Classic Wyoming

Denver stretches out at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, exactly one mile above sea level, hence its famous nickname of the "Mile High City". Capital of Colorado, it is a dynamic, open-air metropolis, the ideal gateway to the great wild expanses of the American West, where urban energy meets a passion for nature and mountain sports. Its historic core is LoDo (Lower Downtown), a district of nineteenth-century red-brick warehouses skilfully restored and now alive with craft breweries, galleries and venues. Here stands the splendid Union Station, an elegant railway terminal transformed into a lively gathering place of cafés, restaurants and shops. Nearby, the pedestrian 16th Street Mall cuts through the commercial and financial centre, while the Colorado State Capitol, with its gold-leafed dome, dominates the Civic Center. The city boasts a notable arts scene, with the boldly designed Denver Art Museum and the creative RiNo (River North) district, a realm of street art and breweries, for Denver is considered one of America's craft-beer capitals. Culture lovers will find nearby the Red Rocks Amphitheatre, a natural amphitheatre set among towering red rock formations, among the most spectacular concert arenas in the world. Its privileged location makes Denver the perfect base from which to explore Rocky Mountain National Park, the ski resorts of Aspen and Vail, and Colorado's endless alpine landscapes. The local table reflects the frontier spirit, with grilled meats, Tex-Mex cuisine and local produce, to be paired with one of the city's countless beers. Between gleaming skyscrapers, mountain trails and more than three hundred days of sunshine a year, Denver invites you to fully embrace the adventure of the West, with one foot in the city and your gaze turned toward the peaks.

when crossing the border between Colorado and Wyoming, a stop is recommended at the Rocky Mountains National Park, the largest mountain complex in Colorado, with over 100 peaks exceeding 3,000 m. It offers an impressive variety of landscapes: conifer forests, meadows carpeted with wild flowers, tundra, lakes and waterfalls, narrow gorges, broad valleys and wildlife such as squirrels, marmots, elk and deer. Cross the park along the Trail Ridge Road, the highest tarmac road in America. Peaks reaching heights of 4,000 m a.s.l and higher can be admired from the road's scenic viewpoint. Cheyenne guards the authentic soul of the American Wild West in the southeastern corner of Wyoming, of which it is the capital. Grown as a hub of the transcontinental railroad, the city retains elegant Victorian buildings and the imposing gold-domed State Capitol, but it is cowboy culture above all that defines its identity. Every summer it hosts Cheyenne Frontier Days, the world's largest outdoor rodeo, a genuine celebration of horses, lassos and frontier traditions that draws visitors from far and wide. The Wyoming State Museum and the Cowgirls of the West Museum tell the story of the prairies and of those who tamed them, while the Big Boy, one of the largest steam locomotives ever built, recalls the epic age of the rails. Amid boundless prairie, vast skies and the plainspoken hospitality of the West, Cheyenne is the gateway to the natural wonders of the Rocky Mountains.

On the broad plains of northeastern Wyoming, Gillette is a town of plain-spoken character, grown around the energy industry and known as the “Energy Capital of the Nation.” Far from the main tourist circuits, it retains the authentic atmosphere of the contemporary West, amid boundless spaces and immense skies. It is above all a convenient stop along the routes towards the region's natural wonders: a few hours' drive away lie Devils Tower, the imposing volcanic monolith that became the first national monument in the United States, and the Black Hills on the South Dakota border. Gillette offers the traveller a practical and genuine base for exploring the wild heart of Wyoming.

Buffalo nestles at the foot of the Bighorn Mountains, in northern Wyoming, preserving the authentic spirit of the Old West. Its historic Main Street, with the legendary Occidental Hotel once frequented by gunslingers and outlaws, looks straight out of a Western film. The Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum recounts the region's Indian wars and frontier life. An ideal base for outings into the Cloud Peak Wilderness and along the scenic Bighorn Scenic Byway, Buffalo is a genuine stop between prairie and mountains. Sheridan is a historic town in northern Wyoming, set at the foot of the Bighorn Mountains and famed for preserving the spirit of the Old West intact. Its Main Street is home to the historic Sheridan Inn, once frequented by Buffalo Bill, and shops of Western craftsmanship such as saddles and boots. The town is tied to the tradition of rodeos and ranches, while nearby open valleys ideal for fishing, horseback riding and hiking. Between cowboy heritage, authentic hospitality and majestic mountains, Sheridan embodies the genuine charm of Wyoming. Founded in 1896 by the legendary Buffalo Bill Cody, this Wyoming town is the eastern gateway to Yellowstone National Park, reached along the spectacular Buffalo Bill Cody Scenic Byway. Cody preserves the authentic soul of the Old West: the Buffalo Bill Center of the West brings together five museums devoted to the frontier, art, firearms and Native Americans, while every summer evening the Cody Nite Rodeo revives the adrenaline of the rodeo. All around, canyons, dams and prairies open the way to the geysers and wildlife of Yellowstone.

You travel along the Buffalo Bill Cody Scenic Byway, which follows the Shoshone River through the forest and the highest mountains in Wyoming, with very diverse landscapes: expanses of wild sagebrush, fir forests, glaciers, with a wildlife including elk, deer, mountain goats, grizzly bears, and brown bears. Established in 1872 as the world's first national park, Yellowstone spreads across a volcanic plateau between Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, holding one of the most extraordinary concentrations of geothermal phenomena on the planet. Here the famous Old Faithful geyser erupts at regular intervals, while the Grand Prismatic Spring dazzles with its rings of shifting colours and the limestone terraces of Mammoth Hot Springs form surreal landscapes. The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, carved by the river of the same name, plunges into spectacular waterfalls between golden walls. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the park is also a wildlife sanctuary where bison, elk, grizzly bears and wolf packs can be spotted, especially in the Lamar Valley. Among forests, alpine lakes and meadows, Yellowstone offers hikes, wildlife safaris and the thrill of a primordial, powerful nature, a symbol of the American wilderness.

The landscape between Yellowstone and Jackson Hole is marked by the picturesque Teton Mountains, which rise steeply from the flat prairie between lakes, waterfalls, and forests inhabited by elk and bison. The highest peak is the Grand Teton, which exceeds 4,000 meters. The picturesque Teton mountains stand out dramatically in the flat prairie, amidst lakes, waterfalls, and forests inhabited by elks and bisons. The highest peak is the Grand Teton, which exceeds 4,000 meters. The main road runs along the eastern shore of the idyllic Jackson Lake with full view of Mount Moran and the Cathedral Group, the park's iconic peaks. In Colter Bay Village, the Indian Arts Gallery is beautiful, and there are several not-too-long trails to walk. Must-see spots include Willow Flats Overlook, another beautiful view of the Teton mountains, Cathedral Group Turnout, and Menors Ferry Historic District to see a house, a general store, and an 1800s icehouse, and the Chapel of the Transfiguration, perhaps the church with the most picturesque backdrop in the USA. Jackson Hole is a broad Wyoming valley framed by the jagged peaks of Grand Teton National Park, the southern gateway to Yellowstone and a kingdom of outdoor activities. The lively town of Jackson welcomes visitors with its famous arches made of elk antlers, art galleries, saloons and western boutiques. Don't miss a visit to the National Elk Refuge, a winter sanctuary for around 8,000 elk, and the adjacent National Museum of Wildlife Art. Along the Snake River, rafting and canoe trips run through grand landscapes, while the National Elk Refuge shelters thousands of elk in winter, viewable from horse-drawn sleighs. To the north lies Yellowstone, the world's first national park, with its steaming geysers, iridescent hot springs and extraordinary wildlife of bison, bears and wolves. An ideal destination for those seeking wild nature, hiking and skiing.

Rock Springs rises on the arid highlands of southwestern Wyoming, a city born from coal mining along the historic transcontinental railroad. A crossroads of the great expanses of the West, it is a convenient base for exploring spectacular desert landscapes such as Flaming Gorge, a red-walled canyon carved by the Green River, and the deserts of the Killpecker Sand Dunes. The town retains a multicultural soul, the fruit of waves of miners from around the world. Between grand geology and frontier spirit, Rock Springs is an authentic Wyoming stop.

Laramie rises on the high plains of southeastern Wyoming, a lively university town home to the University of Wyoming, the state's only one. Its historic centre retains a frontier atmosphere, with the Wyoming Territorial Prison, an old jail that once held outlaw Butch Cassidy. Surrounded by high-altitude prairies and the Snowy Range, it is a base for hiking, fishing and winter sports.