Seattle Travel Guide

Seattle was nicknamed the 'The Emerald City' because of the green forests that surround it. In fact, Seattle is situated in a magnificent natural setting. But it also could have been called the city "Sapphire" because of the amount of water that surrounds it: the lake Washington to the east, the lake Union to the south and the Puget Sound to the west.

The city is a port of trade increased in transactions with Alaska, Japan and Canada. The Canadian border is located just 17 miles from Seattle. The water is so important here that there are a lot of houseboats installed on the docks of Lake Union.

The city is also surrounded by mountains, with some snow-covered peaks forever: Olympic Mountains, the Issaquah Alps and the famous chain of Cascades with Mount Rainier. This mount is an old volcano with an altitude of 4993 meters. It can be seen from the city; in fact you can contemplate from any tower, like the Space Needle. This tower is a major landmark of the Pacific Northwest region of the United States and a symbol of Seattle. It is 185 meters high and UFO-shaped, at the top it carries a panoramic restaurant that even tours. Or you can climb to the top of the Smith Tower (1914) with a roof which is shaped like a pyramid. However the tallest skyscraper in the downtown Seattle skyline is the Columbia Seafirst Center: 320 meters tall.

Seattle is also the hometown of Jimi Hendrix and the birthplace of grunge music. It is not surprising that cultural life is so important. The Experience Music Project was built in 2000 and has a concert hall and an interactive museum featuring American popular music which is one of Seattle's newer attractions. The architecture of the building is spectacular.

Seattle is also the cradle of the Boeing Company. So do not forget to visit these gigantic workshops before you go. According to the Guinness Book its hangar is the largest one in the world!