The Corridors: from New York to Chicago by train - Lake Shore Limited

New York rises at the mouth of the Hudson River, where the Atlantic meets the eastern coast of the United States, asserting itself as the most vibrant and cosmopolitan of American metropolises. Its beating heart is Manhattan, the island of skyscrapers that holds some of the world's most iconic landmarks. The walking tour ideally begins at Times Square, a crossroads of glowing signs and Broadway theatres, before slipping into the green calm of Central Park, the vast urban lung laid out in the mid-nineteenth century. Nearby, along Fifth Avenue, boutiques, museums and historic buildings line the way: the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the MoMA hold some of the most important collections on the planet. To the south, the Empire State Building and Rockefeller Center offer terrace views that embrace the entire city, while the financial district of Wall Street and the moving Ground Zero memorial recount recent history. From the pier at Battery Park, ferries lead to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, symbols of immigration and the American dream. Crossing the famous Brooklyn Bridge brings you to the creative neighbourhoods of Brooklyn, while the High Line, a former elevated railway turned hanging garden, links the Meatpacking District to Chelsea. New York is also a mosaic of cultures and flavours: from the restaurants of Little Italy and Chinatown to Jewish delicatessens, from the food markets of Greenwich Village to the jazz clubs of Harlem. Between avant-garde art, shopping, shows and tireless nightlife, New York is a city that never sleeps and reinvents itself on every corner.

After passing through the industrial area of New Jersey, you enter Pennsylvania through the Delaware Gap woods. At 390 km from New York, you arrive in the beautiful Finger Lakes region, eleven lakes formed by ancient glaciers. Stop for a walk at Watkins Glen Canyon waterfalls. In winter, when the park is not accessible, you can visit the Montour Falls. Continue along the coast of Seneca Lake. Albany is the capital of New York State, spread along the banks of the Hudson River, one of the oldest cities in the United States and of Dutch origin. Its institutional heart is the imposing Empire State Plaza, a modern architectural complex dominated by the Corning Tower skyscraper and the futuristic building The Egg. The Neo-Renaissance New York State Capitol and numerous museums recount the state's political and cultural history. A historic crossroads between New York City and the Adirondack Mountains, Albany blends colonial heritage with its role as capital. Buffalo rises on the shores of Lake Erie, where the Niagara River begins its rush toward the famous falls just a short drive away. New York State's second city retains an industrial elegance of Art Deco towers, broad tree-lined avenues laid out by Frederick Law Olmsted, and landmark homes such as the Darwin D. Martin House, a masterpiece by Frank Lloyd Wright. Its cultural heart is the Albright-Knox (now the Buffalo AKG Art Museum), home to one of the finest modern art collections in the United States. The Canalside waterfront comes alive in summer with boats and concerts, while local kitchens serve the original buffalo wings, invented here. From Buffalo, a trip to Niagara Falls is a must, with its drifting spray and walkways suspended over the water. Niagara Falls is the name the American town shares with one of the most famous natural wonders in the world, the imposing falls that thunder down at the border between the United States and Canada. From the US side you can admire the American Falls and the delicate Bridal Veil Falls, reached via the walkways of Niagara Falls State Park, the oldest state park in America. The legendary Maid of the Mist boat tour leads to the foot of the cascades, wrapped in mist and deafening roar, while the Cave of the Winds path brings visitors within metres of the curtain of water. In the evening the falls glow with coloured lights, offering an unforgettable spectacle. All around, trails, bridges and lookout points let you grasp the power of nature from every angle. Niagara Falls is an unmissable stop, a symbol of grandeur and wonder.

Cleveland sits on the shores of Lake Erie, in Ohio, an industrial city reborn as a lively cultural and musical hub. Its symbol is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a museum dedicated to the history of rock designed by I.M. Pei. The Cleveland Museum of Art holds world-class collections, while its university and major hospitals make it a centre of excellence. Districts like Ohio City and the West Side Market reveal the city's multicultural soul. Facing the Great Lakes, Cleveland combines industrial heritage, sport and urban revival.

Chicago rises along the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan, the third-largest city in the United States and the acknowledged birthplace of the modern skyscraper: here, after the Great Fire of 1871, American architecture reinvented itself, giving rise to one of the most famous skylines in the world. Its beating heart is the Loop, the business district encircled by the elevated 'L' train, where masterpieces by Louis Sullivan, Mies van der Rohe and Frank Lloyd Wright stand side by side. A short walk leads to Millennium Park, with the gleaming 'Cloud Gate' sculpture (nicknamed 'The Bean' by locals) and the Jay Pritzker Pavilion designed by Frank Gehry. Nearby, the Art Institute of Chicago, one of America's great museums, guards Impressionist masterpieces and Grant Wood's celebrated 'American Gothic'. Along the water, the Chicago Riverwalk offers another vantage on the city, while the boats of the Architecture River Cruise glide between the façades, recounting a century and a half of building ingenuity. Toward the lake, Navy Pier with its Ferris wheel and the Magnificent Mile, the elegant stretch of Michigan Avenue lined with shops and hotels, set the rhythm of city life. Yet Chicago is also music and flavour: the home of electric blues and jazz resounds in the clubs of the South Side, while its tables serve the hearty deep-dish pizza, Chicago-style hot dogs and the food markets of lively neighbourhoods such as Pilsen and West Loop. Rising to the 412-metre Skydeck of the Willis Tower, the gaze sweeps across the lake and the boundless Illinois plain. A city of lakes and skyscrapers, of jazz and bold architecture, Chicago reveals itself on foot, amid the gusts that earned it the nickname 'Windy City' and the unmistakable energy of the American Midwest.