Berkshire: Nature, Culture and Special Travel Experiences

Berkshire combines mountain views, lush forests and clear blue lakes with an unusually diverse cultural landscape. More than 100 cultural attractions, historic sites, seasonal events and varied trails make the region interesting for travellers who want to combine nature experiences with discovery. When choosing your holiday apartment or holiday home, you can therefore first decide whether mountains and waterfalls, music and dance, history or culinary experiences should be your main focus.

Mountains, Waterfalls and Trails

At 3,491 feet, Mount Greylock is the highest point in Massachusetts. On clear days, the view from the summit extends up to 90 miles. In Mount Greylock State Reservation, you will find hiking trails ranging from easy to extremely challenging. In winter, the snow-covered roads can be driven as far as the summit. Sperry Road Campground offers primitive campsites accessible only on foot, located two miles from the summit.

Bash Bish Falls is another striking landscape feature. The waterfall is the highest in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; the final section of Bash Bish Brook plunges approximately 60 feet into an emerald-green plunge pool. From the car park on the Massachusetts side, a challenging hike of approximately 0.6 miles round trip leads there. Bash Bish is connected to Mount Washington State Forest and other protected areas. Together, they form a species-rich habitat for many protected species and include areas of old-growth forest.

For a different kind of trail experience, there is the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail: The 10-foot-wide, paved path follows a former railway line for 12.7 miles through Cheshire, Lanesborough and Adams. Another useful guide is the brochure “Berkshire County Trails for All”, which introduces residents and visitors to several accessible trails in Berkshire County.

Music, Dance and Museums

Jacob's Pillow is the longest-running international dance festival in the United States and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2003. In addition, Jacob's Pillow offers year-round programmes for artists and audiences. Tanglewood is the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Tanglewood Music Center and the Boston Pops. In a typical summer, performances, recitals and seminars take place on 500 acres between Lenox and Stockbridge. Tanglewood is also home to the Tanglewood Learning Institute year-round.

At MASS MoCA, you can expect large-scale, immersive installations in galleries covering a total area of 300,000 square feet. The venue presents more than 75 performances throughout the year. Those interested in regional industrial history can plan the ten-mile Hoosac Valley Train Ride. The one-hour journey travels through the Hoosac Valley region in northern Berkshire County and is complemented on board by information about local industrial history.

Hancock Shaker Village is a National Historic Landmark with 20 original Shaker buildings. The site includes a working farm with livestock as well as historic medicinal and utility gardens. Demonstrations of Shaker crafts and historic livestock breeds provide additional insight into the way of life. At the Berkshire Museum, the aquarium houses hundreds of living specimens, including native and exotic fish, reptiles, amphibians and insects. The museum also displays fossils, a 143-pound meteorite, an Egyptian mummy and other artefacts from ancient history.

History and Special Excursions

Ventfort Hall is a Jacobean Revival-style mansion built for Sarah Morgan in 1893 and is home to the Museum of the Gilded Age. Through lectures, exhibitions, theatre performances and other events, the museum explores changes in American life, industry and society during the 19th century. The Mount adds to these historical impressions: The mansion was designed by Edith Wharton in 1902.

The W.E.B. Du Bois Boyhood Homesite is a National Historic Landmark located approximately two miles west of Great Barrington, Massachusetts. W.E.B. Du Bois lived during his childhood in a house at this Boyhood Homesite that has since been demolished. At Lenox Station, the Lenox Station Museum offers guided tours of its collection of historic railway equipment. From there, visitors can take the Lenox Jitney to the railway yard; for a small fee, it is also possible to ride in the locomotive cab.

The region’s diversity also includes a lively culinary scene with fresh farm produce and local, award-winning chefs. Naumkeag hosts seasonal outdoor events such as the Incredible Naumkeag Pumpkin Show, Winterlights and the Daffodil & Tulip Festival. These different areas of focus help you choose suitable accommodation based on your preferred type of trip: nature-focused days with hiking trails and waterfalls, cultural stays featuring music and museums, or excursions centred on history, gardens and regional cuisine.

For further location options, you can also visit the pages for Pittsfield, Lenox, Drury, Williamstown, Lee, North Adams, Great Barrington, West Stockbridge, Lanesboro, New Marlborough, Egremont and Otis.

For the broader travel overview: Massachusetts.