of the Inner Harbor. Baltimore, known for its fabulous crabs, has restaurants to satisfy nearly every craving, especially for fresh seafood from Maryland's Chesapeake Bay.