Berkshires

Berkshires Travel Guide

More than a century ago, wealthy families from New York and Boston built "summer cottages" in the Berkshires -- great country estates that earned Berkshire County the nickname "inland Newport." Today many of the surviving mansions have become fine inns or museums, or have had their grounds converted to outdoor venues for performing-arts groups such as the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

This seasonal cornucopia of live music, dance, and theater has turned the region into the summer culture capital of New England, which is why area accommodations are able to command such high prices during performance-packed summer weekends.

Autumn's palette of brightly colored foliage brings out the leaf peepers in droves, while winter's snow-covered peaks lure skiers from all the large cities within a couple of hours' driving distance.