Boston: what to see in 1 day

Boston is walked following the red-marked trail of the Freedom Trail, the pedestrian route that connects places linked to colonial history and the American revolution, from the Boston Common to the North End neighborhood.

Along the way you cross the colonnaded rows of brick townhouses in Beacon Hill, the civic center with the Massachusetts State House and Faneuil Hall, to finally reach the Italian neighborhood of the city, where the day naturally ends among trattorias and pastry shops. It is a compact itinerary that is covered almost entirely on foot, remaining always within the original peninsula of the city.

Boston Common is the starting point, the oldest public park in the United States, the official start of the Freedom Trail.

From here a short climb leads to Beacon Hill, the hillside neighborhood with its red brick houses and gas lamps: Acorn Street, a narrow alley barely wider than a cart, is among the city's most photographed views.

Nearby stands the Massachusetts State House, with the golden dome visible from much of the center, seat of state government since 1798.

Following the marked route you reach the Granary Burying Ground, the colonial cemetery where Paul Revere and John Hancock rest, and the Old State House, the city's oldest public building, before which the 1770 Boston Massacre occurred.

The route then reaches Faneuil Hall and nearby Quincy Market, once a covered market and now a food hall, a good point for a lunch pause between stretches of the walk.

In the afternoon the Freedom Trail crosses a pedestrian bridge toward the North End, the city's Italian neighborhood: here you find the Paul Revere House, the oldest wood building in downtown Boston, and the Old North Church, from whose tower the famous two lanterns were hung in 1775 signaling the arrival of British troops.

The narrow streets of North End, among Italian pastry shops and small restaurants, are also the most natural place to stop for dinner.

An alternative, for those preferring a more modern atmosphere, is reaching the Seaport District in a few minutes, on the opposite side of the harbor, where old port warehouses have given way to contemporary restaurants overlooking the water.

Following the Freedom Trail remains the most direct way to connect Boston Common, Beacon Hill and the colonial civic center up to the North End, then leaving the evening choice between the Italian atmosphere of the quarter just crossed and the more contemporary one of the Seaport District.

Cambridge remains left out, with the Harvard and MIT campuses across the Charles River, and the Fenway neighborhood with its historic stadium, both more suited to those with a second day at their disposal. Walking the Freedom Trail, however, remains the most direct way to touch firsthand the origins of American colonial history.