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

Boston rises along the shores of the northern Atlantic, at the mouth of the Charles River, and stands as one of the oldest and most learned cities in the United States, the cradle of the American Revolution and the intellectual capital of New England. Exploring the centre means following the Freedom Trail, the red-brick route linking sixteen historic sites: it begins at Boston Common, America's oldest public park, and leads to the gold-domed Massachusetts State House, Park Street Church and the Granary Burying Ground, resting place of the founding fathers. The trail continues to the Old State House and the site of the Boston Massacre, before plunging into the North End, the city's Little Italy, with its trattorias, pastry shops and the Old North Church tied to Paul Revere's ride. Crossing the river leads to Charlestown and the USS Constitution, the oldest commissioned warship still afloat. Boston's charm lives on in its residential quarters too: Beacon Hill, with red-brick townhouses, gas lamps and the cobbles of Acorn Street, and Back Bay, with its elegant avenues, the shopping of Newbury Street and Trinity Church facing Copley Square. Across the Charles, Cambridge is home to two of the world's most famous universities, Harvard and MIT, whose historic campuses make for an easy day visit. The city offers the Museum of Fine Arts and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, while the waterfront Harborwalk leads to the New England Aquarium and the boats setting out for whale watching. The local cuisine celebrates the bounty of the ocean: steaming clam chowder, Maine lobster and fresh oysters in the eateries of Quincy Market. Blending colonial history, prestigious academia and a maritime spirit, Boston pairs European elegance with the pioneering soul of America.

From the Berkshire Mountains in Massachusetts, you enter the state of New York by first crossing the Hudson River Valley and then ascending the Mohawk River Valley between the two mountain ranges of the Adirondacks and the Catskill Mountains, until you reach the picturesque Finger Lakes region, famous for its vineyards. 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, attraversata dal fiume Cuyahoga e grande porto industriale sul Lago Erie, è una città cosmopolita con un'importante comunità afro-americana. Oggi il lungo fiume è vivace e piacevole e la città si è arricchita di splendidi musei, primo fra tutti il Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, dell'architetto I.M. Pei, lo stesso della piramide del Louvre.

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.