| As one of the oldest settlements in the USA, Boston has plenty of history to experience, yet, with a large, young student population and a coastal and countryside location, there are also plenty of other activities to enjoy. Even though the Charles River separates them, for the tourist, Boston and Cambridge are one city. Some of the city’s main attractions are walking tours. The Freedom Trail takes in the city’s revolutionary past, while the Black Heritage Trail highlights Boston’s part in the USA’s anti-slavery history. Boston’s oldest section, the North End, now the Italian quarter, contains Boston’s narrowest house, at 44 Hull Street, which is 9.5ft (under three metres) wide. Boston Common is as old as the city and provides a huge central plot of greenery where cattle and sheep originally grazed. To its north and northeast sides is Beacon Hill, historically the centre of power and wealth. The gilded dome of the Massachusetts State House is a useful marker. To the south side of the common are Chinatown and the Theater District. |