Enjoy the scenery beside lush green hills and visit the art galleries in the riverside towns of this sprawling rural area.
Undulating fields, great forests and vineyards decorate the Hudson Valley. Known for its booming technology industry and wine regions, the area comprises rural towns spread from the Lower Hudson to the Upper Hudson. Take a boat trip along the river to enjoy a very scenic route.
In the southern part of the valley is the sleepy town of Tarrytown, with the marvelous Lyndhurst, where railroad baron Jay Gould once lived. Appreciate the mansion’s Gothic Revival design and tour the spooky building, which is eerily decorated for Halloween and other fun events. Continue this scary theme with a trip to Sleepy HollowOpens in a new window to see the cemetery and Old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow. Nearby is the excellent Neuberger Museum of Art.
A little north is the town of Katonah, which features the Katonah Museum for Art as well as the Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts. Visit the John Jay Homestead State Historic Site.
Cross the Mid-Hudson Bridge and appreciate the spectacular view of the river and its surrounding forests. Enjoy the area’s hot summer days with picnics in Franny Reese State Park. Winters frequently have freezing temperatures, with heavy snowfall in December and January enabling excellent cross-country skiing.
Continue north to explore the majestic grounds of Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic SiteOpens in a new window. The valley’s northernmost point contains Hudson, which is renowned for its Olana State Historic Site. Inspect the items in the former home of landscape painter Frederic Edwin Church.
Note that the Hudson Valley was one of the first areas populated by European colonies. First the Dutch and then the British set up colonies in this district, which served as a battleground.
The valley comprises the area around its namesake river from northern New York City to the Mohawk Valley and the Capital District. Fly to one of the city’s airports and take a train to one of the railway stations along the flanks of the Hudson River.
The Hudson Valley combines its picturesque scenery with a refined culture.
