| Set on high, rolling plains, Denver takes the visitor by surprise at every turn, with a view of the mountains at the end of 17th Street or the surprisingly continental feel of the pavement cafés in Larimer Square. Horse-drawn carriages clatter around the solid brick Victorian warehouses of Lower Downtown (‘LoDo’), a sight that is reflected in the mirrored-glass skyscrapers alongside. Unlike most metropolitan centres, walking is a real pleasure – the Downtown area is compact and bursting with greenery in its parks, pedestrian areas and tree-lined boulevards. Hotels, convention facilities, shops, restaurants and nightspots are all within easy walking distance, not to mention top attractions like the US Mint, modelled on the Palazzo Riccardi in Florence, Denver Art Museum, Colorado History Museum and the Molly Brown House Museum. |