Great American West - Denver and surroundings

Founded in 1859 by gold seekers from Kansas and Georgia, Denver marks the boundary between the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains that provide a splendid backdrop. A university town and the capital of American craft beer, it is called the 'Mile High City' because it is located exactly one mile (about 1600 meters) high, as noted on the 13th step of its Capitol building. Modern and youthful, it has trendy neighborhoods for all tastes and is pleasant to explore on foot, featuring diverse architectures ranging from Victorian to postmodern, along with art, history, culture, shopping, and a vibrant nightlife.

Rocky Mountains National Park is the largest mountain complex in Colorado, with over 100 peaks exceeding 3,000 meters. It offers an impressive variety of landscapes: coniferous forests, meadows covered in wildflowers, tundra, lakes and waterfalls, narrow gorges, wide valleys, and wildlife such as squirrels, marmots, elk, and deer. The eastern entrance is in Estes Park, 200 km from Denver, while the western entrance is in Grand Lake. The spectacular scenic road, Trail Ridge Road, crosses the entire park, reaching the extreme limit of vegetation at around 4,000 meters.

Colorado Springs, a mountain town, has always been known for its countless outdoor activities that it offers to visitors. A short distance away, at the Garden of the Gods Park, you can admire extraordinary sandstone formations set against the breathtaking backdrop of Pikes Peak, which you can climb via a hiking trail or comfortably aboard the Pikes Peak Cog Railway. Another must-see stop is Seven Falls, a series of waterfalls over 55 meters high cascading down a deep canyon.