The stately Southern granddame of Richmond has been Virginia's
state capital since 1780, and although a bastion of history, it
also has all the hallmarks of a lively and modern urban centre.
Acting as an ideal gateway to the rest of the state, a range of
attractions is within easy reach and visitors can enjoy the
neighbouring sights and sounds of the ocean, mountains,
battlefields, historic colonial Williamsburg, or can even drive
into Washington DC to visit the nation's capital.Richmond has played an enormous role in American history,
particularly as the capital of the Confederacy during the Civil
War. Today visitors can enjoy a host of monuments, battlefields,
cemeteries and museums that hark back to the days when Jefferson
Davis and Robert E. Lee held out against the Union. This is not a
city stuck in the past, however, and there are numerous modern
attractions including an active nightlife, plenty of restaurants,
bars and outdoor concerts. A stroll along the attractive Canal
Walk, and along the restored Haxall and Kanawha Canals, provides a
great way to relax and there is also the option to catch a boat;
some tours include an historical narration or there is the 'drive
yourself' option.The cityscape is an interesting combination of modern high rise
office complexes housing financial institutions, Fortune 500
Companies, government offices, hospitals and universities and the
more charming cobblestone, gas-lit streets flanked by 19th-century
warehouses and a 300-year old farmers' market, filled with the
scent of ripe fruit and fresh flowers.
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