Lancaster is one of America’s oldest inland cities, founded by earlier settlers who pushed west from Philadelphia and quickly discovered land fertile for farming. Today, the connection between the city and the farmland that surrounds it remains strong, most evidently in its nationally known Central Market. Lancaster’s agricultural heritage and long history serve as the grounding for a vibrant cultural scene that visitors are surprised to find in Pennsylvania outside Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. While interaction with the Amish is part of daily life here, today’s Lancaster experience includes much more than just shoofly pie and hand-stitched quilts. Lancaster is an easy and accessible getaway destination especially popular among residents of New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C.
