Boston: 10 things to do

The Freedom Trail

A red line on the pavement, beginning at the Visitor Center on Boston Common and ending out at Charlestown Navy Yard, links 16 historic sites on a three-mile walking route through Old Boston and Charlestown. Most of the sites relate to the Revolution and early US history.

Highlights include the impressive State House, Park Street Church, Old South Meeting House (a meeting here triggered the Boston Tea Party), Old State House (seat of colonial government – the Declaration of Independence was first read to Bostonians from a balcony here in 1776), Faneuil Hall, the 17th-century Paul Revere House and Old North Church – both in Boston’s ‘Little Italy’ so a good area to stop for a reviving coffee or lunch – and the USS Constitution (‘Old Ironsides’, a 44-gun frigate that’s the world’s oldest commissioned warship). History buffs will want to do the whole trail in detail (allow at least four hours).

The trail is easy to follow on your own or there are walking tours accompanied by a costumed guide.

www.thefreedomtrail.org

Faneuil Hall Marketplace

A plaza of four attractive city-centre buildings (Faneuil Hall, Quincy Market, North Market and South Market) house an amazing food hall, cafés, restaurants, bars, countless stores and speciality shops and gaily-coloured pushcarts selling crafts, gifts and souvenirs. Outdoors, street performers mingle with the crowds.

www.faneuilhallboston.org

Beacon Hill

Behind the golden-domed State House, the square mile Beacon Hill neigh

bourhood of tree-lined, brick and cobblestone streets and squares is where the seriously rich live in Federal-style homes in a villagey atmosphere. The smartest and prettiest are Louisburg Square and Mount Vernon Street. Charles Street has the restaurants and speciality shops.

The Public Garden

Across from Boston Common and below Beacon Hill, the Public Garden is a delight of trees, flowers and shrubs, graceful pedal-powered Swan Boats on the pond, and a tale of brass ducklings – green space to enjoy between the historic and highrise city and shopping in the calmer streets of Back Bay.

Back Bay

Stretching back from the Charles River, Back Bay’s fashionable brownstone buildings on tree-lined streets combine smart apartments, cafés, galleries, restaurants and some serious shopping opportunities on trendy Newbury Street.

Copley Square is famous for the red and gold-stoned Trinity Church, reflected in the towering glass of the John Hancock Tower. Pop into the Boston Public Library to view its impressive interior, look for the Tortoise and the Hare sculpture that marks the end of the Boston Marathon and explore the shops in the Copley Plaza.

Skywalk Observatory

For an overall view of the city and Greater Boston, there’s no better way to get your bearings than from the Skywalk Observatory on the 50th floor of the Prudential Building – a 360-degree view that covers 80 miles on a clear day. While you’re up there, visit the Dreams of Freedom Immigration Museum and watch Wings Over Boston in the video theatre for sky-high views of Boston and Cambridge highlights. The Top of the Hub restaurant is on the 52nd floor.
Warning: you may get sidetracked walking through all the glass-walled shopping malls en route.

www.prudentialcenter.com

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

Built in the style of a 15th-century Venetian Palace, this former home of a Boston society lady is filled with her eclectic collection of paintings and sculpture – including works by Botticelli, Degas, Matisse, Rembrandt, Rubens, Titian and Whistler – plus furniture and architectural details from European palaces and churches, all set around a plant-filled, skylit courtyard. Classical and jazz concerts are held there at weekends from autumn to spring. There’s a good café and a smart museum shop.

www.isgm.org

Art lovers with time to spend should head for the impressive Museum of Fine Arts, which boasts more Monets than any museum outside of Paris. Other highlights include a fine Japanese art collection and treasures from Egypt and the ancient world as well as American art from colonial to modern times.

www.mfa.org

Harvard University

Across the Charles River in Cambridge, Harvard University’s stately buildings stand among trees and grassy squares. Harvard Yard is a must-see as is buzzy Harvard Square, packed with bookstores, boutiques, cafés, restaurants and the inevitable souvenirs. Central Square is home to some of Boston’s best live music venues. Don’t miss the Harvard Art Museum or, if you’re into dinosaurs, the Harvard Museum of Natural History.

Take a cruise

Boston’s waterside location lends itself to some great boat trips. An Historic Boston sightseeing cruise takes in tales of the past, sights of the working port and a look at contemporary waterfront living. Cruising the Inner Harbour and Charles River takes you past the USS Constitution and through the Charles River Locks for spectacular views of the Boston and Cambridge skylines including Harvard, Beacon Hill and Back Bay. There are lunch, brunch and sunset cruises, too, and whale-watching trips on high-speed catamarans.

www.bostonharborcruises.com

Hop on a Trolley

While walking is the best way to explore many of Boston’s city centre sights, and the efficient public transport system will take you to other highlights, there’s a fun, if touristy, way to tour top historic and scenic sites. Take a smart, wood-panelled trolley. The round-trip takes an hour, but a day ticket lets you hop on and off at any of the eight stops.

www.cityviewtrolleys.com