The capital of the United States - the city of Washington is known throughout the world, there are many reasons for this. A tourist who wants to get an impression of a truly beautiful and respectable America should definitely come here and take a walk through the most interesting and unique sights.
A bit of history - Washington DC, what does it mean
George Washington was the name of the first American president, and the capital of the state was named in his honor.
The region's official name is the District of Columbia. In English it sounds like: District of Columbia, or in abbreviated form you can call Washington D C (that is, Washington DC).
The date of foundation is considered 1790 g., although the district acquired its modern borders only in 1871when the city, neighboring Georgetown and Washington County were merged.
Note! The Mayor of Washington is the President of the United States.
General information - what is Washington
Geographically, Washington is located on the left bank of the Potomac River, just 53 km from the Atlantic coast. It is the center of the District of Columbia of the United States, which is not part of any of the states.
Population - more than 600 thousand people... The total size of the territory - 177 km2... The city is 20% covered with parks and gardens. The climate is warm - throughout the year the average temperatures do not drop below 0 ° C.
Important! All US federal authorities are concentrated in Washington.
To the question: which river is Washington on, the answer is three at once. Urban areas stretch along the Potomac, as well as along its two tributaries: Anacostia and Rock Creek.
Why there are no skyscrapers in Washington
There are no buildings within the city limits above the Capitol (US Congress building). His high - 200 m... The restriction on the height of the building has been in effect since 1910, when Congress ordered to build houses no higher than the width of the street on which the building site is located, plus 6.1 m. And so it turned out that the Capitol is the highest.
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How to get to Washington DC
Direct and charter flights fly regularly from Europe and Russia. The time difference between Moscow and Washington is 8 hours. On average, the duration of the flight is from 10 hours. On the spot, it is more convenient to immediately rent a car, since sightseeing on foot or by taxi is difficult (long distances) and expensive (even by public transport).
By plane
Before leaving, it is worth deciding which Washington airport is best for you. International two:
- Washington Dulles International Airport is located 42 kilometers west of Washington. You can get from here in two ways: by taxi (about 50-80 USD), or first by taking the Washington Flyer bus (fare 10 $) to the metro, and then to the desired point by train.
- Baltimore-Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport - 48 kilometers northeast of Washington. The railway service connects it with the central station (travel $ 10-15), but you can also take a bus ($ 7.5). A taxi ride will cost about $ 100. *
By car
Many travelers use a car to travel between cities. Cars can be rented everywhere, such as at the arrival airport.
Note! To travel with you, you must have: an international driver's license and Russian license. Insurance is not required, but its purchase is a guarantee of compensation for damage in case of an accident.
How many km from New York, and how to get from it
The two cities are separated on the map in a straight line - about 380 kilometers. A tourist who is interested in how to get from New York to Washington has 4 route options:
- by train from Penn Station - travel time 3.5 hours, travel - $ 80;
- by bus from 34th Street - travel time 4 hours 40 minutes, fare - $ 15;
- by car - travel time 3.5 hours, rent - from $ 100 (plus payment of toll roads and gasoline $ 70-120);
- by plane - flight time 1 h 20 min., ticket $ 90 plus taxi (from $ 50).
Travel to Washington
The tourist should have an identity card (passport) with an open visa. If persons without a visa are identified, they are immediately expelled abroad. Traveling around the capital will be truly comfortable if all documents are in order.
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Weather and when is the best time to go
The best season to travel to downtown DC in the United States is spring. At this time, the city will look especially beautiful.
Snow (if any) melts at the end of March. In early April, cherry blossoms bloom and the main American building (Capitol), surrounded by flowering trees, looks extraordinary. Equally comfortable in the middle of autumn.
Summer is hot and humid (temperatures are higher +30 ° C), and cool in winter (up to -12 ° C) with a lot of precipitation.
Attractions - what to see in Washington
The choice of cultural sites is very impressive. The route of the inspection should be thought out in advance in order to cover as much as possible.
Washington Monument
The granite obelisk (for some time the largest on the planet), faced with snow-white marble, 169 m high is located in the Jefferson Pier Marker recreation park. Dedicated to the first American president and began to erect in honor of his 100th birthday.
It was built in 41 years (1844-1885). A staircase leads to the top from896 steps, and on the east side the inscription “Laus Deo” is visible (in translation it should mean “Praise to God”).
Note! Until 2022, the monument is closed for reconstruction, so it is impossible to climb up to the observation deck.
Lincoln Memorial
The memorial complex in West Potomac Park near Theodore Roosevelt Island is dedicated to the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. Its construction was completed in 1922.
In a snow-white building in the form of a Greek temple, surrounded by 36 columns, there is a 5.79 m tall Lincoln statue in the form of a president sitting in an armchair. The visit is round-the-clock.
Jefferson Memorial
Another neoclassical memorial in West Potomac Park is dedicated to the 3rd American President, Thomas Jefferson.
Its construction was completed in 1943. Inside the rotunda, under a dome, surrounded by a colonnade, there is a bronze sculpture almost 6 m high. Visiting is free.
Washington DC landmarks related to the history of the United States
The idea of connecting all the most important sights of the capital was visited by the founding fathers for a long time, and was embodied in the form of the National Mall - a pedestrian alley that was supposed to be the most significant and beautiful. It stretches from the Capitol to the Potomac, as well as from the Jefferson Memorial to Constitution Ave. Nearby - numerous museums, monuments, memorials. More than 24 million tourists come to visit the pier every year.
Washington DC museums
There are a lot of them, but the most notable are the following:
- National Museum of Aeronautics and Astronautics - refers to the Smithsonian Institution, dedicated to interesting demonstrations of aviation and space programs, while admission is free (in the same building as the Albert Einstein Planetarium at the corner of 7th Southwest Street and Southwest Independence Avenue).
- Museum of Journalism and News "Newseum" - offers to trace the evolution of mass communication from the inception of radio to the present day (at the corner of 6th Southwest Street and Pennsylvania Northwest Avenue).
Zoo and parks
Among interesting parks it is worth noting Kenilworth, where lilies and lotuses are preserved in cultivated ponds, and 257 species of birds, muskrats, deer, reptiles, and coyotes can be seen in the adjacent territory.
On Capitol Hill, Lincoln Park is the largest family park with lots of open green spaces and the Mary McLeod Bethune Memorial and the Thomas Ball Emancipation Monument.
Smithsonian National Zoological Park founded in 1889, occupies 66 hectares and is inscribed within the boundaries of Rock Creek Park. More than 400 species of animals live here, seals live in the pool, there is a terrarium, and in the aquarium you can see a giant reef turtle.
Note! Entry to the zoo is free for everyone.
Theatrical venues of the city
Avid theatergoers should visit:
- Ford's Theater is not just the oldest, but it was in its box that A. Lincoln was mortally wounded. On the ground floor there is a museum that is open daily (except December 25) from 9.00 to 16.00.
- The National Theater is the oldest in the country at the federal level; it is visited by the first persons of the United States. The hall is designed for 1676 seats. Broadway-level performances and musicals are shown on stage. Free shows for children are shown on Saturday mornings.
War memorials
There are several of them. The most famous is the Vietnam War Veterans Memorial, which consists of a 75 m wall with the names of the fallen soldiers on black granite, the Three Soldiers statue (three races - white, African American and Latinos) and the Vietnam Women's Memorial (dedicated to Vietnam War nurses).
Another is dedicated to the Korean War and was opened relatively recently - in 1995, 19 stainless steel sculptures, about 2.5 m high, depict warriors of different nationalities.
In the National Trade Center, there is a World War II Memorial in the form of two arches (symbolizing fronts) on 56 pillars (their decoding is the names of American states).
Cathedral
Washington National Cathedral - aka the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul is located in the central part of the city, surrounded by the temple complex. Protestant church was completed in 1990 and is an example of the Gothic style (the sixth largest in the world).
Additional Information! In the 1980s. National Geographic magazine ran a competition for the best gargoyle in the cathedral, and the winner was a boy with a drawing of Darth Vader from the Star Wars movie saga.
Masonic Temple
At the corner of 16th North-West Street and S-Street North-West there is a Freemason Temple, built in 1915. The largest national library dedicated to Freemasonry is kept inside (the collection includes 250 thousand editions). Meetings are still held here.
St. Nicholas Cathedral
The main Orthodox church in the United States was built with funds from Russian émigrés in 1994, following the model of the Cathedral of St. Demetrius in Vladimir. The cathedral is located at the corner of Massachusetts Avenue and Edmunds Street.
National Gallery of Art
Art lovers, while walking along the National Mall, should look into the gallery building, where about 1200 paintings are collected, and the total fund includes more than 2 thousand art objects. The complex consists of two buildings connected by an underground passage. Nearby there is an open-air exposition - a sculpture garden.
National History Museum
National Museum of Natural History - is a gigantic display. In it 126 million representatives of flora and fauna of the planet.
Admission is free (the building is located between the Capitol and the Washington Obelisk).
Holocaust Museum
Memorial to those killed during the Holocaust (next to the Ministry of Agriculture) was opened in 1993 The collection of the museum, which is being replenished to this day, includes 18 964 exhibits: photos and videos, descriptions, paintings, documents and much more.
Note! There are two expositions - one for children, the other - for adults, as well as two memorial zones - "Wall of Tiles for Children" (numbering 3 thousand Israelis) and "Hall of Memory" with an eternal flame.
Other attractions
An interesting route is from the Dupont Circle roundabout southeast on Massachusetts Avenue. Here are more than 40 embassies of foreign powers in old and fairly new mansions.
If you have time, you should definitely look into the Spy Museum (at L'Enfant Plaza Southwest), look at the original Declaration of Independence in the National Archives, and admire the lifetime portraits of American presidents in the National Portrait Gallery.
What to see in D.C. if time is limited
If a tourist has very little time at his disposal, then you should not rush to different ends of a very large district (although the Americans themselves consider it modest by their standards). It is quite possible to limit ourselves to a tour of Capitol Hill and its environs - all the most important and significant is located here.
Where to go with children
The most important centers of attraction for tourists with children are the zoo and the Natural History Museum. In addition, they will not mind visiting the Botanical Gardens, the Pentagon neighborhood, the Smithsonian's Discovery Theater, and the Six Flags of America theme park.
Useful tips for tourists
Those who do not rent a car should choose a hotel near metro stations in order to save both time and money on travel. Ticket prices depend on the distance and time of day and range: $ 1.85-6. It will perfectly complement a single bus pass - for 7 days it will cost $ 17.5.
For mobile communications, it is beneficial to buy a local SIM card, it will cost about $ 5. Free Wi-Fi points are available in many places, and the unlimited mobile Internet package will cost $ 30.
There are thousands of reasons why, of all American cities, Washington is worth visiting. Like no other, it gives an idea of the history of the country, its culture, achievements and even the character of its inhabitants.
* All prices are valid for March 2021. But the cost of services in Washington rarely changes.
