USA E CANADA - NATURA DELL'EST

The capital city of Massachusetts, Boston is a happy mixture of present and past: the wide avenues of the modern part of the city blend into the narrow, snakelike lanes of the old colonial town; futuristic skyscrapers rise next to historic buildings. Boston was built in 1630 around the Boston Common – a pasture then used to graze local livestock – and, during the following century, became the core of the American Revolutionary War against Great Britain. After independence was declared, Boston kept on thriving as a trading and culture centre.

Continue along the coast, passing by the picturesque towns of Gloucester, Rockport and Kennebunkport. Portland is the main center of Maine, founded in 1632 and quickly becoming a prosperous city of shipyards and timber trade. Very cosmopolitan for its time, with long wooden docks dominated by the houses of wealthy merchants, it was destroyed by a fire by the natives in 1675 and by the English in 1775, but became prosperous again with the advent of the railroad, the Canada Trunk Line, which transported products from Canada and the Great Plains here. Today, the dock with the customs house survives almost intact, but instead of the Grand Trunk Station, demolished in 1966, we find the Old Port Exchange, which has revived the old port district. Within a 30-minute drive from the city, there are numerous lighthouses, including the Portland Head Light on Cape Elizabeth peninsula, the oldest, most famous, and probably most photographed. Another must-see stop is Old Orchard Beach, an 11 km sandy beach where the picturesque Old Orchard Beach Pier extends for over 150 meters into the Atlantic Ocean.

The Maine coast from Portland to the Canadian border is extraordinarily quaint, dotted with dozens of fjords overlooked by lovely towns such as Rockport and Camden. These destinations are especially popular among sailing enthusiasts. A bridge connects the mainland to this little town, rising on Mount Desert Island. Formerly a fashionable resort for early 20th century millionaires, today Bar Harbor is a popular holiday spot, its old mansions having been converted into hotels. During the summer its harbor is a favourite departure point for offshore fishing and whale watching. From Bar Harbor you can also visit the nearby Acadia National Park. The coast is rugged, as it typically is in Maine, peninsulas are covered in woods and dotted with small villages and lighthouses overlooking the ocean.

Saint John, Canada's oldest incorporated city, charms with its historic character. The Reversing Falls Rapids are a natural wonder, while the historic City Market offers a culinary journey. Walks along the harbor and Uptown streets reveal maritime history and a vibrant art scene.

Rimouski, a charming city on the St. Lawrence River, captivates with its maritime ambiance. The Pointe-au-Père area, featuring an iconic lighthouse and a submarine museum, is a popular attraction. Rimouski is also a gateway to Parc national du Bic, offering stunning coastal landscapes.

We follow the St. Lawrence coast through Charlevoix, a region of pretty country villages and small river communities, stopping in the quaint village of Saint-Paul, well known to artists and painters. Standing in a wonderfully panoramic location on Cap Diamant, overlooking the Saint Lawrence, Québec is the city with the oldest tradition in Canada. It’s also the only Northern American city that still boasts walls, bastions and buttresses, as well as many churches and convents, thus deserving the title of UNESCO World Heritage Site. Québec takes pride in its deeply-rooted French tradition.

The White Mountains, in New Hampshire, are the largest mountain range in New England. The highest mountain is Mt Washington (1911 m) and the most scenic road is the Kancamagus Highway, between Lincoln and Conway, which, surrounded by green forests, crosses the park by crossing the Kancamagus Pass.