Travel to Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh arose as a great industrial centre of the Industrial Revolution, and at the present time it is cosmopolitan and clean. In the 1980s the last steel mills were closed, allowing Pittsburghs natural beauty to shine through. In addition, the city is a popular location for movie making.

Pennsylvanias second largest citys chief attraction, however, is its varied styles of architecture. Mostly constructed on a grand scale, the styles run the full gamut of mid to late 19th century and beyond featuring Classical revival, Greek revival, Richardosian, Romanesque, Italianate and Queen Anne.

Transportation to Pittsburgh

The city of Pittsburgh can be reached by air from the majority of significant cities across the nation. The international airport is situated 15.5 miles (25kms) southwest of the city centre, with transportation provided by the Airport Express and the 28-X Airport Flyer bus, as well as taxi services.

Amtrak operates daily rail services from Philadelphia with a travel time of eight hours, Washington DC with a travel time of approximately 7 hours 30 minutes, Cleveland with the train journey taking 3 hours 30 minutes and Chicago with a travel duration of ten hours. Greyhound buses follow routes to most of the main destinations across the United States, but buses might be slow and uncomfortable when travelling longer distances.

Pittsburgh isnt very difficult to reach by car via the interstate highway network. Principal highways running into the belt roads around the city are I-76 from the northwest (Cleveland) and east (Philadelphia); the I-70 highway from the west (Columbus) and southeast (Washington, DC); and the I-79 highway from the south and north.

What to see

Pittsburgh boasts plenty of interesting cultural sights, featuring the Andy Warhol Museum and the world renowned Carnegie, which consists of the Museum of Natural History and Museum of Art, Music Hall and the Carnegie Library. The Benedum Center offers Broadway musicals, operas and concerts of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.

Pittsburghs compact downtown area, known as the Golden Triangle, is pedestrian friendly. The main attraction here is Point State Park, Fort Pitts historic site. The area is filled with interesting architecture. The Strip District houses the citys traditional market on the waterfront and popular the plaza. Warehouses located along the pretty cobbled streets house Pittsburghs finest bakers, butchers and vendors of Italian and Greek speciality foods. Also situated here is the Senator John Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center, which is housed in a refurbished 1898 warehouse.

Daytrips

The several nearby national forests make pleasant daytrips for the entire family. These locations can be easily reached by car and are great places for recreational activities such as cycling, hiking and camping. lso well worth visiting is the unique Amish Country where you can witness some of their well preserved artefacts of a bygone century, reflecting their austere lifestyle.

Activities and leisure
The Kennywood amusement park offers great entertainment as well as the Pittsburgh Zoo and Sandcastle water park. An ethnically diverse population lives in Pittsburgh, reflected in the numerous choices of mouth-watering cuisine, including: Italian, Mexican, Chinese, Spanish and Russian, as well as Portuguese and Indian. A good spot to absorb some of the citys night scene is the Strip District, with rock-concert halls such as Rosebud and the brewpubs.

Safety issues

Motorists can put themselves at a higher risk when travelling across long distances along unfamiliar roads. In addition, accidents could be a result of participating in outdoor activities. Beware of pickpockets and car thieves as well. Medical care in the United States is quite expensive and it could spoil your holiday if something were to occur and you did not have travel insurance. We strongly advise you take out proper travel insurance for you and your family members.