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Vermont is famed for its archetypal New England settings, fall foliage, ski slopes, maple syrup, easy-going folk and the Green Mountains that give the state its unique character.
For most people the words New England conjure up an image of red painted barns and covered bridges, genteel country villages of clapboard homes set around a church with a tall white steeple, of contented cows, cheese, ice cream and maple syrup, landscapes of quilt work farms set against valleys of lush green forests. Well this is Vermont…
Vermont is known as the Green Mountain state, after the first European settlers here - the French noted the ‘vert monts’ or green mountains of the region. Vermont lies between the Connecticut River and Lake Champlain and is bordered by New Hampshire to the east, Massachusetts to the south, New York State on the west and Canada in the north and is the region’s most and America’s second least populated state. During colonial times Vermont was New England’s last frontier, a French territory until it was handed over to Britain after the French and Indian War. Following this the states of New Hampshire and New York contested Vermont but were opposed by legendary Vermont hero Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys, who later turned their fight for independence on the British. Even after the American Revolution, Vermont strived for independence and stubbornly remained the Republic of Vermont until 1791, before joining the United States as its 14th state. Today Vermont is still a largely agricultural state, the bulk of America’s maple syrup originates from the Green Mountain state and Vermont is also famous for its dairy produce.
Vermont’s appeal lies in its sleepy rural character and seasonal attractions that include some of New England’s most renowned fall foliage and best ski resorts. The state’s capital Montpelier (pronounced Montpeeler) is America’s smallest state capital, while Vermont’s largest city Burlington is hugely popular with visitors. Nicknamed ‘Downtown Vermont’, Burlington is situated on the banks of Lake Champlain, or the ‘West Coast of New England’ and people come for watersports on the lake or for the shopping, restaurants and nightlife of Church Street Marketplace.
Not far from Burlington is Stowe, a perfect New England Town of white washed wooden buildings, quaint B&Bs, craft shops and cafes, surrounded by meadows and mountains that provides the perfect location for hiking in summer, leaf peeping in fall and skiing in winter. While to the south of Vermont, Woodstock, Bennington and Manchester Village have provided rural retreats since the Federal Era, indeed Abraham Lincoln summered here in 1863.
Vermont is renowned for its artisan crafts, with over 1,500 registered professional artists, more per capita than anywhere else in the U.S. With locations throughout Vermont, Frog Hollow sells goods from state approved artisans, while Memorial Day weekend sees a statewide Open Studio event. Vermonteers are indeed an innovative bunch and in recent times have included the inventor of the snowboard and famously two Vermont hippies who launched the Ben & Jerry’s global ice cream brand. Factory tours at their first plant in Waterbury are among Vermont’s most popular visitor attractions.
New England in a nutshell, Vermont is a place where life is as sweet as Green Mountain maple syrup.
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